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Peggy Noonan Warns That America Might “Boil Over”

by Meenal Vamburkar | 2:41 pm, August 6th, 2010

» 42 comments

If you’ve been feeling like this country’s heading down a dangerous path (and, we don’t mean a socialist one), you’re not alone. Peggy Noonan feels the same way — and writes about it in today’s Wall Street Journal column, “America Is at Risk of Boiling Over.”

Noonan says the nation’s problems have been growing for a long time, but now there is an added aspect to those problems. And though it’s one that’s been voiced before, it’s worth noting:

The biggest political change in my lifetime is that Americans no longer assume that their children will have it better than they did. This is a huge break with the past, with assumptions and traditions that shaped us.

The thought, “my kids will have it better,” is what kept Americans “pulling on their boots in the morning.” They’ll be better educated, make more money, and move up in society. Noonan laments that no longer is this the case.

We live in an age of consumption and abundance, but Noonan writes that parents fear they are losing something, that something “has stopped”:

…they look around, follow the political stories and debates, and deep down they think their children will live in a more limited country, that jobs won’t be made at a great enough pace, that taxes—too many people in the cart, not enough pulling it—will dishearten them, that the effects of 30 years of a low, sad culture will leave the whole country messed up. And then there is the world: nuts with nukes, etc.

Even optimists think that their children may have it “almost as good,” she writes.

What’s worse, according to Noonan, is that our politicians don’t seem to realize how the people feel — or, if they do, they certainly aren’t showing it. First noticing the trend in the 1980s, she says the gap has never been wider — in fact, it’s a chasm:

In Washington they don’t seem to be looking around and thinking, Hmmm, this nation is in trouble, it needs help. They’re thinking something else. I’m not sure they understand the American Dream itself needs a boost, needs encouragement and protection.

Emphasis hers. Politicians are keeping things at a “high boil” at a time “when people are already in about as much hot water as they can take.” Ouch. Noonan points to the immigration debate as an example of how the Washington thought process differs from that of We the People:

The point of view of our thought leaders is, in general, that borders that are essentially open are good, or not so bad. The point of view of those on the ground who are anxious about our nation’s future, however, is different, more like: “We live in a welfare state and we’ve just expanded health care. Unemployment’s up. Could we sort of calm down, stop illegal immigration, and absorb what we’ve got?”

While some are likely to disagree with how Noonan defines the two different perspectives, it’s hard to refute that a discrepancy exists. She concludes by saying that when “adults of a great nation feel long-term pessimism, it only makes matters worse when those in authority take actions that reveal their detachment from the concerns—even from the essential nature—of their fellow citizens.” It makes the citizens feel powerless. And pessimism and powerlessness don’t play nicely with each other.

Noonan’s overarching argument is a valid one. There is an evident discontent and it’s plausible that the crisis in 2008 has exemplified it. In that sense, we shouldn’t be surprised that polarizing movements like the Tea Party — whose radical aspects seem to gain more attention than its more credible ideas — have gained supporters that seem to only be increasing in numbers. If the people really do feel so helpless and pessimistic, then it makes sense that they would try to find solace in emerging movements that diverge from the norm.

This isn’t new, and it can have various results. True uproar has caused revolutions across the globe. But what we see today is movements that tout increasingly extreme stances and contribute to an existing polarized climate. (Whether those movements propose good or bad policy changes is a different debate for another day). People of opposing views shout, but don’t listen — and thus, any real accomplishments are few and far between. And then doesn’t this just add to the pessimism and powerlessness that Noonan says exists? A recent Gallup poll shows that Americans have more confidence in big business and banks, than they do in Congress. There is clearly a problem — and it’s larger than any one political party.

America, Peggy Noonan, politics, the winter of our discontent, wall street journal, WSJ

More Liberty

Meenal Vamburkar wrote:
“we shouldn’t be surprised that radical movements like the Tea Party have gained supporters that seem to only be increasing in numbers.”

Well, part of the problem is that a person/ group is considered to be “radical” if they support fiscal responsibility, as Meenal implies in this article. I guess having a deficit that is $1.4 trillion is not radical, or possibly considered normal. I mean….those radical “teabaggers,” how crazy that they think the government should be able to balance a check book. That’s just crazy talk. (eyes roll)
paulmdoro

This is nothing new. As James Fallows recently pointed out in a great piece for The Atlantic, people in America have believed in the country’s imminent doom since before the Founding Father’s were around.
More Liberty

Meenal Vamburkar wrote:
“But what we see today is movements that tout increasingly extreme stances and contribute to an existing polarized climate.”

