Rick MacLean: Great Nations Lead; Our Neighbor Isn't Following Suit
The discussion at the White House was entirely sensible. It revolved around finances, policies, and global relations.
Sure, it was just a fictional scenario. Given how unreasonable things tend to get when discussing matters of finance and governance, this isn’t surprising even under Trump’s subsidized government housing. It seems unlikely to change anytime soon.
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Rather, this discussion took place on a television program that appears so utterly fantastical now it could nearly pass as pure fantasy. Alternatively, it might qualify as science fiction or even sci-fi fantasy.
It was "The West Wing," a series featuring remarkably intelligent individuals who were passionate about doing everything possible for their nation. They would discuss various topics, listen attentively to one another, and alter their perspectives whenever it aligned with what was right.
See, told you. Fiction.
Smart. Funny. Deadly serious
The series was immensely popular, running for seven seasons with a total of 178 episodes. This duration is quite extensive in television terms. The show received 26 Emmy nominations — which can be likened to Oscar nods in film — as well as three Golden Globe nominations — awarded for exceptional narrative quality — and two Peabody Awards — recognizing impactful and illuminating content.
It was clever. It was humorous. And it was utterly grave.
In episode 19 of season 2 titled "Bad Moon Rising," when they chose to discuss why one country might decide to assist another rather than viewing their neighbors and allies as easy targets for tariff blackmail, the conversation began with Donna Moss.
She was curious about why her boss, the senior White House official Josh Lyman, backed a scheme to bail out the struggling Mexican economy amid a devalued peso and an unpayable $30 billion loan repayment. She informed him that he had received a call from Frank Kelly.
“Who’s he,” said Josh.
“He’s a textiles worker in South Carolina making $12.17 an hour with no health insurance. His two kids go to public school. The school’s fine, but they had to cut art and music for budget reasons and Frank’s 10-year-old is just nuts about the trumpet.
So the mother takes up telemarketing work late at night once the children are asleep to cover lesson costs and lease an instrument. This doesn’t mean that arts and music aren't significant or that we didn't enjoy ourselves or make friends through them.
Frank adheres to legal requirements and settles his debts promptly. Additionally, he fulfills his tax obligations and contacted you to express gratitude for transferring his funds to Mexico.
Us versus them
Get it. It’s MAGA, “Make America great again” by not helping your neighbours, just yourself. Every time. And there are lots of “us” who need help, so too bad about “them.”
It’s also “Canada first – now and always.” Yeah, I think that’s also an election slogan getting some play in the run-up to our federal election later this month.
In brief, Josh’s response is that life is far more complex than an election slogan suggests.
Why not reach out to him again and point out that the Mexican customers purchasing his textiles can no longer afford to do so. As a result, Frank might lose his job. This shouldn't be an issue though; numerous employment opportunities await a 48-year-old textile worker provided they receive training in advanced computer skills or medical research.
Donna wasn’t having it.
Oh, right, because the $30 billion is definitely going to end up in the pockets of Mexican consumers.
Josh was prepared for her.
“It eventually happens. But instead of giving them the money directly, we provide our credit card and cover the expenses ourselves. Essentially, it’s a loan. We’ve done this exact thing six years ago as well. That previous loan was actually repaid earlier than expected.”
He then informed her that she had also gotten a call, coming from Europe in 1940.
“It sounds to me from what they said on the phone that France, Austria and England were getting absolutely pounded by the Germans, with no end in sight,” he said.
I believe they're overreacting. This guy whose dad works for customs and has aCharlie Chaplinesquemustache isn't going anywhere.
Beacon of democracy
Josh was talking about the decision – by the United States – to loan arms to Russia and Britain so they could keep fighting the Second World War against the Nazis.
“With the understanding they’d pay us back when the war is over.”
Josh mentioned that there's a rationale behind influential nations such as the United States—countries that have been advocating for years that they serve as the guiding lights atop the hill, exemplars of democracy others worldwide should emulate—aiding their neighbors.
If your neighbor's house is burning down, you shouldn't negotiate the cost of your garden hose. Frank Kelly from South Carolina certainly wouldn't. In this world, there are far too many challenges we cannot overcome. Just look at howMexicois going through turmoil.
Why assist them? Because we have the ability.
Donna grinned. That was acceptable for her. Understand my point? It’s science fiction fantasy. For now at least.
Rick MacLean has retired from his role as an instructor in the journalism program at Holland College.
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