Commonweal

You and I make a society of two. A public. Add others and our public swells. Keep reaching until it embraces everyone in the village, town, city, county, state, region, or nation. You and I and they together form the commonweal, the public.

And it is our well being that pulls us together. Tighten those bonds and our wellbeing improves. We work together for common goals. Discussing those goals broadens our common understanding of the issues involved. More discussion helps us articulate what we anticipate as potential outcomes. Sometimes those outcomes are viewed negatively; if so, we have warning of work to do to avoid the problems to come. When we view the outcomes as positive, then we may adopt a plan to make those outcomes happen the way we envision them.

Deciding what is or is not a desired outcome is the result of our working together. It is we the people endeavoring to do the business of the people, the public. For what end? For the common good of the people, or commonweal.

We may believe the United States of America was formed with this concept firmly in mind. I hope it was, but human beings being what they are, the route demonstrated a messy journey. We have argued, fought, struggled and demonized those who do not agree with our thinking. Thus the public act of governing is disrupted today in the Congress. The commonweal is lost in the struggle for hegemony of thought and power.

The current need for renewal and upgrade of public infrastructure is a case in point. The infrastructure is used by most of us, or it is used by significant institutions that provide benefit to us all. That subject matter is certainly appropriate to the commonweal. Why then must arguments be made that speak nonsense?

The simple answer is the perpetrators of this travesty are those who demean cooperation and collaboration.

Investing in our nation’s infrastructure benefits us all. Can we afford it? Over time we can afford it. In fact, that is the nature of investment. We place resources in common to accomplish projects that will benefit the whole of society. The benefits come from improved efficiency, cost savings and expansion of abilities to accomplish more economic activity that pay even more dividends. More activity of this sort increases commercial interests which increase jobs, household incomes, careers and private savings, investments and consumption of goods necessary for quality of life.

The investment is repaid over time as well, much like the mortgage on our home. This is our mortgage on our homeland to fund a better quality of life.

Both political parties have supported projects over hundreds of years to protect and advance the commonweal. Both parties have understood the stakes of this work. One party claims to be the party of commerce and financial responsibility. The other party claims its commitment to the people. Both are major portions of our commonweal. Each party need not claim veto power over planned actions that will benefit the commonweal. No; in fact, they are called upon to work together to make the good things happen.

This is not an argument for or against conservatism or liberalism. Rather, it is an argument for the middle ground to get good things – necessary things – accomplished. Why? For the common good.

Now that’s a good working definition of commonweal.

April 6, 2021