Gingrich Implores Forum for Impartial Action
by Kevin Miller on October 14, 2009 in HKS News, News
Former speaker of House Newt Gingrich, who oversaw deconstruction of a 40-year Democratic congressional majority in 1995, cautioned against the pitfalls of partisanship for American progress over the next generation
Gingrich underscored five primary challenges to continued American prosperity at a ticketed JFK, Jr. Forum event October 8, entitled, “Tripartisan Majority for Real Change.”
According to Gingrich, the fundamental realities facing America are: an explosion in scientific and technological breakthroughs; China and India’s rise as salient global actors; a widespread bureaucracy in disrepair; the need to reconcile differing American cultural values; and a disconnected political system.
“These are so fundamental that they will shape for most of you the nature of your life over the next 40 to 70 years,” said Gingrich.
Gingrich warned of American inability to handle or benefit from impending exponential increase in science and technology. Prioritizing budgets on a yearly basis is antithetical to reaping rewards from increased technological capacity, he stated.
“Our current budget system says: the politicians have ‘this’ amount of money this year, and (now) they’re going to fight over which scraps go where… We ought to take this kind of research off-budget,” said Gingrich.
He contrasted this short-term research and development perspective with those now being considered by China and India, which are investing widely in high-tech infrastructure. Gingrich likened their entrance into periods of modernization to America’s infrastructural revolution between 1896 and 1916.
“If you’re serious about that scale of change, you have to find a way to bring people together and… build general consensus, because you’ll never get that done on a narrowly partisan basis.”
Gingrich conveyed a Chinese proverb attributed to former Communist Party Leader, Deng Xiaoping. A market reformer, Deng opted for viable solutions irrespective of their ideological basis. “It doesn’t matter if the cat is black or white,” recounted Gingrich, “If it catches mice, it’s a good cat.”
Gingrich, a former history professor, is also a prolific author and documentary filmmaker. His most recent film focuses on the role of Pope John Paul II in unraveling the Soviet Union by reaching out to Poland in 1979.
Where politics fall short, cultural forces can prevail. He made the case that cultural conversations, from religion in the public sphere to the housing crisis, are unduly burdened by politics.
“That is a dialogue that is cultural, not political. Because it’s core values at the heart of the system,” he said.
Gingrich held that cultural issues, let alone straightforward ones, are set askew when politicized. In The Plague, Camus warned that a man who says “2 + 2 = 4,” will be killed because the authorities can’t tolerate the truth, said Gingrich.
Tongue-in-cheek, Mr. Gingrich then proposed a guessing game with the audience.
“If you can’t afford to buy a house…does anyone want to suggest a second half of the equation?” asked Gingrich, invoking the specters of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and mortgage-backed securities.
Although the first response (“Get a subprime mortgage!”) missed Gingrich’s target, a syncopated chorus of, “Don’t buy a house,” slowly emerged.
Such divides in America are exacerbated by a political system that Gingrich described as broken and run by interest groups.
“Those that have power don’t particularly want to share it with us,” he said. “… Tripartisan reform will be demanded by virtually every American because they will just get sick of watching the interest groups running over the country.”
After the speech, students asked for advice the former speaker of the House could give the future luminaries of the Republican Party to regain the confidence of the public.
“The American people understand that we had better get a generation of leaders who don’t bicker over normal politics and get wrapped up in ideology,” Gingrich said. “The American people understand the idea that the right cat is the one that catches the mouse. And republicans ought to relax and go catch mice.”
Comments
Got something to say?
