Post by juliana112 on Dec 4, 2012 22:35:27 GMT -5
Selfishness is an unavoidable quality in human nature, as evident throughout history and modern times. It is a completely understandable, albeit slightly disappointing, action to consider oneself through self-preservation before considering the ramifications of neglecting to speak out against what one considers to be wrong. However, when faced with a situation in which the consequences of not asserting one’s own opinion will affect not only oneself but also an entire nation, such as the situation of the “Fiscal Cliff,” it has taken only a few outspoken senators to begin undermining the tyranny of consensus created by members of the Republican Party to discipline the Party’s congressional representatives regarding the issue of tax reform. Those senators, who articulate their opinion even when it is not the opinion of the Party, illustrate how a few outspoken people can halt a tyranny of consensus.
This modern day tyranny of consensus takes the form of the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, written by Grover Norquist, president of his Republican faction Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), to support Reagan tax reforms. The Taxpayer Protection Pledge, stating that the signer vows to “oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rates for individual and/or businesses” and “oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates,” has been used to pressure Republicans since it’s enactment by the ATR in 1986. It has enforced almost complete uniformity in congressional Republicans of the dogma of never raising tax rates. Norquist wittingly created a tyranny of consensus in which congressional Republicans signed the tax pledge so that their party would not single them out. Just as in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, when no one would speak out against the Court’s condemnation of the innocent for self-preservation, no one challenged Norquist’s grip on the congressional Republican opinion regarding tax reform for that same reason. While the Puritans in The Crucible feared indictment for witchcraft if they defended the accused, Republicans feared losing Party support and campaign donations, and ran the risk of not being reelected to office.
However, despite the fear garnered from this tyranny of consensus, support for the pledge has recently diminished from 238 representatives and 41 senators in the 112th Congress to 219 representatives and 39 senators in the 113th Congress as the nation faces a “Fiscal Cliff.” This national issue will cause immediate spending cuts and raised taxes at the beginning of the new year unless Congress comes to a compromise with President Obama over tax reform and entitlement cuts. In the face of this looming financial disaster, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina has stated that, “for the good of the country,” he will violate the pledge. With dire circumstances comes necessary action; in this case, select members of the Republican Party have realized that they cannot restrict any options when it comes to negotiating with the President because the result could have significant financial ramifications. Just as John Proctor and Rebecca Nurse ended the tyranny of consensus in Salem, Massachusetts through their deaths, these Senators are breaking the hold of the tyranny of consensus through the articulation of their own opinion, not the opinion of the Party, in hopes of avoiding national upheaval.
Word Count: 541
Works Consulted:
Delaney, Arthur. "Lindsey Graham: 'I Will Violate The Pledge' To Not Increase Taxes." HuffPost Politics. TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc., 25 Nov. 2012. Web. 3 Dec. 2012. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/25/
lindsey-graham-violate-pledge-increase-taxes_n_2187944.html>.
Good, Chris. "Norquist’s Tax Pledge: What It Is and How It Started." ABC News Blogs: Politics: The Note. ABC News Network, 26 Nov. 2012. Web. 3 Dec. 2012. <http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/11/
norquists-tax-pledge-what-it-is-and-how-it-started/>.
This modern day tyranny of consensus takes the form of the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, written by Grover Norquist, president of his Republican faction Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), to support Reagan tax reforms. The Taxpayer Protection Pledge, stating that the signer vows to “oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rates for individual and/or businesses” and “oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates,” has been used to pressure Republicans since it’s enactment by the ATR in 1986. It has enforced almost complete uniformity in congressional Republicans of the dogma of never raising tax rates. Norquist wittingly created a tyranny of consensus in which congressional Republicans signed the tax pledge so that their party would not single them out. Just as in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, when no one would speak out against the Court’s condemnation of the innocent for self-preservation, no one challenged Norquist’s grip on the congressional Republican opinion regarding tax reform for that same reason. While the Puritans in The Crucible feared indictment for witchcraft if they defended the accused, Republicans feared losing Party support and campaign donations, and ran the risk of not being reelected to office.
However, despite the fear garnered from this tyranny of consensus, support for the pledge has recently diminished from 238 representatives and 41 senators in the 112th Congress to 219 representatives and 39 senators in the 113th Congress as the nation faces a “Fiscal Cliff.” This national issue will cause immediate spending cuts and raised taxes at the beginning of the new year unless Congress comes to a compromise with President Obama over tax reform and entitlement cuts. In the face of this looming financial disaster, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina has stated that, “for the good of the country,” he will violate the pledge. With dire circumstances comes necessary action; in this case, select members of the Republican Party have realized that they cannot restrict any options when it comes to negotiating with the President because the result could have significant financial ramifications. Just as John Proctor and Rebecca Nurse ended the tyranny of consensus in Salem, Massachusetts through their deaths, these Senators are breaking the hold of the tyranny of consensus through the articulation of their own opinion, not the opinion of the Party, in hopes of avoiding national upheaval.
Word Count: 541
Works Consulted:
Delaney, Arthur. "Lindsey Graham: 'I Will Violate The Pledge' To Not Increase Taxes." HuffPost Politics. TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc., 25 Nov. 2012. Web. 3 Dec. 2012. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/25/
lindsey-graham-violate-pledge-increase-taxes_n_2187944.html>.
Good, Chris. "Norquist’s Tax Pledge: What It Is and How It Started." ABC News Blogs: Politics: The Note. ABC News Network, 26 Nov. 2012. Web. 3 Dec. 2012. <http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/11/
norquists-tax-pledge-what-it-is-and-how-it-started/>.