Tuesday’s Big Idea
Today's Big Idea: Dangerous Ideas
As the United States economy limps along and the federal government continues to pile up debt, it is just a matter of time before the whole deck of cards collapses. That is, unless the country does something to change course. In democracies, we hold elections. It is our hope that elections will be about ideas, and the current Presidential contest was in short supply of ideas. Or at least new ones.
Paul Ryan's ideas, particularly about how to control government spending on Medicare have made some members of his own party nervous. That is because Ryan's plan would disrupt the status quo and potentially turn off seniors. That is why Ryan's plan is a "dangerous idea." It is not "dangerous" in the sense that it is a bad plan -- that's up for debate. We mean dangerous in the most positive sense, in that Ryan boldly goes against the grain of what we normally expect in American politics -- politicians pandering to voters rather than leveling with them.
Ryan's plan is also "dangerous" in its boldness. Romney/Ryan are promoting an idea that might very well play into their opponent's hand and cost them the election. That is a bold move, and that is why we are excited to tackle this major issue on Big Think.