LOL…that’s another good one dude. I love how people are considered “extreme” if they think maybe…just maybe the government should be able to live within their means. You point out something interesting though, and you obviously didn’t mean to, and that is how the “norm” is a hugely dysfunctional, wasteful and overbearing federal government, while the “extreme” is a belief in a balanced budget.
http://apostrophejones.com Apostrophe jones

The people are tired of many of the lowlifes in office making the rules for the rest of us . You work for us . Why do they spend millions for a job ? We know why and we are sick of it . Stop the corruption . Quit getting rich at our expense . … You know if you are crooked . Don’t try to get reelected . Stay home . … The ones who think they can work selflessly should do just that . Root out the crooks . Do what’s right .
More Liberty

Apostrophe jones said:
The people are tired of many of the lowlifes in office making the rules for the rest of us . You work for us . Why do they spend millions for a job ? We know why and we are sick of it . Stop the corruption . Quit getting rich at our expense . … You know if you are crooked . Don’t try to get reelected . Stay home . … The ones who think they can work selflessly should do just that . Root out the crooks . Do what’s right .

Now…according to the author of this article, that belief is extreme.
Socrates69

You know paulmdoro thats an interesting point. I wonder how long things have been “bad” in this country? For example what were some fears they had during the early good days of this country like the 1850′s.

See below when immigration was an issue once before:

“The Know-Nothing movement was a nativist American political movement of the 1840s and 1850s. It was empowered by popular fears that the country was being overwhelmed by German and Irish Catholic immigrants, who were often regarded as hostile to Anglo-Saxon values and controlled by the Pope in Rome. Mainly active from 1854 to 1856, it strove to curb immigration and naturalization, though its efforts met with little success. Membership was limited to Protestant males of British lineage over the age of twenty-one. There were few prominent leaders, and the largely middle-class and entirely Protestant membership fragmented over the issue of slavery. Most ended up joining the Republican Party by the time of the 1860 presidential election.[1][2]

And I admit the source was wikipedia.
More Liberty

Socrates69 said:
And I admit the source was wikipedia.

Yup….so basically your link means nothing since I can just go on there and change it.
paulmdoro

More Liberty said:
Yup….so basically your link means nothing since I can just go on there and change it.

But the fact remains people in this country have long reminisced about the “good old days” and warned of our inevitable demise. Doomsayers are nothing new.
More Liberty

Either way, noting lasts forever. Don’t kid yourself, the Roman Empire fell, the British Empire fell, the Soviet Union fell. If anyone believes that the USA will last forever you are simply just being ignorant. It won’t be any one persons fault, it’s just how things go.
paulmdoro

I never said the USA will last forever. That is a far cry from pointing out that doomsayers have been around for centuries.
More Liberty

paulmdoro said:
But the fact remains people in this country have long reminisced about the “good old days” and warned of our inevitable demise. Doomsayers are nothing new.

Oh you’re definitely right. The grass is always greener on the other-side, or so we think.
Socrates69

And yes, I know wikipedia can be changed, but I knew of the Know Nothings from history days, and many other types of doomsayers in American history. Yes the empire will die, and your right all empires do. Do we do with it eyes wide open, or do we live denial about the hypocrisy of having an ideal government but which in execution is far from ideal.

Don’t get me wrong, the current administration deserves a fair amount of criticism, but how much of it is real, and how much of it is based on the fact that its just simply in power?
More Liberty

Socrates69 said:
Don’t get me wrong, the current administration deserves a fair amount of criticism, but how much of it is real, and how much of it is based on the fact that its just simply in power?

Oh they are in power, for one so they obviously are fully responsible for everything this country does/doesn’t do. But what we see them doing is really no different than the previous administration, or the one before that or the one before that….

It’s not a political party thing, it’s a government thing. All governments want nothing more than to grow and become more and more powerful. The shear nature of that growth creates problems and corruption. You’ve heard that saying “Power Corrupts and Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely”
NORBIT

“Radical movements like the Tea Party…?”

How about RADICAL MARXIST MOVEMENTS LIKE THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY, BLACK SEPARITISTS PLAYING THE RACE CARD FOR THE PAST 40 YEARS, AND THE LEFT’s MINISTRY OF PROPAGANDA – formerly know as the MAINSTREAM MEDIA!
More Liberty

NORBIT said:
“Radical movements like the Tea Party…?”

