I had to do
it. I had to get sucked into this mess. I am a card-carrying global
macroeconomist and here I am writing about the NFL. Does the NFL cause
inflation or recessions? No, I think not. Does the NFL cause productivity or
wages to rise? I doubt it. But here I am writing about it.
As one of my
friends wrote me recently, why would anyone be interested in macro when there
is all this other stuff to talk about? He told me that only the elites care
about the usual macro policy issues. So, on to the NFL.
So what do I
say? I thought long and
hard and here is what I could come up with: The NFL is the canary in the
mine shaft. The NFL is the beginning of a road that leads directly to chaos and
eventually bloody revolution.
That’s a big
statement, right? I just watched part of the Vietnam film on PBS, and it reminded me
that we are not immune to violence and revolution in the USA. People my age
participated in mistakes in Vietnam and were glad when the Cold War seemed to
end. We also experienced the Civil Rights protests and were glad to see that
situation improved. But it has been a while since all that transpired and it is
not unbelievable that we have come full circle. It is quite possible that what
we are seeing in the NFL is just the beginning of some very tough times ahead.
The end of
the Cold War and the Civil Rights Revolution brought positive change. In the
1970s, one would have expected a great period of healing to follow – and maybe
it did. It is one thing for whites and blacks and capitalists and communists to
be ignorant of each other. It might follow that as we joined closer together, as in any marriage, many problems would be solved. But what we did not expect is that when we got
to know each other a little better we would sometimes get on each other’s
nerves. As we all became more equal, some got equal faster than others and some
got less equal.
A half a century
later we find that the world might be fairer than it was in 1960. But we also
find as we become more familiar and equal, we have new and larger problems
between capitalists and communists, blacks and whites, gays and heteros, JD and
Scotch drinkers. (I had to get JD in somewhere!)
Conservatives
can defend their records and describe how much minorities have gained in the last
half-century. Liberals can point out the vast inequalities that remain. This is
not an argument that can be resolved easily. Major progress on income
distribution, job discrimination, crime, policing, immigration, national
security and defense will not come easily. These are tough nuts to crack. Solutions won't reduce to ”my way or the highway.”
Reasoned approaches to our most difficult challenges are not to be had. And the
NFL is the beautiful example of why. Our President said horrible things about
our players and our players responded in kind. Is this stupid or what? We have
proper forums to work through sensitive national issues. Why are those fleet of
feet and marbled by muscle feeling the need to make their political desires known
at NFL games? Why do actors do the same at award ceremonies? Why do college
students wear masks and beat each other with sticks on campus?
I think this is because the answers to the questions are tougher than we are. We either want or don't want dramatic
change. We want to be on the right side. We want to curse at those who disagree
with us. But the truth is that the more we act in these ways, the less headway
we make and the more entrenched our adversaries become.
That all
this has come to the NFL shows how far we have come down a very bad road. Does
it seem far-fetched that these behaviors will come to baseball? To college
athletics? To Macy’s holiday parade? To a local music concert? To your next
family gathering? It does not seem impossible that, in light of the lack of any
real leadership in this country, we will keep playing out our demand for a
better world outside of regular political/government frameworks. It also does
not seem impossible that those who are the most frustrated will bring their
impatience and hatred to situations that will give them notoriety. With all
the sides hardening, it is not difficult to imagine even more violence in even
more places.
Where is the
national leader who will tell us that these behaviors are
counter-productive and convince us of the following: First, our
situation today in the USA is enviable compared to most places around the world. Second,
we made a start to become the shining light on the hill. Third, some of
the hardest challenges are ahead of us. And finally, we are good enough to
meet those challenges. Can you think of one politician today who could pass this muster?
