Is there honor in purporting a created reality to move a society towards a political or economic goal if that goal would help the good of the country? Yes, in a way this is just another replay of the "means and ends" debate, or is it, is there something more here? Philosophically speaking these are the same arguments, but then there is the concept of getting everyone on the same page, preventing collapse, and taking the nation forward, all to be considered honorable, or are they? Let's talk.
Over the years I have often said that one third of the performance of our economy has to do with consumer confidence.
If this is indeed so, then fixing our economy has to do with public perception of how the economy is doing.
If people believe the economy is doing well they will spend more money, charge more on their credit cards, and make larger personal investments.
If they don't feel the economy is doing well they will hoard their money, spend slowly, and do more saving.
If we wish our economy to do well then we need to engage less in political rhetoric bickering over the economy, jobs, GDP growth, rich versus poor, and taxation to promote a more favorable mindset amongst the population.
What does this mean? Does it mean that we should purport a lie or engage in created realities through political leadership? Does it mean we should lie to the American people and tell them that everything is going great even when it isn't? Do we put up a façade of positive propaganda to help our nation with its trade deficits, or to encourage foreign direct investment? It is not honorable, admirable, or ethical to do this, but if a positive outlook is purported and does indeed improve the economy then one could say there is no harm and no foul.
Still, where do we draw the line? When do we admit that we are putting falsehoods of a positive spin when the reality isn't so, and instead get busy working on wise economic strategies? Should we do both, that is to say maintain a positive outlook in the media, while doing what needs to get done behind the scenes with regards to interest rate, money flow, taxation, regulation, money supply, etc.
? If we are doing everything right, and we do expect positive results, then we should make that known, but when we are out of bullets, and what we are doing isn't working, then we ought to be admitting the economic reality, rather than trying to promote a false one - after all "trust" too is important, without trust in the economy or currency, the whole thing cannot work.
Okay so, if we are to do the ethical thing, rather than deal with crisis management calling for publicity manipulation, we must remain clean and transparent.
We seem to have no honor left amongst our leadership in economic financial matters, not here the United States, not abroad, and certainly not on the global stage.
It's beginning to look like a three ring circus, even at Davos, thus this is one circus we should not participate in, because it is dishonorable.
Care to opine? Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.