DEGREES OF SEPARATION

Two separate events occurred since writing the last entry. The first was hearing the historian David McCullough speak at Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site regarding his book The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris, “the story of adventurous American artists, writers, doctors, politicians, architects, and others of high aspiration who set off for Paris in the years between 1830 and 1900.” Apparently, much has been written about the Americans who went to Paris at the beginning of our country, as well as those who went to Paris in the first half of the Twentieth Century, but there hasn’t been much about the middle group who also contributed to the American way of life. Several among this group to make the journey had played prominent roles in the triumphant return to the United States of General LaFayette in 1824/25 and how they journeyed to France because it was the center to learn the latest in art, science, literature, education, and medicine. Interestingly, Mr McCullough informed us that French policy was that no tuition costs would be charged to these foreigners, recognizing the value these aliens might provide to France’s quality of life. General Lafayette embraced these young Americans in the manner of an elderly uncle regarding the care and welfare of visiting relatives from afar, and regularly met with them and helped to open Parisian doors. As a hero of the American Revolution, Lafayette’s 1824/25 journey was part of our nation’s fiftieth anniversary and included a visit to Claremont while enroute from meeting with the NH Legislature to Windsor Vermont. So, as we passed the granite marker on 12A memorializes this American patriot’s visit, it seemed most appropriate to be travelling the same road used by Lafayette.
Among the Americans highlighted by Mr. McCullough was Augustus Saint-Gaudens whose home is now a National Historic Site. Saint-Gaudens, the son of a French immigrant shoemaker, became one of this country’s greatest sculptors and a member of the Cornish Art Colony. Exploring the spacious grounds of the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site is a wonderful experience – as it is one of the jewels of the Connecticut River Valley. Actually, it is an excellent example of how your taxes are put to good use! I also learned that David McCullough has connections to Claremont and the region, one of his oldest friends was former state representative David Allison, and that Judge Albert Leahy was his classmate at Yale (’55). Perhaps there is something to the theory that there exist only six degrees of separation between anyone in the world.

The second event was a meeting of the Legislature in Concord, which included speeches by five presidential candidates. Having presidential candidates address the NH legislature is not unusual, but having five at once was new. Interestingly, this provided the opportunity to focus on style, and content. After the opening ceremonies, the Speaker individually introduced each GOP presidential candidate to speak for ten minutes. First was Gary Johnson, the former governor of New Mexico, who completed a 500 mile bike ride across NH, and feels we are on the verge of a monetary collapse. He advocates for a fair tax, and would not have created the Department of Homeland Security. He ended by stressing that now is the time for mutual sacrifice by all Americans. Next was former US Senator Rick Santorum from Pennsylvania who is taller and slimmer than on television. He stated this is the most important election in the nation’s history and that NH’s position in the primary process is in jeopardy due Florida and Nevada, and how NH provides an opportunity for voters to ‘kick the tires’. His focus was we need a president who believes in us not the government.

The third candidate was former US House Speaker Newt Gingrich – who in the 1990’s came to Claremont with former President Clinton at the Bourdon Center. He stated we are in a period of enormous change and is working on a 21st Century Contract with America. Especially intriguing was his suggestion we adopt the Lincoln/Douglas debate as a model where each candidate would ask questions of their opponent. The fourth candidate was Georgia businessman Mr. Herman Cain who has an economic (999) plan, and was ecstatically received by house colleagues. Touting changes to social security, Cain stated we can choose the road to socialism and bigger government, or the road to more freedom, liberty and fewer taxes. I did find it odd that this overwhelmingly libertarian leaning (anti-tax) House would wildly applaud Cain who espouses a national 9% sales tax! The last candidate was Minnesota Congresswoman Michelle Bachman who said we have the right to be free of taxation without representation, and she’d repeal health care, cut taxes, go after illegal immigrants and concluded by saying “we want our country back” and then repeated God Bless three times.

