Daily Times

“To argue with a man who has renounced the use and authority of reason, and whose philosophy consists in holding humanity in contempt, is like administering medicine to the dead, or endeavouring to convert an atheist by scripture” —  Thomas Paine, The American Crisis

‘Common Sense” might only be 48-pages long but remains one of the most influential and widely-read treatises of its times. Published in 1776 by the English-born American political activist and poet Thomas Paine, it deals with the business of government, constitution as well as monarchy and hereditary succession.

If he were alive today, Paine would more than likely be stunned to discover that the original thirteen colonies of the Unites States now total 50 and that the country is the world’s richest and most powerful. However, he would be equally stunned to learn that commons sense was not only missing in action but had been banned from the political discourse by the pernicious, divisive and dangerous characteristics in contemporary American society.

He would painfully observe that the Capitol was overrun on January 6th, 2021 not by British Red Coats again when the White House, Congress and other buildings were set afire but by Americans for the only time since 1814.  If Paine were informed of American history since the Revolution, he would note that after disasters such as the Pearl Harbor attack in December 1941 and September 11th, 2001, the nation moved to form bipartisan commissions to investigate these catastrophes.

Yet, Democrats who voted in the House with about thirty-five Republicans to create a commission are strongly opposed by Congressional Republicans and the former president.  The stated reason is that these Republicans want to expand the commission to include extremism of right and presumably left and the violence that followed after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis almost a year ago.  The more likely reason is this.

Republicans are fearful that a commission only centred on the events of January 6th will reveal the impact of Donald Trump on the insurrection and expose the duplicity of some Republican members of Congress who have either denied that the riots were widespread rejecting the credibility of actual video or may have  supported the protestors in some way or form.

If common sense were to prevail, a simple solution would be possible.  First, establish the January 6th Commission.  Second, since both the intelligence and law enforcement agencies have stated that the greatest terrorist threat comes from white supremacist nationalists, a parallel commission ought to be established to examine that danger and the causes of the violence that swept through Portland,  Oregon; Seattle, Washington; Minneapolis, Minnesota and other cities.

Unfortunately, common sense will not be applied.  Nor will it be applied to the wearing of masks to contain the spread of Covid-19.  Paine, a powerful advocate of free speech, would not understand why so many Americans refuse to take the very simple step and effective means of containing a pandemic.

Having become accustomed to life in 2021, he would observe that people must wear seat belts in cars for safety reasons and ask what is the difference.  He might also wonder if the vaccine is only effective for six months or a year and a booster shot is required meaning 300 or so million Americans would have to be re-inoculated, would that not suggest mask wearing may be a more permanent requirement?

Finally, he would understand that if in the US government, one party did not have veto proof majorities in Congress and control both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue; or a massive crisis such as Pearl Harbor or 9/11 did not unite the Congress, without civility and compromise, the system is no longer functional. In a rational world, common sense would mean that Republicans and Democrats could find a modus vivendi.  Yet, in today’s politics, that rationality seems impossible to achieve.

Paine surely would reaffirm that:  “These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.”  Liz Cheney did in refusing to accept the “big lie” in which Trump won the 2020 election and is now consigned to a political Siberia.

The question is who next will stand firm and who will apply common sense?  Unless or until elected leaders answer that question affirmatively or the public demands they do, the nation’s trajectory is increasingly headed in a wrong and dangerous direction.

As this writer has asked many times in the past “who will listen and who will lead?”  As long as common sense is missing or resting in peace, do not expect any good answers.

Dr Harlan Ullman is UPI’s Arnaud de Borchgrave Distinguished Columnist and Senior Advisor at Washington, DC’s Atlantic Council. His latest book is ‘The Fifth Horseman and the New MAD: How Massive Attacks of Disruption Became the Looming Existential Threat to a Divided Nation and the World at Large’