Living In Age Of Assertions

We may or may not be living in the Age of Aquarius.

But we are definitely living in the Age of Assertions.

The political atmosphere is thick with assertions.

This has been especially evident in the “debate” related to the federal debt.

Just to be clear, an assertion is a declaration stated positively but with no support or attempt at proof.

This goes beyond those nonsensical and fraudulent emails and the willingness of some to believe just about anything about political figures or policies they dislike.

A related trend is the anything-goes journalism that has been on display in the British scandal involving Rupert Murdoch and News Corp, which is not without lessons for journalistic standards within our shores. It also underlines the dangers of excessive political clout and massive media control by a few large conglomerates. And anything-goes journalism marches hand in hand with anything-goes politics.

There is plenty of blame to go around for our budgetary mess. Some of the current financial dilemma has its origins in assertions - claims about Saddam Hussein and weapons of mass destruction in Iraq that were hollow assertions but led this nation into an extremely costly and basically unbudgeted war to which many Democrats too willingly acceded.

We have been through a period when we have heard assertions and counterassertions about the impact of raising or not raising the debt ceiling. There has been budgetary brinkmanship all around. Several Republican presidential hopefuls disputed warnings that default would have calamitous results. Some who opposed raising the debt ceiling cited Ronald Reagan as the inspiration or model for that position.

Indeed, Grover Norquist, the “no tax” pledgemeister, proclaims himself a Reagan disciple.

However, we had no less an expert than Dick Cheney tell us during the last administration that Reagan proved that deficits don’t matter. Except, of course, we are seeing that deficits do matter. Reagan presided over 18 increases in the debt ceiling and also agreed to raise taxes 11 times. He stood by his conservative principles, but he understood that there were times when compromise was in the best interest of the country.

In 1987, he said that by bringing government to the edge of default, Congress was threatening holders of government bonds and those who rely on Social Security and veterans benefits.

“Interest rates would skyrocket, instability would occur in financial markets, and the federal deficit wouldsoar. The United States has a special responsibility to itself and the world to meet its obligations,” Reagan said in support of a debtlimit increase. Too many in Washington have boxed in themselves and the country with pledges that neglect the bigger picture and the exigencies and contingencies that can confront the nation.

Much of the recent debate has centered on taxes and government revenues and the assertion that any change in the status quo would further damage the economy - “job killing” tax increases.

But, primarily at issue is ending certain subsidies and loopholes and perhaps at a future point even the sacrosanct “temporary” Bush tax cuts for upper-level incomes. The reality is that it is extremely difficult to see how spending cuts alone are going to dramatically alter the budget deficit.

Likewise, there is little evidence to demonstrate that the Bush tax cuts have been job creating or stimulated the economy. This is no time for trying to define the budgetary conflict and economic morass in politically advantageousterms or to rely on hollow assertions. We should stick to the adage that we are all entitled to our own opinions but not our own facts.

During the debate on budgetary issues, Sen. Mark Pryor recently cited relevant words from Abraham Lincoln: “I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts.”

This Age of Assertions is not serving us well. As for the Age of Aquarius, it would be too much to expect, as from the popular 1969 song by that title, that we have harmony and understanding, sympathy and trust abounding, no more falsehoods or derision.

Anything-goes politics and journalism won’t disappear overnight. But we should insist, as the song also urges, that we let the sun shine in.

We need honest debate, fact-based arguments, and the end of politically driven posturing and the Age of Assertions.

HOYT PURVIS IS A JOURNALISM AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS PROFESSOR.