Slogans

I watched the Presidential debate between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama last evening on television. It was called a debate. What I saw, for the most part, was an exchange of cheesy anecdotes and slogans. 

As a scientist (Cellular Biology and Chemistry) and a humanist, I resent this jingle-ridden approach to the future of government and the people it influences. Mr. Romney, doing a fairly good imitation of Ronald Reagan in the Reagan-Carter debate, tried to cast Mr. Obama as the failed savior. Mr. Obama, taking a mistaken defensive posture, relied on dragging his deceased grandmother from the grave to defend Medicare and Social Security. Utter nonsense.

The question before the American population is rather clear to most of us here and across the developed world. Is government's loyalty to the wealth of the wealthy or to the greater good for the greater majority of the people? Mr. Obama made glancing references to this question. Mr. Romney brushed it aside with his bible of trickle-down economics, the same economics which brought us Madoffs and banks too big to fail. 

The immaturity of U.S. politics reflects the stultifying American media, dominated by manipulative corporate giants. The hypnotized populace walks to the step of advertising and slogans. Lines to buy iPads and iPhones  indicate that even the affluent are zombies under the influence of media hype.

Individual acceptance of the degradation of intelligence and independent thought has deep consequences for society.  As a practicing humanist, I refuse to accept this degradation. As a taxpayer, I expect the brightest minds to handle the money I give the government. As a citizen, I expect equal treatment for all under the law. As a voter, I refuse to support any politician who cannot present a coherent plan with details for solving current social problems here and abroad. None of this work, which I expect, will be done by slogans.