The Washington Outsider


The Sequestered US Government Needs a Therapist

Previously published on Mar 28, 2013


Of late, the US government has been acting especially dysfunctional to the point most experts are thoroughly stupefied by the unhealthy dynamic. Unfortunately, the irrational, damaging behavior of the US government cannot be fully comprehended in terms of traditional political science models, thus solutions to our government crisis cannot be derived. If the behavior of government is analyzed as a whole, it might be modeled as a dysfunctional person or as a dysfunctional group of persons. Although human beings and human beings as groups exhibit a myriad of dysfunctions, the most harmful aspect of unhealthy, destructive individuals is the tendency of these people to enable dysfunctional behaviors in others and foster dysfunctional, often degenerative environments.

My father is an extremely dysfunctional person. Part of his dysfunctional nature centers on his apathetic pursuit of his own interests, which makes his plethora of technical skills nearly worthless to him, his compulsive need to pursue affection from outside interests, i.e. friends, acquaintances, etc., by forgoing his own needs in favor of their interests, and his oppressively domineering nature. For his wife and children, his dysfunctions created an environment where healthy behaviors, such as studying, exercise, and scheduled activities, were aggressively discouraged while unhealthy behaviors, such as overeating, indefinite procrastination, and social disengagement, were expected, unless they inconvenienced him. My father's impulse is to avoid doing what he should be doing when he is faced with a task, especially when it is a challenge. Coupled with an ongoing effort to actively prevent others from compensating for his dysfunctional nature and his negligence, this particular dysfunction essentially guarantees he will accomplish little, if anything. Clearly, this is analogous to government.

My father's efforts to procrastinate always begin with an internal "debate" on what to do, which essentially consists of him avoiding the issue at hand by watching TV and, perhaps, mulling over a series of cyclical rationales for the first thought that popped into his head. The debating process is then followed by a series of booby traps, i.e. do whatever it takes to ensure the task becomes an irresolvable crisis; this usually includes losing or breaking the tools/materials needed to do the job as well as an all out effort to accomplish nonessential tasks he should have undertaken long ago. Thanks to his ability to thoroughly contort reality to the point his rationales and fabrications are more real than reality, his highly manipulate nature ensures others will almost never try or be able to correct his self-destructive behaviors. Like my father, the US government is essentially creating more problems and greater costs by avoiding the things it should be doing with an ongoing series of pathological manipulations and avoidance tactics.

In truth, the one thing that would have helped my father was good old fashion peer pressure. Because he so aggressively pursues the approval of nonfamily members, my father's most destructive behaviors could have been mitigated by constructive, positive peer pressure. Unfortunately, his dysfunctions make him highly exploitable while the prevailing socioeconomic dynamic of our culture, which is very prevalent in my economically depressed area, tends to foster exploitation. Consequently, he encountered mostly negative peer pressure throughout his life, which cultivated his most self-destructive behaviors, thus he failed to pursue his own/family's interests. In a similar fashion, special interests, especially corporate interests, mass media outlets, and the voting population have tended to reward our government's most dysfunctional behaviors; therefore, the US government has been encouraged to neglect the interests of the American People over the last two or three generations.

In the current battle over the National Debt and Sequester, our officials and political analysts enabled our government's dysfunctional behavior by offering them an easy out. That is, the Sequester was put in place to create a relatively minor crisis, so our politicians could solve our underlying budgetary issues before an irresolvable crisis hit in the future, i.e. the US Federal government goes bankrupt. Instead, politicians publicly focused on who was to blame for the Sequester and what would happen if the Sequester went into effect. By obsessing over this story, the news outlets and viewing public gave our elected officials the out they are always seeking. When our elected officials should have been discussing and resolving the political conflicts that exist across a variety of policy areas, including tax policy, tax philosophy, spending philosophy, social welfare spending, military spending, etc, they were too preoccupied with trying to avoid the political consequences of the Sequester. With the Sequester in effect, the American People are likely to eventually see another classic kick-the-can-down-the-road solution, which will do little to solve the actual problem of the Debt, should the true consequences of the sequester become apparent.

