It was one of those late summer afternoons when people had gathered at a lake home for a shared meal and a view of the lingering summer sun rays over the water. A local farmer often included in these, mostly family get-togethers was there. The harvest was still underway, but the crops had had a plentiful year, and there was a sense of contentment around the final crop. Every year, nature threatened crop failure with late spring plantings, or vicious wind storms, or excessive rain. This year, all had gone well.
The conversation turned to local issues, and the relationships were such that it was easy to ask about the necessity of farm subsidies, especially in plentiful years. He agreed. “But if we let them go, we’ll never get them back.”
Many groups’ strategies involve lying low and being silent when times are good. They don’t remind the governing body of the flow of money. Let the benefit slide while everyone’s focus is on some new issue. Let the political energies and attention be drawn away from the fact that the farmers live large at the moment. That’s how is can be in government programs. Once in place, there’s no mechanism to pull them away once the need is no more.
Until Trump, that is. The president’s actions are described as slash-and-burn, as he closes down departments and pulls programs. He’s put foreign partners on notice that what used to be may no longer be. Critics voice that there will be more harm done than good in the outside-the-normal-way-of-doing-things model is put to the test.
But is there nothing to learn? Is there a method here?
Isn’t the President testing group structure? Every time an old way of doing things is challenged- the various groups engaged in the activity respond through multiple forms of Voice. Aren’t some surprising? Like- who knew about the tariffs Canada imposes on the US or between each province? And isn’t the quiet around the Federal workforce reduction a little deafening?
Some people will not like the new arrangements and will leave. Farmers will encourage their kids to go into other fields of work. Countries will turn to their neighbors for new alliances. It just seems like there is something to learn from each of these instances of exit, voice and loyalty.
Home Economics 