Is America heading in the wrong direction?

The people who take all those polls we hear about on the news seem to have an unhealthy obsession with that question. I did a bit of web surfing last week and found one organization that has asked that very question every week since the beginning of 2009. According to their latest polling almost two-thirds of Americans think our great nation is on the wrong track and headed in the wrong direction.

OK, I know there are all sorts of reasons for this pessimism, and while many of them are legitimate, just as many are based on fear, misinformation and prejudice. For example, many Americans believe crime is increasing, even though it has been dropping for years. Prejudice, bigotry and fear lead some to believe that racial or ethnic groups, religious groups other than their own, and businesses, even entire industries, are enemies intent on leading America in the wrong direction. Some Americans believe anything the government does is wrong, and will lead to the downfall of America.

Personally, I’m not among the pessimists, not because I don’t believe there are some bad things going on out there in the real world, because there are.  But this nation is an incredibly complex beast, composed of thousands of governmental entities, communities of all sizes, businesses large and small and organizations centered on thousands of activities and causes. There are almost 320 million of us participating in all those areas of life. It stands to reason, then, that the nation’s future will look glum from time to time.

But there are many silver linings among the dark clouds we see on the news at night. Contrary to conservative dogma, government action at all levels often helps make life better for citizens. Contrary to liberal dogma, businesses, even big corporations, often act, not out of greed, but out of patriotism and a sense of civic responsibility. Churches, community organizations, private organizations of all sorts and individual citizens, even politicians, all make positive contributions to American life every day.

In the long run, I am optimistic that our nation can overcome the difficulties that all of us read about in the newspapers and see on television.

My optimism is being shaken badly, though, by the blundering herd of politicians who are trying to become our next president. It’s July, and it has been very hot, but I get a cold chill whenever I read about this bunch. Given the size of the group, I would expect at least one of them would stand out, but until just recently none of them has. I didn’t think it could be any worse, but then Donald Trump joined the race and it was.

Space doesn’t permit me to do a rundown of all the candidates. Suffice it to say that all of them, in one respect or another, are way too conservative or too liberal to suit me. Looking around the nation, you can find some states struggling from overly liberal policies and others struggling from overly conservative policies.

What I want is practical and efficient government. I don’t hear about that from any of the candidates. All I hear is anger. Republican anger is aimed mostly at President Obama, but the Supreme Court, immigrants, and liberal college professors are also targets. Democratic wrath is a bit less fiery than the Republicans, but they too are upset with the Supreme Court, but on a different issue. Big banks and corporations also are targets of the Democrats

Unfortunately, there are voters who are motivated by anger, and campaign contributors that give huge sums to candidates who echo their anger.

Well, to tell the truth, I’m angry about a lot of things myself, and the main thing that angers me is the failure of our political system to deal with the real problems of this nation because they are angry. What I’d like to see is a few candidates who want to work for the good of the whole nation. I want to see proposals that will work, regardless of whether they fit the narrow ideologies of conservatives or liberals.

Most of all, I’d like to see a president who will challenge us to be real patriots, people who will work together to resolve our difficulties. I’d like him to remind us that government is us, not some foreign invader, and lead us in reviving that ideal.

OK, I suppose that’s not possible, given the stubborn nature of the ideologues from the right and left, and maybe I should just give up any hope.

But there is one candidate that I think might be a ray of hope. Recently, James Webb announced his candidacy.  Mr. Webb was a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War, where he commanded Marines in combat. He’s conservative enough to have served in Ronald Reagan’s cabinet and was elected to the Senate as a Democrat from Virginia. He hasn’t said much so far, but from what he has said, I’m hoping he will become a voice of reason.

I hope so, because we certainly don’t need any more angry voices.