How about RADICAL MARXIST MOVEMENTS LIKE THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY, BLACK SEPARITISTS PLAYING THE RACE CARD FOR THE PAST 40 YEARS, AND THE LEFT’s MINISTRY OF PROPAGANDA – formerly know as the MAINSTREAM MEDIA!

Yeah like I explained, that was a pretty interesting comment. I love how people who would like the government to balance the budget are considered “extremists.”
paulmdoro

NORBIT said:
“Radical movements like the Tea Party…?”

How about RADICAL MARXIST MOVEMENTS LIKE THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY, BLACK SEPARITISTS PLAYING THE RACE CARD FOR THE PAST 40 YEARS, AND THE LEFT’s MINISTRY OF PROPAGANDA – formerly know as the MAINSTREAM MEDIA!

Dude, easy. Going to have a stroke.
More Liberty

paulmdoro said:
Dude, easy. Going to have a stroke.

Ya…he might want to bring it down a notch.
adel

I prefer Norbit on 11… A lower setting would not fit him…
Socrates69

Yes power does corrupt, and what do we do about it? I don’t trust Corporations to have my best interests at heart. I distrust the government when they claim to want let said businesses operate with minimal regulation. But to regulate them, government has to get bigger because of the complexity of the American economy.

I understand the other sides argument that too much government can be/is a bad thing. I don’t like taxes either. In my mind I just trust that I can continue to keep changing the government every 2 and 4 years, and still be critical of either party.

When we can’t, when power says that to criticize the government is a threat to the government, then I will feel we have passed the point of no return.
Socrates69

Ha ha he said 11, “because you know its louder than 10″ LOL
More Liberty

Socrates69 said:
Yes power does corrupt, and what do we do about it? I don’t trust Corporations to have my best interests at heart. I distrust the government when they claim to want let said businesses operate with minimal regulation. But to regulate them, government has to get bigger because of the complexity of the American economy.

The thing is, I can choose not to buy a product from a company, or pay a corporation for their services. Yet, we can’t choose to live under another government. We have no choice with these governments, and in the end both these politicians and their corporate buddies, regardless of party, are all corporatists.

Private companies, if I chose not to do business with them, do not, under threat of fine/prison, take about a third of what i earn. The government does.
vindex2010

To Bush’s shame this all started under him with the bailouts. Bailouts have nothing to do with capitalism. This is crony capitalism. Capitalism is a profit and loss system: Profit encourages risk taking and losses encourage prudence and punishes reckless risk. With bailouts you take out the loss and are left with socialism for the rich. The rich take risk, get all the reward, and regular people get all the loss. The corrupt relationship between the banks, the lobbyists, and capitol hill in the guise of protecting people actually channel more regulations and funds towards their friends. Large corporations like regulations because it allows them to clear the field of competitors. There is no real free market with crony capitalism. So New York is no longer the financial capital of the world. Today it is Washington DC. We now have state capitalism which is capital and credit, the lifeblood of our economy, increasingly treated as a public utility dispersed and allocated by political forces. It makes capitol a slush fund and funds crony capitalism. Like I said, much of this began under a Republican administration. And as I’ll keep saying Bush is the Hoover of this generation and Obama, like Roosevelt, has come in to make matters so much worse.
Socrates69

More Liberty, I’ll use as my response…almost everything that Vindex2010 said. Perhaps is the natural state of Republics to degenerate into Democracy then into some sort of state sponsored capitalistic oligarchy.

I’d also say are only weapons to fight such an inexorable slide is education (public, private, homeschool whatever) on what our civic responsibilities are as citizens. Not the only answer of course, but one possible answer. And then of course the lively debates here demonstrate that people still can be as crazy as they want in their views and still be heard.

I don’t think private companies are the issue. Its companies that are in some way, shape, or measure supported by taxpayers. Like Haliburton for example.
TeaBagALibby

vindex2010 said:
To Bush’s shame this all started under him with the bailouts. Bailouts have nothing to do with capitalism. This is crony capitalism.