Unfortunately, the underlying issues surrounding the Sequester and the Federal Budget cannot be fully discussed in a single article. In order to resolve the many underlying issues fueling the ongoing budgetary crisis alone, the American People need to be part of an open, honest discussion on what needs to be done and what choices must be made. It is the responsibility of our Legislators to lead this discussion, not have a half-assed one behind closed doors as they publicly moan over the consequences of their own policies. (They even tried to claim they didn't understand what the Sequester was. They understood; they just didn't do what they should have done to stop it.) President Obama's outreach to Republicans and campaign style efforts to encourage voters to force their representatives to act is a start to what is needed, but we must have an actual public forum on the myriad of underlying public policies and governing philosophies.

My siblings and I have had to learn how to compensate for the dysfunctional nature of our father; however, we have come to learn that we can only compensate so much. Just as a dysfunctional person's destructive behavior can only be effectively mitigated with community support and engagement, the dysfunctional nature of our government can only be mitigated by greater community support and engagement for the pursuit of the American People's interests. With round two of the Sequester crisis underway and a whole host of other critical issues left unresolved, it is my hope the American People and our elected officials might start to have the truly difficult conversations we need to have, instead of avoiding them by quibbling over seemingly important, yet relatively trivial, arguments. It would also be nice if professional news outlets and professional journalists would help by doing their job and covering the broader stories surrounding the Sequester. The Sequester will pass with relatively minor, albeit extremely painful and destructive, consequences, but the underlying issues behind the budgetary crisis will still need to be resolved. Eventually, the US government will be forced to pursue its interests, or deal with a thoroughly catastrophic collapse of the Federal Budget and the US government that will have ripple effects throughout the world for generations to come.

Our public officials and unofficial community leaders should contemplate the following:

