Winning the Future

Winning the Future by Newt Gingrich -- if you've been following this blog since the beginning, you know that, back in June, I went to hear Gingrich speech. He was interesting enough that I bought his new political manifesto, Winning the Future - A 21st Century Contract with America. Whatever your politics, this is a book you should read if, for no other reason, than it is clearly a blueprint for a potential Gingrich run for the presidency in the next election.

I've got to say that I found myself agreeing with Gingrich's statements far more than I expected to! Of course, the devil is always in the details, but a lot of what he says makes sense. I won't go through it all, but here are some examples:

-- Social Security -- this is probably the most honest and forthcoming discussion from the conservative camp that I've seen. Of course, Gingrich is definitely in favor of private retirement accounts. The difference here is that, unlike the current administration, Gingrich admits that these accounts will, in the short run (decades), make the SS system worse. He's willing to admit that benefit cuts, in one form or another, will definitely be necessary unless we're willing to dramatically increase the payroll tax on our children. This is just arithmetic - fewer and fewer payers for more and more retirees, but nobody seems willing to face up the problem - Democrats or Republicans. Somewhere along the line, the "safety net" of Social Security has become an "entitlement". When Roosevelt first proposed this system, the age at which benefits began to be paid was actually above the average life expectancy. How its more than a decade below life expectancy. In only a few years, I'm eligible to draw a social security check -- the system was never meant to pay people who could support themselves.

-- Activist Courts -- I know that, as a liberal, I'm supposed to like the way our courts have worked, but we need to be aware that court biases change over the years. The question is how should our courts operate. There's clearly a fine line between interpreting law and creating law, but there's no question that, since the 60s, the courts have become a legislating body. If you look a the Supreme Court, this means that five people (a majority of the Supremes) can create US law! No matter what your beliefs about the decisions themselves, this is not the way a democracy is supposed to work! I point at the recent "imminent domain" decision as a great example of court gone wild. Something needs to be done.

-- Science and Math education -- Gringrich strongly proposes major improvements in science and math education and recognizes that this is a survival strategy in a world where, in particular, India and China are putting major resources in to improving their ability to innovate. He also shows a willingness to think out of the box. For example, he proposes trying a program where high school kids can actually earn money by doing well in more difficult courses.

Those are just a few examples and there are definitely places where I don't agree with some of the things he's proposed in this book. I should also warn that, if you're a liberal or lean a little left, pick this book up with a thick skin. He blames a lot of problems, in strident tones, on the "left leaning elite".

On the other hand, if you're getting tired of the extreme political polarization and our increasing willingness to get nothing done on principal, you should read through this. Whatever else you may think of Gingrich, this is one smart guy and, given the charisma I saw in his brief speech this summer, he could make a serious run at the presidency. I'm no longer as convinced as I was that this would be a bad thing!