Approved by a Democrat controlled House and Senate. Seriously, if you are going to blame Bush have a real reason and not your DNC fed talking points.
vindex2010

Um, I’m a Libertarian so the DNC would consider me an unwelcome addition. According to Libertarian economist Veronique de Rugy, President Bush increased government spending more than any of the six presidents before him. President Bush increased discretionary outlays by an estimated 48.6 percent. President Bush spent almost twice as much as his predecessor, President Clinton. Adjusted for inflation, in eight years, President Clinton increased the federal budget by 11 percent. In eight years, President Bush increased it by a whopping 104 percent. Wars, TARP, Homeland Security, Medicaire, No Child Left Behiond, Bush went to town with the federal piggy bank. Ironically, the Tea Party is now flourishing because of George Bush. And Barack Obama should be thanking Bush because he was the reason Obama was elected. Unfortunately, I think Obama misread his mandate and thought people wanted more big government.
Azarkhan

“The point of view of our thought leaders is, in general, that borders that are essentially open are good, or not so bad.” Peggy Noonan

Our savvy and suave thought leaders at Mediaite brand open border opponents as racist. As I gaze at a portrait of Adolf Hitler in my bedroom, I can’t imagine why.
Patrick Henry

Socrates69 said:
the largely middle-class and entirely Protestant membership fragmented over the issue of slavery. Most ended up joining the Republican Party by the time of the 1860 presidential election.[1][2]

And the ones joining the Republican party were those against slavery.
Rescuedog

The real problem is the elites and “thought leaders” who claim the right to rule the rest of us. Today’s elites are in government, media, Hollywood and giant corporations (though not in business generally). They are in both parties, but seem to lean more Democrat these days. The elites in government try to rule us by spending us into bankruptcy (after which taxes are raised to impose more control), regulating endlessly, constantly creating new laws that make federal criminals of us all, getting us into endless wars that enrich themselves and their cronies, and lying to us. Big corporations – and I use the term “corporations” broadly to include not only companies like Google, Big Pharma and GE, but also giant lobbying groups and organized labor – collude and curry favor with the government to either extract money for themselves or seek favors or protection. Hollywood elites provide the money, propaganda and hypocritical moral posturing (e.g. Leonardo DiCaprio preaches about global warming while flying around in private jets). The media elites, being insanely envious of those they cover, do anything to ingratiate themselves with the government and big corporations, and become their willing whores. And the hundreds of millions of us on the outside looking in and slowly realizing how wrong this all is are labeled “radicals”, “racists” or “unpatriotic” (in increasingly shrill tones) by the elites who see us coming and at first ignored us but now shake with terror.

Peggy Noonan is right. This country is about to boil over if things don’t change, and fast. And – I hate that I even imagining this – unfortunately a lot of these elites will be hanging from meathooks by the time it’s all done.
Patrick Henry

vindex2010 said:
To Bush’s shame this all started under him with the bailouts.

This goes both ways. The Dems got a majority in congress in 2006 and are responsible for this mess as well. We need fresh blood in both parties and then change them periodically before the corruption sets in.
gar

The only people starting to boil over is the left. With all the personal attacks thrown the conservatives way nobody has really lost their cool. They were amazed most conservatives didn’t bite on Prop 8 issue in California . Maddow was beside herself.I see Tommy wrote another article about Breitbart and race and we’ll brush it off, because we already know the messenger.If only 2% of all blacks listen or watch conservative media as the great Colbert has mentioned, which side is pushing the race angle?
AngelPeters

Our kids lack moral fabric these days. They have lacked it for the past couple of decades. If what we are experiencing now forces them to get their act together, not feel so “entitled” to anything, work hard, become more respectful of others, then the so-called “down turn” of our society will be of great benefit to the up and coming generation.

If our children want to do better than us, then they need to be humble and don’t assume that they are owed anything.
Patrick Henry

AngelPeters said:
If our children want to do better than us, then they need to be humble and don’t assume that they are owed anything.

Good point, Angel.
More Liberty

Socrates69 said:
Yes power does corrupt, and what do we do about it? I don’t trust Corporations to have my best interests at heart. I distrust the government when they claim to want let said businesses operate with minimal regulation. But to regulate them, government has to get bigger because of the complexity of the American economy.

Companies that can’t make it in the market place should be allowed to fail. You complain about these corporations, yet I didn’t hear one complaint that we bailed them out. The government has no place bailing out corporations, I don’t care if you’re GM or Citibank. These bailouts, brought to you by both Republicans and Democrats, were to help their buddies. That is not capitalism, it’s corpratism.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Bill-Tarpon/100000127880000 Bill Tarpon

My guess is that is what is wanted, hence the daily poking in the face of America by Obama … Stick to the ballot, leave the guns at home, plenty of time for guns later. What Obama wants is for people to react like rioting Kenyans, so he can save us. Tea Party on.

