Being a news junkie has given me a month to assess how well levels and branches of the government work together and the ability of the press to present a fair overview of the ongoing pandemic.
While I was aware of this problem before, I now see how brutal it has become. We are a polarized, dysfunctional nation, especially at the federal level. State government is a mess, too.
I have watched many White House COVID-19 updates and press conferences from governors of individual states such as Louisiana, Kentucky, Georgia and New York.
As I’ve written many times, I’m conservative, yet pragmatic when it comes to social issues. I believe in the Bill of Rights, including the Second Amendment. I am for fiscal conservatism and support the use of the death penalty — with tort reform — as a crime deterrent. The manner in which I’m the most conservative is promotion of the theory of local government control.
I believe towns, villages, cities, counties and other municipal governmental entities should have the most control over the laws and regulations of those governed. That’s to be aided by a framework of overlying legislation provided by the states, which should not employ unfunded mandates or make decisions beyond what’s needed to create commonality in law. This includes fundamental state statutes, health regulations, police protection and infrastructure improvements. The theory in our republic is that the federal government follows the constitution to create the ultimate overlying framework linking all 50 states — providing national defense and overseeing social programs that are necessary to ensure all are “created equal” and people are entitled to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
In mid-April, there was a discussion between President Donald Trump and reporters regarding where authority rested to open states or communities for business. Is it with state governors, who have each employed different restrictions in the face of COVID-19, or is it the President?
President Trump said, “Well, I have the ultimate authority.”
We will long debate all of the things the president has said during the COVID-19 pandemic, whether it involves his ideas on what a virus is, how it will spread, how much control humans have over that spread — to much less flattering and less important comments regarding the use of light and disinfectant as medical applications.
When it comes the executive office, President Harry S. Truman had a sign saying “the buck stops here” on his desk. He used that phrase to not only signify his authority, but more importantly, let Americans know he took responsibility for what occurred to our nation and it’s influence in the world.
President Trump was clear he also has authority, but he shares no such philosophy of responsibility. When it comes to the nation’s lack of proper test kits for COVID-19, Trump said, “I take no responsibility at all.” Yet, the responsibility for preparing for the pandemic squarely rests in federal-controlled authorities such as the Center for Disease Control and the Department of Health and Human Services. Trump and his cabinet oversee those departments.
The President and his cabinet can do many things unilaterally, but in the case of “opening states for business” against the orders of governors, that’s a matter of constitutional law that Trump can’t claim to own without the support of congress and the judiciary.
What’s best for Delaware may be far from what’s best for Arizona. There is concern over inter-state travel, which is a federal matter, but this is where statesmanship and governments working together is crucial. Our president, like many members of congress, lacks the ability to practice statesmanship. They have no interest in working together — this includes those in both parties.
The president may act to protect national security, but the president cannot declare war — that power lies with Congress. All three branches of government must work together at the federal level to guide the nation following the wishes of the people. There must be balance.
What British lawmaker Edmund Burke called “The Fourth Estate” of government — the press — has a role in government, too. It’s the job of objective journalists to inform the people of the actions of government. The press is supposed to provide checks and balances the other three branches of government either can’t or won’t provide for each other.
The media has been its own worst enemy eroding its role. Properly, news outlets have periods of time or provide space where they report unbiased, straight-news coverage. What major media outlets have done is destroy their credibility and objectivity by carrying overwhelming opinion content that aligns with a certain ideology. This opinion content is cheap to produce, creates a significant audience, yet includes little of the tenants of objective journalism. Many Americans, sadly, consider this “opinion content” to be the news.
So, while government has its failings, so does the media.
It’s been evident to see these existing failures during a time of worldwide crisis. COVID-19 has driven us all to a tipping point in many ways — economically, socially, domestically… We want government to act in our own individual best interest. For the investor or many business owners, that means opening up the economy. We need this to happen. However, for the senior citizen, parents of young children, or those with comorbidity factors related to COVID-19, they ask, “How can we open the economy and expose ourselves to deathly repercussions, when we can’t properly test for COVID-19, let alone, treat it?”
The importance of opening the economy vs. health concerns is the crucial issue of moment. It would be best served by a government built on statesmanship where bipartisan use of science determines what’s best overall for the people. This, in places, is happening, but it’s being poorly covered and the spin at the national and state level often is created to constantly divide people. We need to be better than this to get through these trying times.
— Matt Johnson is publisher of the Monroe Times. His column is published Wednesdays.
