America cannot afford politics as usual at a moment of such vital import for now and for the longer term. Many Americans have experienced great hardship since the recession began; unemployment has become long term for large numbers, with potentially permanent damage through loss of skills; and current economic conditions could remain stressed for an extended time due to the strong headwinds we face. Policy decisions can make a real difference to these conditions, for better or for worse.
Looking to the longer term, we could well be at a historic crossroads. With our dynamic culture and other strengths, we should succeed if we meet our policy challenges. If we do not, we will probably languish.
The issues we face are complex and there are very different views about what to do. But policymakers who operated on facts and analysis, not ideology and politics, who worked to find common ground and who made politically tough decisions could reach enough agreement to ameliorate our shorter-term duress and position us for longer-term success. The key is the political will of our people and our leaders.
