The Orbis

Issue date: 4/15/09 Section: Opinion

Media Credit: Newsweek.com A February Newsweek cover story raised alarm bells by using the "S" word.

We are now in the midst of one of the worst economic downturns since the Great Depression. Daily headlines rail against speculative culprits and scapegoats. America, once the world’s most prosperous and secure nations, is suffering one of the worst consumer crises we have ever seen. Some Americans have seen their retirements disappear and their homes devalued, furthering the downward spiral. Congress has passed measures to curb the fallout, focusing on assisting the middle and lower classes, and beginning a shift away from Reaganomics – but we have yet to see an end in sight.
Where does this leave America? Is this the decline of our country, or the signal of a new age in thinking and policies? What is our place in the world? One thing we should recognize is that people on both sides, liberal and conservative, want to see America succeed. We just have radically different views of how to make that happen.

For the liberal solution to financial crisis, let me offer a brief overview of social welfare legislation in the United States. The first major government support program passed was the Dependent Pension Act of 1890, making pensions available for disabled veterans and their families. The next big surge in social welfare spending came under Roosevelt, with the Social Security Act of 1935 establishing our current social welfare infrastructure. In 1944, Congress passed the GI Bill, creating for the first time educational benefits for those who had served in the military. Johnson’s Great Society in the early 1960s created several legislative bills, from free legal services for the poor, civil rights measures, Head Start, Medicare/Medicaid, and the Food Stamp program.

The 1980s brought a new backlash to government spending, and since then, many social welfare programs have shrunk significantly. This appears to be changing, again, as the new administration is taking steps towards addressing the flagging economy – reinstating teacher merit pay, raising the minimum wage, reinforcing labor rights such with the Employee Free Choice Act, and attempting Social Security Reform.
The New York Times has interviewed concerned citizens across America for their reactions to the economic crisis, and they quoted one man saying, “I came up in a world where ‘socialism’ was defined in popular parlance as ‘liberalism.’” This misconception seems to be diminishing, and the truth is that liberal social policies are not going to turn us into a socialist state. Social legislation is a much-needed response to the crisis we find ourselves in. With the lack of consumer confidence, and many of our most vulnerable citizens falling further into poverty, the job of the administration is to restore faith and protect the American people from threats – even if these threats come from our own failed economic system.

While the government might be bailing out huge financial companies and small banks alike, the fundamentals of privately owned companies still remain. However, corporate profits should not come at the expense of individual workers living and prospering. We need some regulation to ensure a balance of benefits for both corporations and individuals. Big business is important and responsible for the success and prosperity of America, and we cannot deny that successful businesses are crucial to continued economic growth. People on the left acknowledge this but also think that sometimes this means putting a higher governmental stake in the companies that are crucial to keep the economy functioning.

We continue to stay grounded in the American fundamentals – particularly, the individual rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” But in order to maintain equal access to these rights, we must balance the prosperity from economic growth with social equity.

Americans are innovative, certainly, and we are able to develop new technologies and ideas to ensure our continued prosperity. Each new generation brings a new perspective, a new way forward, as new ideas and solutions surface. Some policies may not be the best, but trying new ideas allows us to change and adapt. Fear can be good, sometimes, especially when we look at other examples of economic systems gone wrong. We can heed history’s examples of failed socialistic and communistic states, but this should not lead us to avoid action in response to our own country’s problems. We cannot let fear of a label, such as “socialism,” affect our decision-making. When choosing the best course of action, we should not be scared to journey into uncharted territory when it is the best option available to us. We are strong and will continue to shift thoughts and actions in response to the times.

Along with responding to our economic crisis on the home front, we must re-establish our place in the world as an international leader. The decline of America’s international profile has challenged the new administration to reaffirm our core beliefs and reestablish America’s good name. The new administration must restore beliefs in our responsibility as a nation, and restore efforts at cooperation with other nations. We inhabit this planet with other nations, which makes it critical to work with other nations’ governments to promote peace through diplomacy or war and to protect our own people. The social legislation on the home front ensures that we retain our economic might, as other nations continue to devote billions into their own economies. We must signal to the world that America can respond to our own problems.

The social policies enacted under Obama’s plan signal a shift of American thought, one which once again promotes protections for all people, not just corporations. The times are changing, but our fundamental goals and values remain the same, even if the way we choose to attain these goals has changed.

The liberal response to economic hardship is best summed under President Johnson’s “hand-ups,” not “hand-outs” policy, which in turn benefits the entire nation through increased prosperity and stability. By taking care of our poorest citizens and providing more of an equitable chance to succeed, government provides and promotes the advancement of the people as a whole, and the best and most qualified individuals will succeed.

We, as a nation, really do want the same things: prosperity, stability, and success. The abundance and diversity of thought as to how to achieve these goals allows us to continue to succeed. Although hard times may await our generation, there is nothing we cannot achieve if we unite with one common goal

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