The hero effect

Every time we see Harrison Ford almost get shot, or fall off a cliff, or run over by a tank, we think "Oh no, this time he really could be killed! Maybe the 'hero effect' was just an illusion!" And so we grip the edge of our seats, and we experience the delightful thrill of fear that George Lucas wants us to feel.

In this excerpt from his new book, "Moyers on Democracy," Bill Moyers wonders if America isn't losing its 'hero field.' Our system's luck, he says, is about to run out. The influence of money has corrupted politics, so that our government emphasizes private wealth over public goods, pushing up inequality, generating environmental blowback, and leading us on catastrophic imperial adventures.

So, what else is new?

I agree that inequality, lack of public investment, climate change, and the Iraq war are big problems. Does this mean our democratic system has failed? Yes, if you think democracy should always lead to the perfect outcome.

But I don't think that. I think democracy is a slow, ponderous, self-correcting system, and we're heading for another correction right now. Bill Moyers sees past political corrections as "narrow escapes," but I see them as the system in action. The solution to our current troubles is to elect Democrats who will boost public investment, get out of Iraq, and protect the environment. And we show every sign of being about to do just that. Even if, by some calamity, we elect John McCain, we'll just get 4 more years of object lesson in the failings of conservatism, followed by another election.

Until you can show me the cliff we're about to fall off, I'm concerned but by no means panicked. There's a reason Harrison Ford never gets shot, and there's a reason America always comes to its senses.