"It Is Always Darkest Before The Dawn"

Commentary by Paul Francis

November 12, 2024

Introductory Excerpt

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At the outset of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, Chairman Mao reportedly said, “It is always darkest before it becomes totally black.” I confess to sharing that feeling with millions of other Americans when I woke up Wednesday morning in London to see the wreckage of the election.

But as Americans, we are wired to believe that “it is always darkest before the dawn.” There are silver linings (well hidden) in the election results. To begin with, as Peggy Noonan wrote last Friday, “All defeat carries a gift: You get to figure out what you’re getting wrong.” Democrats certainly have a lot to think about, and that won’t be finished overnight.

The other silver lining of the election, from the standpoint of Democrats though not of the country, is that President Trump almost certainly will be unable to solve the problems that he rode to victory upon. In some cases, he will be unable to implement his policy prescriptions. In others, the prescriptions will not only prove inadequate to fix the underlying malady, but actually make the problems worse. The crises of affordability and social alienation are a function of global technological change and social and cultural forces that are not easily susceptible to public policy solutions. 

In any event, the dawn is a long way off. In the meantime, New York State and local governments will be on their own as they try to meet the challenges of modern life. The incoming Trump administration will make those challenges in the Health and Human Services sector even harder than they already are. This Commentary examines some of the risks for the Health and Human Services sector in New York under the Trump administration.
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