Trust in government seems to be at a dangerously low level. That’s important since the thing that separates democracy from civil war is trust. At some point, we need to return toward balance on the topics that are the most important and which give our people concern for the future. And we must turn away from extreme political and financial ambition.
The only ambition that truly makes sense is ambition for a better society. I have met billionaires in mansions surrounded by slums. I have seen princes rule over societies built on exploitation while living in constant fear of revolt. I have met the children of the global wealthy who wanted nothing more than to live the ordinary middle-class life I grew up with here in New Hampshire. Personal wealth without social unity is just another form of slavery. Trust and unity in society are the least expensive ways of generating real societal wealth.
Our politicians destroy our trust constantly.
Chris Pappas, technically, may not have accepted hush money to lubricate the destruction of the people of Gaza. However, he did receive approximately $820,000 in pro-Israel funds. Then, when we cancel out Netanyahu’s talking points from Pappas’s public statements about Gaza, what remains sounds a lot like silence.
It doesn’t build much trust.
Being an “alpha male” is not leadership. Those who aspire to dominate through intimidation, including the man currently occupying the highest office in the country, seem better suited to the social hierarchy of lower primates than to a modern democracy. Our president’s daily behavior and tone force the people who elected him to decide, over and over again, whether they trust him. He seems unconcerned with the fact that 65% don’t.
Meanwhile, John Sununu has deemed that the people of New Hampshire don’t deserve to know whether he accepts or rejects the president’s endorsement. Perhaps being a Sununu means that transparency doesn’t apply to him. But, considering the mood in the country, it should.
Here are some ways I will work to rebuild trust in our political system.
Abortion
I do not support restrictions during the first twelve weeks of pregnancy. But I believe the current liberal de facto position supporting legal abortion through the third trimester is politically damaging, morally troubling, and ultimately unsustainable.
Some restrictions and compassion across the board will help rebuild some trust across our society. It may not feel good for those on the extremes, but that’s how compromise feels.
Food and Farming
As artificial intelligence continues to reduce the amount of work available, we need a stronger agricultural system and reliable access to healthy food for those who need it. SNAP should be reformed so that it covers staple foods and fresh produce instead of unhealthy products. We should not make people sick with taxpayer dollars, especially if they are on Medicaid.
Farm subsidies should be integrated more directly into a healthy food system, encouraging regenerative farming practices that improve both the quality of our food and the health of our environment.
Health Care
One of the greatest strengths of a free-market economy is that consumers influence both price and quality at the point of purchase. Unfortunately, the high cost of medical care has largely eliminated that influence. Most Americans cannot shop for major medical procedures. Instead, we gamble through an insurance system that inflates prices.
We need to restore consumer purchasing power in health care while preparing for the economic disruption AI is likely to bring.
The Environment
We have to turn back to a concern for our environment. In the heat of the political contention of the last few years we have dropped the ball. We don’t need fear, panic, obsession, or denial. We just need to think clearly, find low cost solutions, and at least have concern for the environment as a national initiative again.
God
We need a higher power even if our level of belief is at empty. We need to try to believe in meaning to our lives and to our mission as a country. It doesn’t have to be a Project 2025 kind of God. We don’t need to return to some puritanical ideal. But forgiveness matters, and so does hope. God helps with both.
Leadership
We depend on open communication, trust, humility, compassion, and maybe even some friendliness. Once we rebuild those foundations, everything else becomes possible.
