We Have Only Ourselves to Blame

 Since we're rapidly closing in on another Presidential election cycle, I've been thinking a lot about why I am so disillusioned with our government and how to move forward.  This is the time when the clown cars are at their fullest; every blowhard who can find their way to a microphone will soon flood the airwaves with nonsense trying to convince you that their myopic, xenophobic, homophobic worldview is the answer to your ills.  They'll tell you to be afraid of minorities, immigrants, history, climate change, even your own shadow because fear motivates action and they figure you'll be compelled to pick them to stand in front of the bogeyman and protect you.  Then, there's the other side who will try to sell you a new picture of the American Dream, full of hope, peace and prosperity so long as you put your full faith (and wallet) in their capable hands.  Each side has a certain appeal, but the extreme vitriolic hyperbole that spews out of them makes you wonder how in the hell can anybody take them seriously?  Yet, we stay on the hamster wheel, resigned to the notion that this village of idiots is somehow the best we can do. We wring our hands as they fail us over and over with no remorse and no end in sight because we have forgotten (or maybe never really knew) basic concepts of performance management.

I'm blessed to lead a high-achieving, dedicated group of professionals in my work.  They're motivated, compassionate, and committed to the mission of helping our students, faculty and staff.  Yet, from time to time even high achievers need correction.  Management is about recognizing those situations and taking steps to mitigate the damage and correct the behavior before it gets out of hand.  As voters, we are managers.  We are employers, and it is our responsibility to hold our employees (elected officials) accountable to the principles for which we elected them and to terminate their employment if they consistently fail to do so.  Instead, we knowingly let them lie to us, consistently under-perform and fail to meet even basic standards of civility (let alone statesmanship).  We scream at our TVs and swear up and down that we deserve better, and we do, but the problem lies with our tolerance of their utter disregard for us and the laziness we exhibit when we make excuses not to vote, not to write to our leaders, not to demand that they do the job they were sent to do with integrity.  You wouldn't put up with an employee at your office acting that way; why are we so willing to let our elected officials get away with it?

I am a true believer in the virtues of American democracy.  The two-party system has certainly led to turmoil, but it does better than most to guarantee that all opinions have the ability to be considered and that even the minority has a voice.  What is missing today is honest discourse and acceptance that, believe it or not, there is a common mission regardless of which side of the spectrum appeals to you.  We all want a government that supports our needs, protects our interests and defends our rights.  It needs to be objective and impartial, and it should inspire its citizens to strive to achieve their best aspirations.  Instead we let our government divide us with fabricated "culture wars" and nonsensical distractions because they assume we're too stupid to notice that they're neglecting their core responsibilities of leadership and service.  You don't like it?  Stop voting for the same buffoons and expecting different results.  Time to exercise your managerial authority and demand better.