Gravitas

The idea of an open and communicative government is wonderful. However, all of the childish prattling coming out Washington about who is at fault for creating the nation's debt and who is at fault for prolonging it is absolutely appalling. Op-ed columnists are naturally going to write the kind of pieces that will whip the American people into a furious lather, and that may be a good thing—Americans should pressure the government into making long overdue changes. In fact, it would be nice, if unlikely, to have that pressure result in meaningful, productive dialogue between the people and the government. Alternatively, I think the people should be able to realistically expect meaningful, informative disclosure from our duly elected officials as discussions progress. The dispassionate yammering currently issuing from members of Congress and, indeed, the Office of the President amounts to little more than the finger-pointing and name-calling tactics schoolchildren use to settle a playground dispute. It has become commonplace on the American political landscape, and it needs to stop. The people deserve a little more gravitas from the country's highest levels of leadership.