U.S. needs a ‘We Are the World’ moment
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about leadership.
I watched the terrific Netflix documentary about the 1985 recording of “We Are the World,” in which producer Quincy Jones somehow herded a collection of music superstars into combining their talents over one night to produce a song that raised more than $80 million for African relief and other humanitarian causes.
Then I visited the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum, where my wife and I watched a video as part of an exhibit about former Morning Call publisher Donald Miller, who believed business leaders had a responsibility to make their community a better place and was the driving force in creating and supporting a multitude of important area projects and organizations.
And I attended a question-answer session featuring Leon Panetta, former U.S. representative, secretary of defense, CIA director and director of the Office of Management and Budget the last time we had a federal budget surplus. He was speaking to a packed house at Lehigh University.
Panetta addressed the difference between governing by leadership and by crisis. He contrasted what’s happening or not happening in Washington today with his time in Congress, when leaders of both parties found enough common ground to get things done.
Specifically, he talked about a deal struck during the George H.W. Bush administration between House leaders to address the growing — but very modest by today’s standards — deficit by combining a tax increase and spending cuts. It was painful to both parties, but legislators knew each side needed to give ground to make government function.
Today, by contrast, we lurch from crisis to crisis, thanks in part to politicians more interested in power and soundbites than in leadership and governing.
I recently wrote about gerrymandering, where party leaders draw up election districts to protect incumbents and preserve power. One of the consequences of these “safe” districts is that legislators know the only successful challenge to their power can come in a primary election, typically from someone of even more extreme right or left views than theirs. They have no incentive to forge the kinds of compromises that are needed to govern effectively. It’s too risky.
What congressional Republican today would agree to raise taxes, even among the wealthiest Americans who aren’t paying nearly their fair share in the face of crippling deficits? Heck, they wouldn’t even agree to providing the IRS with enough resources to modernize itself and enforce our existing laws.
What congressional Democrat would agree to addressing entitlement programs, even though they amount to almost half of all government spending? They’d rather scare older voters about the Republicans’ dire designs on their retirement.
And what about protecting our border? In a rare demonstration of political courage, Senate negotiators of both parties agreed to many changes Republicans have been seeking as part of a package that included desperately needed funding for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.
There were features in there that neither party fully supported, but President Joe Biden said he would sign on and use the changes to take forceful action at the border. But former President Donald Trump wanted no part of a bipartisan measure that would compromise his biggest campaign issue. So his supporters came out strongly in opposition — in some cases with false claims about the bill — and House Republicans made it clear they preferred to abandon our allies and an opportunity to strengthen our Southern border rather than displease Trump. The bill collapsed.
Wouldn’t it be great if someone like Quincy Jones could gather all those legislators in a room and not let them leave until they solved the problem? Or for someone like Donald Miller to strong-arm them into understanding their strongest responsibility wasn’t to themselves, but to the communities that elected them?
A questioner from the audience asked Panetta whether he could offer any sense of hope in the face of our government dysfunction.
He said he is hopeful. “Why? Because the real strength of this country isn’t in Washington. … It’s in communities across this country. Americans who are resilient, who have spirit to really care about this country, and who are willing to fight to make this country what it needs to be. The strength of America is in its people.”
It’s time we start flexing our muscles.