Musings on Our Values. We'll Find Out What They Are on November 5

By Rudy Barnes, Jr., September 14, 2024

The big debate is over, and the only poll that counts now is the one on November 5.  That’s when we’ll find out the dominant values in American democracy.  I’m an octogenarian, too close to my expiration date to move to another country if Trump wins.  My wife and I will ride the uncertain political waves that will lead to the election, and see it through.

I have attached several articles that describe the political situation better than I could, so I won’t dwell on it at length, other than to say the only way a libertarian democracy can provide freedom for its people is for a majority of its voters to promote the common good.  If they do not, democracies can be polarized by single issue groups or political parties--as in the U.S.

In America, faith shapes our values, and most Americans identify with the greatest commandment to love God and our neighbors of other races and religions as we love ourselves.  It’s taken from the Hebrew Bible, was taught by Jesus and accepted by Muslim scholars as a common word of faith that promotes the common good; but it has been ignored in politics.

All true democracies have free and open elections, Russia (and perhaps Israel) being notable exceptions.  Standards of political legitimacy in a democracy are based on the public perception of values projected by winners in national elections.  In pluralistic democracies like America those values can be diverse, based on age, sex, education and income disparities.

Demographic changes in birth rates, immigration and growing disparities in wealth can change standards of political legitimacy and create political volatility that threatens the common good essential in a stable democracy.  And racial and religious differences have exacerbated unrest and political instability in pluralistic democracies around the world.

The U.S. is the most prosperous and powerful democracy in the world, but Russia and China are threatening American hegemony.  Issues in foreign policy and domestic fiscal policy, including the debt, the dollar and alternate cyber currencies will likely become dominant issues in the next couple of months; but Harris and Trump have not yet addressed those issues.

Before 2016, America’s two-party duopoly provided a modicum of political balance and stability in American politics.  Since then the self-destruction of the Republican Party under Donald Trump and his radical right surrogates have left America’s democracy and its values without a political center. 

Fasten your safety belts.  There’s dangerous turbulence ahead in America’s politics on how it will manage its massive national debt and continue to support wars in Israel and Ukraine.  The election on November 5 will be a test of America’s national values.  Hopefully the common good will prevail and restore a sense of balance in America’s dysfunctional democracy.      

Notes:

Ross Douthat and David Brooks are distinguished political commentators who support Pamela Harris, but are afraid Trump will win the election.  Ross Douthat explains Why I Think that Trump Will Win at https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/06/opinion/trump-victory.html.  David Brooks explains How Trump Wins (and Harris and the Democrats Blow it) at https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/04/opinion/trump-win-election-harris.html.  Both of those articles were written before the debate. 

A post-debate article emphasizing the differences between the two candidates that’s more favorable to Harris is at   https://time.com/7019747/harris-trump-debate-cover/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=sfmc&utm. 

On how many American voters are considering leaving the nation based on the election, see These Americans Want Out at https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/09/06/realestate/american-voters-leave-us-politics.html.

 On Democracy, Morality and Reason and the Greatest Commandment as a Common Word of Faith that Promotes the Common Good, see https://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2024/08/democracy-morality-reason-and-faith.html.

On promoting values essential to the common good as standards of political legitimacy in American democracy, see https://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2023/08/musings-on-promoting-common-good-as.html.