The more times you choose to the take the path of least resistance, the farther downhill you go.
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      • Should One's Faith Influence a Citizen's Vote?
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      • Justice for All: The Case for Legal, Social, Economic, and Personal Justice
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      • What Modern Day Revolutionaries Need to Learn from Leader's like Mandela
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      • How Honesty Relates to the Great Recession
      • Why the Middle Class and Rich Need to Support Their Long-term Interests
      • The Aristocratic Republic of the United States of America
      • Discussing the Need for Community Support
      • Why New Forms of Capitalism and Socialism Will Compliment Each Other
      • The Reason We Need to Understand What it is to Be Poor in America
      • Why the World Needs to Reinvest in America
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      • Why Does Terrorism Exist?
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        • Is Suicide a Cowardly Way Out?
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        • Recognizing Abuse
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        • It’s Just Sex?
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      • Understanding the Effects of Groupthink in the Workplace
      • Relating Circular, Inductive, and Deductive Reasoning to the Scientific Method and Religion
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      • The Need for Greater Economic Leverage >
        • Evaluating NAFTA and TPP
        • Undercutting Logistics with the Underpaid Independent Contractor
        • Unions: Hindrance or Essential to Free Markets
        • Eminent Domain Used Against Banks
        • Haitians Sue the UN for Failure to Help With Cholera
        • Looking at How Corn-based Ethanol and Other Alternative Energy Subsidies Stack Up
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        • Irish Sovereignty Lost Before Bailout
        • Why Sudan's Greatest Long-Term Hurdle is Our Lowest-bidder Economy
        • Reduce US Imports by Buying American Made Products
      • Ending the need for government support and tackling poverty
      • Income inequality: understanding the limitations and psychology of disadvantage
      • Looking at the Future of American Jobs >
        • On Questioning the Need to Address Economic Disparity
        • Minimum Wage is Not the Problem
        • Responding to the "Blip"
        • Why Education Is Not The Civil Rights Issue Of The Twenty-First Century
      • Considering the Impact of the Capital Gains Tax Deduction
      • Embracing a Capitalist Mindset >
        • Capitalism Versus Socialism
        • The Negatives of Socialism
      • Stealing Intellectual Property
      • Changing Business Models: From Enduring Entities to Cash Cows
      • Consumer and Investor Evolution in the Great Recession of 2008-09
      • Dealing with the Issues Surrounding the Patenting of Self-replicating Technologies
      • Is Technology Threatening Jobs?
    • Education >
      • The Role of Education in Creating a More Dynamic Workforce
      • Primary Education in America and the Changing Needs of Society
      • The Greatness of the American Education System
      • Ideas for Improving the United States Education System
      • Are Teachers Treated as Professionals?
      • Is Engaging Parents in Their Children's Education a Major Factor in Turning Around Low-performing Schools?
      • Should Grants Be Awarded to School Districts that Try Innovative Methods to Improve Student Achievement?
    • US Constitution >
      • On Reading the US Constitution
      • The Senate should not do more to limit the powers of the Judicial Branch
      • On the DOJ Justifying the “targeted Killings” of US Citizens
      • Corporations Do Not Have the Same Rights as US Citizens >
        • Corporate America Pleads the First
      • Discussing the Constitutionality of Per Capita Taxes
      • Was the California Supreme Court Right in Legalizing Gay Marriage?
      • Should the Bible Continue to Be Used for Swearing-in Ceremonies and in Courtrooms?
      • Should Religious Student Clubs Be Allowed in Public Schools?
      • Should the Government Control Talk Radio to Make it More "balanced"?
      • The Second Amendment: Not Outdated >
        • Are We Losing Our Second Amendment Rights
      • Eminent Domain Used Against Banks
      • Should a Woman Have the Right to Choose Abortion? >
        • Should Fathers Be Able to Opt Out of Parenthood?
      • Should Smoking Be Allowed in Public Places?
      • Is Teen Driving a Right or a Privilege?
      • Should US Companies Be Required to Provide Equal Pay to Women and Men?
      • Is eighteen too young to vote?
      • First Amendment Rights: The Priviledge of The Press
      • Do Mandatory Seat Belt Laws Violate Individual Rights?
      • Should cell phone use be banned while driving?
      • Dealing with the link between video game violence and children's behavior
      • Should police have to submit to routine drug and alcohol testing?
      • Public schools should not impose mandatory drug testing on students
      • Are High Taxes on Cigarettes Proper?
      • Should pharmacists be required to violate their religious beliefs and dispense the "Morning After Pill?"
      • Should school counselors uphold patient privacy or report students who become unstable?
  • For the record
    • Ongoing Issues >
      • Red Dawn in Ukraine: Understanding the Actions of Russia >
        • On Russia’s Coercion of Ukraine
        • The Russian Annexation of Crimea in the Eyes of the World
        • Putin Has Overplayed His Hand With Crimea
        • Ukraine in Terms of Resovereignization
        • Avoiding a Conflict Between America and Russia Over Ukraine
        • What Drives the World’s Interest in Russia’s Actions in Ukraine
      • China’s Aggressive Pursuit of Interests Demands a Global Response
      • Iran Makes a Deal: A Start to a Long-term Diplomatic Effort to Denuclearize Iran >
        • On the Future of a Nuclear Negotiations with Iran
      • America's Sphere of Influence: Retaking South-East Asia >
        • Power in Asia: Looking at the Power Shift in Japan
