Washington DC, the home of the American government that draws millions from home and abroad; history crackles and awakens at every corner, every brick brushed against by millions that have come and gone, imbued with the touch and hopes of millions. That feeling that permeates in every human sense does not tether itself to the ground but extends up and envelops the heavens and earth in shocking awe. Every aspect, from ground to sky, in that beautiful bastion work in conjunction to reflect the world’s free peoples. On that beautiful horizon lies the U.S. Capitol building, glistening in the sun and proudly standing, penetrating the skyline of D.C. and letting know to all people that freedom is its objective and tyranny its enemy. Inside and under that neoclassical dome is where the true beauty lies, a government of and for the people, where differing opinions come to meet, debate, and find consensus on issues in the country; this is her true purpose. Unfortunately, this purpose has waned under the heat of partisan passions, and now that sad display of an abdication of true responsibility is the current debt ceiling debate.
The debt ceiling is at the center of the age-old political debate of government size and spending, but having this debate with the consequences of default looming so close is foolhardy. Establishing what the debt ceiling is essential in understanding the argument; it is “the total amount of money that the U.S. is authorized to borrow to meet its existing conditions” (U.S. Department of Treasury), meaning money we have already borrowed, money that has already been spent. Money that ensures the critical function of government operations like Medicare and Social Security. We have never defaulted on our financial obligations in our country’s long history. Doing so would trigger a catastrophe that would be felt at home and worldwide; retirements would crash, a recession would balloon inflation and unemployment to unprecedented rates, and a collapse in the value of American currency. Least to say, defaulting would be an incredibly damaging development.
Now congressional leaders want to play games with the economic well-being of the United States, and it is dangerous. Indulging in the folly of partisan politics is foolhardy when the country’s fate is on the line, and with less than three weeks until default, this game must stop now. The blame game will not get us anywhere; Democrats and Republicans have contributed to the debt chasm, with presidents on both sides adding exorbitant amounts to our debt (Trump added 6.7 trillion and Obama 8.6 trillion). Partisan passions like these serve to divide, weaken and destroy the foundations of our country and the prospects of the future. Now we need the bridge of wills; we must move with our best recourse of action, lift the ceiling, sit down, and have good-faith conversations to effectively and efficiently spend without the hand on the nuclear button. We must construct the bridge to create the sensible government and solution we want and move forward to meet other challenges ahead together.
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