‘Joe and Jane citizen’ aren’t practicing common sense

Charles Krauthammer’s “The peasants are revolting” makes some sense [Opinion, Feb. 5]. However, Americans since 1945 appear to apply decreasing common sense, instead choosing what is decidedly less healthy for individuals and the U.S. as a supposedly “model democracy.” Today’s escalating trend: degrade government and politicians and “ennoble” Joe and Jane citizen.

Joe and Jane citizen are frequently hyper-consumers, unwilling to pay taxes to fund the too few, ill-equipped troops. Our “peasants” have shorter life expectancy, higher infant mortality, lower job skills and more incivility than other industrialized democracies.

We have congealed into a fractious, self-indulgent nation whose view of “freedom” seems to mean more consumption, no savings and an “it’s their fault” response to problems. While we claim to detest our elected representatives, we re-elect nearly all of them.

Krauthammer degrades liberals for degrading “peasants.” Well, just look at peasants who behave self-destructively and ignorantly state: “Government should get out of my Social Security.” Consider today’s growing tea party; What do they represent that really benefits America? [They] overstate that “Taxes are wrong, government is inept and health-care reform is socialistic.”

Each of these epithets contains some validity. But the issue is how do we rapidly convert epithets into accurate problem statements that — when agreed to — lead to utilitarian solutions? Krauthammer’s ongoing exposure of liberal versus conservative agendas fails to map out clear, concise and compelling answers to these problems.

— Peter Loeb, Sequim