Novak on Americans Moving Up

Michael Novak’s column “People Moving Up, the American Way” (Commentary, Oct. 18) is typical of our misguided use of statistics. Novak seems to think that because it now takes two or more people in a family working to make a living--thus creating the “bracket creep” to which he points as evidence of our new wealth--that we are making “progress.” And his numbers are old--what crept up is now creeping, or rather careening, downward.

What Novak fails to understand is that inflation creates, and necessitates, the so-called bracket creep that he mistakes for progress. And to point to it as “evidence” of our increasing prosperity is folly. Our hollow, purely quantity-oriented statistics don’t even begin to tell the whole story of the tragic decline in the quality of live, especially here in California.

We need only look out the window to see that our “wealth” and headless growth-machine are actually creating poverty! A new poverty of space, of clean air, of driveable freeways, of affordable housing, etc., is replacing the old era of plenty.

Novak is typical of the blind-growth school of economists, politicians and priests who assert that more immigration, forced motherhood and uncontrolled economic growth for the “benefit” of greater statistics are somehow preordained. For those of us who have to live within these bogus statistics that do not, in any way, reflect the “quality” of our lives, we have different ideas.

In fact, as we have seen, the Reagan years of Potemkin-village “property” were built on $200 billion-$300 billion deficits (2 trillion borrowed dollars) and the bills are now coming due. This deficit-driven “wealth” is the perennial short-term strategy of all reelectable politicians. But this deadly and irresponsible statistical strategy ends when the people are broke, and the quality of life deteriorates to the point where people begin to look for another place to live.

Unfortunately, this hollow economic game we mistakenly call “progress” is now devouring the entire earth. Inevitably, the quality and valueless system and statistical religion of growth will breed and foster social collapse--but the numbers will look great.

KENT WELTON

Dana Point