While driving home the comments of Thomas Friedman kept resurfacing regarding this disconnect between the presidential election and the problems facing the nation as being “two separate universes – with no overlap between the election regarding the economy and world situation and the race for president”!

Talking to a Tea Partier: A Primer

I thought the topic for this would be “How to talk to a Tea Partier?” Who knows, maybe I’d be able to write something humorous and light hearted, causing readers to smile and say things like - how entertaining and witty! Then while attending the Claremont Fall Festival, I bumped into a local guy who shall remain nameless. While I don’t know for sure if he is a card carrying tea party member – he always sounds very über libertarian and mistrustful of government and personal motives! In the course of our brief chat, he said that if this was back in the days of the American Revolution – I’d be a Tory and he (and his ilk) would be Patriots! WOW! Now I would not normally recommend this as a preferred icebreaker and way to start a conversation – but it did stimulate an interesting exchange. When asked why such a clear delineation, his response was I’m for government therefore anyone who supports government would be a Tory! I came back with – for me government is all of us – you know “of the people, by the people, for the people”, versus a selfish “me” attitude. Needless to say, the conversation went downhill from there with each of us saying a lot, but neither listening very much. This exchange got me to thinking – does any common ground exist and is it possible, for people who are so opposite, to have substantive conversations? Or are we destined to follow two separate paths – the Tea Party version that only watches Fox News, has rallies in Broad Street Park and listens to Limbaugh, and my side that interchanges MS-NBC, Wall Street Protests and Lawrence O’Donnell? Being a pro-active, inquisitive, modern 21st Century globalista – I immediately turned to the internet and googled the question: How does one talk to a Free State tea bag anarchist libertarian extremist? Needless to say, the computer suggested that I should re-frame the query (too inflammatory)! Interestingly, I did learn that tea partiers do not like being called tea baggers, which is odd since I have seen many pictures of them at political rallies with bunches of tea bags dangling from their hats! In reality my search effectively did away with any presupposition that such a topic could be humorous, light or entertaining! I quickly learned that these people mean serious business and their basic core beliefs are that you Don’t trust government, Taxes are bad and Everyone’s on their own! Regarding their mantra to not trust any government, there is this real disconnect and failure to realize that they/we are the government. Furthermore, government regulations exist to protect us (the citizens) by establishing basic fundamental operating standards – that means licensing things like barbers and banks. Also whenever we dismantle or de-regulate we end up with things like the recent banking crisis and the BP Oil spill in the Gulf. Next – Taxes are bad – which leads me to ask how we will pay for our roads, schools, police and fire departments. Bottom line is tea partiers think that the country will get along just fine if we abolish taxes; unfortunately, I believe government has a responsibility to provide good roads, good schools and help the least among us which brings me to their final belief that puts individual freedoms ahead of collective responsibility. Quite frankly, can people really be this self serving? It seems they really prefer to dismiss the need for things like health care reform and are content to just label it as socialized medicine or Obama-care. Also forget trying to have a discussion about tax parity which will quickly dissolve into charges of class warfare! Somehow our running two wars on a credit card were fiscally acceptable! An excellent example of this communication disconnect is just look at the presidential campaign which Thomas Friedman describes as “two separate universes – with no overlap between the election regarding the economy and world situation and the race for president.” I can attest that at the state level, there is little discussion of problems, merely political posturing and the situation appears worse in Washington. Among the more alarming findings from my query was again by Thomas Friedman who stated that the “Tea Party is so lacking in any aspiration for American greatness, so dominated by the narrowest visions for our country and so ignorant of the fact that it was not tax cuts that made America great but our unique public-private partnerships across the generations. If sane Republicans do not stand up to this Hezbollah faction in their midst, the Tea Party will take the GOP on a suicide mission.” As a student of history who appreciates the American system this is upsetting, I suppose I could take a partisan stand, however if I really believe in a government “of the people, by the people, for the people” we need two sides talking and working together. Otherwise – last one out of town shut off the lights!” So much for comic relief and an attempt at writing a column that is light, humorous and witty!