        • The China Paradox: Why America is Worried About China
      • Assessing US Support of Israel >
        • Tread Softly Israel for a Heavy Step May Be Your Undoing
      • Understanding the Dysfunctional Nature of the US-Pakistani Relationship
      • Recognizing the True Threat Behind the Current Unrest in the Middle East >
        • Reacting to the Escalating Crackdown in Syria
      • Assessing the Threat of North Korea >
        • Answering North Korea's Call for Food Aid: Breaking the Vicious Cycle Forced Upon Us by a Warring Nation
        • Dealing with the Restarting of the Korean War
        • North Korea Attacks South Korea
      • Dealing with the Ill-effects of Climate Change
      • Racial Inequality and Oppression Do Truly Exist in Today's Society
      • Should energy independence be a high priority in the US?
      • An overview of world wide Human Rights violations
      • Nuclear Threat from Pakistan
      • Return of The Cold War?
    • World >
      • Coverage of FIFA World Cup is a Chance to Focus on Poverty >
        • The FIFA World Cup Offers Benefits for More Than Brazilian Soccer Fans
        • FIFA Can Bring Brazilians Together as a Nation
      • Being Prepared for Any Potential Dangers at the FIFA World Cup Games
      • Treading Softly on the Politicizing of the 2014 Sochi Olympics Over Gay Rights
      • Why NATO Operations in Libya Lack a Well-defined Mission
      • China Hijacks the Web
      • Lessons from the Great Japanese Earthquake of 2011
      • A Modernizing Cuba Offers an Opportunity for Capitalists
      • The Seeds of Democracy Take Root in the Middle East
      • The Rebirth of Democracy in Tunisia
      • What May Come from the Hurt Revolution in Libya
      • Responding to the Violence of Qaddafi and Other Besieged Leaders
      • Embracing the Rise of a Democratic Egypt
      • Protests in Afghanistan Turn Deadly for Coalition Forces and UN Personnel
      • Haiti: Another Failing Humanitarian Investment
      • What Karzai Can Learn from Calderon
      • START II: A Necessary, Easy Success that Nearly Failed
      • Why Does the U.S. Government Support Independence for the Breakaway Serb Territory of Kosovo but Oppose Independence for the Breakaway Georgian Territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia?
      • Iraq's Electric Issues: When Human Wants Trump Economic Sense
      • The International Community Reacts to Wikileaks: We May Be Moving Toward a Third World War in Cyberspace
      • On Climate Gate
      • Assessing Obama's Afghanistan War strategy
      • 2009 Iranian Presidential Election: The Fallout
      • Resolving Sri Lankan Conflict through Free Media
      • What are the Global Consequences of Russia's Invasion of Georgia
      • The War in Iraq: an assessment of President Bush's surge strategy
      • Drug War: Actions of Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador in terms of Resovereignization
      • Is the Iraq Refugee Crisis America's Responsibility?
      • US support for a united Kosovo, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia: why?
      • Should the US withdraw from Iraq?
      • Setting a Timetable for Troop Withdrawal from Iraq is a Terrible Mistake
      • War on Terrorism is needed
    • Law and Order >
      • Rape in the US Military
      • Ethics of Force-feeding Guantanamo Bay Detainees
      • Reacting to the Aftermath of the Tucson Massacre
    • Economy >
      • Affordability Drives Fear of Obamacare and the Individual Mandate
      • Is the Economy Built for a Job's Recovery?
      • Gutting Healthcare Reform of the Individual Mandate
      • Arizona Budget Cuts Lead to Lethal Healthcare Rationing:
      • Shameful Collection Practices of American Banks
      • The Fed Reveals it Actually Undertook an International Bailout
      • Thoughts on French Budgetary Reforms
      • Seniors Start Businesses
      • The Case for Slimming Down the US Military to Make it Better
      • Looking at the Obama Administration's New Approach to Economic Policy
      • Should the Government Regulate the Credit Card Industry?
      • The Big Three's Big Chance
      • The Unhealthy Tone of the Healthcare Reform Debate
      • Should the federal government offer a bailout for home owners?
      • Environmentalists: Do They Do More Good Than More Harm?
      • Responding to Scott Walker's Contribution to the War on Unions
    • US Government >
      • America Needs to Focus on the Impending Fiscal Crisis
      • Reacting to the Bush Era-tax Cut Extension Deal
      • Quitting the Obama Revolution: The Fickle Nature of American Politics
      • John Boehner's Circus
      • Is the Fed Putting Itself in Jeopardy?
      • Wikileaks Goes After the US State Department
      • Discussing the Political Environment Surrounding the 2011 Budget Debate
      • What the Democrats Can Do to Ensure a GOP Year in 2012
      • What the 2010 Midterm Actually Said
      • Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper
      • Democrats Minus Nancy Pelosi Equals Opportunity
      • Terrorists Go Postal: The Terrorism Threat Reexamined
      • Victory in the 2008 Election: Reaction to Barack Obama'a Win >
        • Expectations for Barack Obama
      • President Obama's first one hundred days
      • John McCain's Negative Campaign
      • Reasons People did not Elect John Mccain
      • History judges the George W. Bush Administration
      • Should the next US President focus on domestic issues?
      • President Bush, should he resign or be impeached
      • Should the Ban on Government Sponsored Assassinations be Repealed
    • Off Topic >
      • A Face of America’s Greatest Generation
      • A Story About a Man Who Made the World a Better Place
      • Making the World a Better Place
      • The Bipolar Ethical Nature of Google
      • Learning Computer Plays Jeopardy
      • Verifying Medicine is the Real Thing
      • Taking a Practical Step Forward in Optical Computing Using Slow Light
      • Scientists Take a Closer Look at How Lithium Batteries Work
      • Remarking on the First Blizzard of the 2010-2011 Winter Season
      • Driving in the Snow: Acceleration is the Key
      • How People in Northwest PA Are Coping with the Increasing Cost of Oil
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