Do not take defeat from the jaws of victory — November, vote like you have never voted before, for America, for freedom, for liberty … Throw the Democrats out, every one, wherever you find them.
disgusted

Washington – We have a problem -
But “they” don’t want to hear you!
in my humble opinion

The problem is serious. The problem is our fault. When wrong is done if by a four year old or a forty year old, the punishment is a “time out”. Keep your seat mr congressman, senator, banker, lobbyist, cheating husband or wife.
It goes on and on. Where can I get my next meal, wife, drink, donation. It is all about ME!!!!. How can I get more and give less. No one seriously thinks bad behavior will cost anything but a “time out”.
MerryMarjie

Sorry, Peggy, but I wouldn’t believe you if you said the sun will come up in the morning. As others before me have pointed out, people have been predicting the downfall of societies for centuries, but the upheaval that would bring down America is nearly unimaginable. If we didn’t riot and burn down the White House during the Bush II Administration, we never will, and though dire consequences were foretold for an Obama presidency, the likelihood of that happening is nil.

I only have to remind you of the Bell, California, city council and mayor, who got away with enormous and outrageous salaries for SEVEN years to illustrate the apathy of the general population as to politics. Sure, a lot of people will get fired up and go polish pitchforks, but to overthrow an existing form of government, especially one which does not overly-oppress the populace, one that generally supports the have-nots, one that promises Big Changes right around the corner, is insanity.

Republicans, stop and think. You may excoriate the Democrats and decry the spoilage of a nation, but we did the same when YOU were in office. Neither party has Sainthood written in its platforms and both are comparatively equal in rights and wrongs. Washington politicians are much too busy with maintaining their respective offices to worry about what is really right for this country, and the commoners are busy trying to feed the family. Obviously, business and commerce run America, from stocks to commodities, from power to greed, with money and assets for all.
Nachi

Courtesy of Republiscum from sea to shining sea.
http://none pyrope

Everyone always seems to want to blame “someone else” for their problems.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Bill-Adkins/1585417987 Bill Adkins

More Liberty said:
Meenal Vamburkar wrote:“we shouldn’t be surprised that radical movements like the Tea Party have gained supporters that seem to only be increasing in numbers.” Well, part of the problem is that a person/ group is considered to be “radical” if they support fiscal responsibility, as Meenal implies in this article. I guess having a deficit that is $1.4 trillion is not radical, or possibly considered normal. I mean….those radical “teabaggers,” how crazy that they think the government should be able to balance a check book. That’s just crazy talk. (eyes roll)

What’s ‘radical’ about it is what’s ludicrous about it – that $1.4 trillion deficit you’re talking about accrued in FY 2009 – but $1.2 trillion of it accrued before Obama took office and as of January 8,2009 courtesy of the Republican Administration’s ineptitude. Not only that, but failed Republican policies touted as increasing revenue for government actually resulted in greatly decreased revenue, the lowest tax revenue since the Great Depression. Oh, and how about that 7.6% unemployment rate on 1/20/2009? How about that $6.5 trillion addition to the national debt 2001-FY 2009?

And the Tea Party touts the Republicans as fiscally responsible? That’s just crazy talk (eyes roll out of head)
http://www.facebook.com/people/Bill-Adkins/1585417987 Bill Adkins

Patrick Henry said:
This goes both ways. The Dems got a majority in congress in 2006 and are responsible for this mess as well. We need fresh blood in both parties and then change them periodically before the corruption sets in.

See my last comment and recall that the 1 seat senate majority attained by the Dems in January 2007 was also accompanied by Republicans in gridlock mode as well as 11 of the 12 vetoes cast by Bush in his two administrations. To tout that majority as more than it was is disingenuous at best.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Bill-Adkins/1585417987 Bill Adkins

TeaBagALibby said:
Approved by a Democrat controlled House and Senate. Seriously, if you are going to blame Bush have a real reason and not your DNC fed talking points.

In the Senate 34 of 47 Republicans voted for the bail out and so did Joe Lieberman. Bernie Sanders voted against it. Nine Democrats voted against. Got crow?