David Brooks, a conservative columnist who writes in The New York Times, wrote that he is saddened that Mitch Daniels, Republican Governor of Indiana, is inclining not to run for President. In praising Daniels, Brooks commented that "the country's runaway debt is the central moral challenge of our time." I think that is ludicrous and sent the below email to David in response. His column is at http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/25/opinion/25brooks.html?src=me&ref=general.
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Dear David,
Do you truly believe that this country’s runaway debt is the central moral challenge of our time? It's truly sad if you do.
Not the increasing inequality in this vast and still wealthy country. Not the failure to grapple with millions of uninsured were so-called Obamacare to be eliminated. Not this country's failure to recognize its limits as the world's policeman. Not our need to face up to the challenges of a country increasingly changing in its demographic character, by which I mean the incredible growth of the Hispanic population.
Yes, the debt is and should be of major concern. But the greatest moral challenge? Spare me. How about focusing on the "morality" surrounding its emergence -- a banking system focused on creating obscure and obscene kinds of financial instruments based on mortgages given to non-qualifying candidates? What say you on that? I don't know Mitch's position on Obama's financial regulation legislation but I know Republicans in general oppose it, despite lessons all of us should have learned from the recent Great Recession.
No, David, you're wrong. That you see the debt as a moral challenge rather than the consequence of a good faith effort to avoid the pitfalls of the Great Depression by priming the pump through government spending is quite sad.
Please think more before you write. You're more balanced than most conservatives but you truly need to clean your lenses and check out what the real "moral" challenges are that face us.
Thanks.
Donald A. Newman
Long Beach, CA
