In 2024 .. big issues for discussion

As 2024 approaches, it is clear that partisan positions on contentious issues will dominate discussions, while many “big issues” will be ignored, largely because neither side will see any advantage in addressing them in debate. Here are three important concerns that won't be discussed in 2024. The biggest "big issue" that won't be on either party's agenda is money's corrupt role in our politics. Since the campaign finance reform was struck down by the Supreme Court, the cost of federal elections has skyrocketed. In 2020, more than $14 billion was spent on presidential and congressional elections, more than double the amount spent in 2016. Aside from sums, it is what chasing money has done to our politics that is troubling. Our political parties no longer exist as organizations that provide grassroots activists with governmental and local structures and meaningful access to decision-making. Rather, parties and their associated entities raise hundreds of millions of dollars in donations each election cycle, then distribute that money to advisory groups to develop communication strategies. Advertising campaigns and contacting voters to collect more money. The issues that concern the consultants are those that bring in more money. What is most harmful to the political process is the role played by major donors and “independent” political committees now in financing the elections. In 2020, 100 people donated more than $6.1 billion to political committees that support candidates and their parties, more than 11 percent of the total spent in the entire election. The amount raised and spent by the “independent committees” amounted to $3.3 billion, giving them a major role in defining the issues raised and shaping the outcome of many races. A huge advertisement to harm the candidates who sought to defeat them. As a result of the role of the abundance of money in our politics, both parties fully adapted their operations to reflect this pursuit of money. Neither party is ready to challenge the corrupting influence of money.

The other "big issue" is that neither side will raise new warheads annually and we are currently working on upgrading, modernizing and repositioning our arsenal. This costs the US treasury more than $60 billion annually, or $634 billion over the next decade. In the same way that neither side raises the issue of campaign finance reform, which is tantamount to unilateral disarmament, it is a political taboo to talk about putting serious controls on our nuclear arsenal. In the 1980s, Jesse Jackson's campaign attempted to present a propaganda platform calling on the United States to pledge not to "be the first to use" nuclear bombs. Jackson stressed that neither side could use a nuclear warhead because it would lead to "guaranteed destruction for both sides." In fact, he said, “there is no first use and no second use. In fact, the bomb was never used. The party establishment reacted negatively, declaring that a "non-first use" would make the "Democrats" look weak. The decision was rejected and it was not submitted again. Another issue that will not be discussed next year is our bloated defense budget, now set to reach $842 billion by 2024, up from more than $126 billion in two years. And it continues to grow, unchecked, into the future. It is no secret that this amount involves a great waste of money, but no one dares to challenge this "sacred cow". None of this means that the 2024 elections will be without substance. Rather, critical social, political, and economic concerns will be discussed. Given the deep polarization that exists between the two parties on many issues, voters will have a real choice. But it would be even more important if the role of money as a spoiler in politics, our costly and useless nuclear stockpile, and a bloated defense budget were also up for discussion. But, unfortunately, these matters will not be discussed in 2024.