A Refreshing Political Wind

To the Editor:

There is a refreshing wind in American politics of which we have felt the first breath. Its message is what many of us have instinctively sensed, namely the danger that election or business as usual is not going to be the answer for this country and its people.

Yes, I mean the Tea Party. I sense that they too, as myself, feel that neither of our two parties has successfully maneuvered us through dangerous shoals of the last 60 or so years. Too many of us still believe that this present economic danger to our way of life is a fluke and that corrections in our tax system and modest government cuts or stimulations of the economy are the answer despite the obvious evidence of massive convulsions of our financial system, which has required more than a trillion dollars to stanch and which has shaken our economy to its roots. “Let others than ourselves pay for the fiscal mess” seems often the thought if not the word.

As any house, so also the house of our Republic must correct its past financial mistakes and put fiscal responsibility first. We have come to believe that a little inflation is a good thing. In fact, it means that your money will only purchase half of what it does now in 20 years or less. I experienced the supreme insult to our currency when I was refused a dollar I offered for entrance to a public restroom in Italy two years ago. The old value of the dollar as the world’s greatest currency was based on our economic might not on our world record consumer demand.

The health of our economic system like a coin has two faces. One is the restraint in spending, the other creation of wealth through manufacturing, agriculture, trade, and new concepts. Put them all in order and we will be once again the world’s strongest (and largest) economy. And it can be done.

It is not the deficit in revenue alone which is the culprit. We have to reinvigorate our manufacturing base. It seems obvious to many of us that in order to do this we must sharply reduce our imports and increase our exports.

China has dominated international trade for some years now. The reason is a falsely undervalued currency which gains China a competitive edge. What can we do about it? Devaluing our currency is not the answer.

The quality of goods coming from China is deplorable in many cases. Who has not heard of the drywall and other serious deficiencies. I firmly believe we should do what the French did some years back under similar circumstances. All incoming goods from China must be 100 percent inspected for safety, ecological, medical, and other problems before being released to the American public. A negotiated percentage of Chinese production must be in our country and under our laws.

Oscar Berendsohn

34 Appleblossom Lane, Newtown                      November 13, 2010