Happy Medium

Is our system broken? After spending about two minutes with any Washingtonian and probably any citizen for that matter, the answer will be a resounding yes. This gloom and doom question seems to always make its way into conversation. We are left to wonder about the functionality of government, when one hears on the news the threat of government shutdowns and the constant indecisive nature of Congress. The year of 2011 seemed to be a year for this news.

Each person has a different idea about the problem, but what seems to be at the root of it is the lack of compromise. We have a group of people on two sides of the political spectrum and nobody is willing to meet halfway. This idea of finding a middle road is exactly what Aristotle was suggesting when he said find the happy medium between the two extremes. This is a simple solution on the surface, but the truth is if you have two clear cut sides, than what’s in the middle is obscure and fuzzy, making it hard to find exactly where the midpoint lies.


I think "people" is the key word here. I tend to agree with those that say its the people in government and not the system that's the problem. I am not saying everyone is a problem, but there is a definite stigma out there that people in government are not considering the interests of the nation as a whole. That they are not following the thought of utilitarianism and doing what's best for the greatest number and surely are not considering every citizen. 


It will be interesting to see how this next election plays out. Will the voting reflect the public's outcry for a government more willing to work together? And with their disenchantment with the people in government? I guess we will see.