Sherry Chandler » In Praise of Politics
In Praise of Politics
On Monday morning, driving to work, I was listening to WUKY, Morning Edition, when I heard this commentary by Mark Shields:
I believe in politics. In addition to being great fun, politics is basically the peaceable resolution of conflict among legitimate competing interests.
In a continental nation as big and brawling and diverse as ours, I don’t know how else — except through politics — we can resolve our differences and live together. Compromise is the best alternative to brute muscle or money or raw numbers. Compromises that are both wise and just are crafted through the dedication, the skill and, yes, the intelligence of our elected politicians.
I have been an admirer of Shields’ commentaries for some time. On The News Hour, he is soft-spoken and good-humored and unashamedly liberal. I wish every one of my readers would go and listen to this commentary – or read the transcript.
I have been musing on the question for a day or two now and I think maybe, if there is anything that makes the United States of America exceptional, it is our politics. We don’t have a deep evolved culture like the nations of the Old World. There was a culture here once but those Europeans from whom some of us descend destroyed that in the name of various types of Manifest Destiny. In spite of all the right would do to convince us otherwise, we are basically a secular nation. We were conceived by secular thinkers. We do not really have our own language, unless it might be ebonics.
What defines us and sets us apart is the political system our Founders put in place. We were “conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all [humankind] were created equal,” and our system of checks and balances was set up to keep us equal. So far the system has held proof against all challenges, though we have handled some better than others, and we are still, as I was told once in my youth, the most protected people on earth. In spite of the U.S.A. Patriot Act.
The other day I was listening to Ed Shultz on Air America – I know, I’m inconsistent. Well, I like to think I have eclectic tastes.
Anyway, Big Eddie did an interview with Paul Hackett, the Iraq veteran who nearly defeated Jean Schmidt in Ohio last year. Hackett spoke with great passion about how veterans are the best candidates because they’ve put their lives on the line for their country. They are better, therefore, than mere political hacks who start out running for town council and work up through the corrupt ranks of politicians. Soldiers are pure; politicians are corrupt.
I am grateful to Hackett for the energy he brought to the left with his race in Ohio. But he’s wrong.
People who spend their lives in politics are flawed. Soldiers are flawed. Politicians are corrupt. Soldiers are corrupt. We’re all human. But where would we be without the town councilmen, the state representatives, county judge executives? Politicians also serve their country. Maybe they do it for personal advancement but then, I’d argue that most soldiers join the military for personal advancement. Many of them, as we know well here in Kentucky, to find themselves a way out of poverty.
We have had decades of wedge politics from some of the most blatantly corrupt politicians we’ve ever seen. It has suited their purpose to have the people disillusioned and cynical about politicians, to have people stay away from the polls. A small turnout means that a third of the nation chooses our leaders, that the single-issue voters choose our leaders. It has suited their purpose that we be polarized and paranoid of one another.
But I can’t really believe that we are so evenly divided between the red and the blue. And after all, Paul Hackett is trying to become a politician himself.
My Lord. Somebody get me a soapbox. Go listen to Mark Shields. He’ll tell you about some politicians who did brave and good things. Even Ronald Reagan.
Possibly related posts:
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
1 Comment
1. MW replies at 15th March 2006, 4:53 pm :
It’s hard for me to think that Reagan did anything brave or good. But it’s true that good things have been done by politicians on both sides.
As for our political system, I’ve always thought it was rather remarkable, myself. It has its problems. I think that sticking to a two party system weakens the U.S., and there have been who knows how many corrupt or incompetent people in office throughout our history. But the founders took some pretty radical ideas and actually managed to set them up in a system that works. Going from a monarchy to “all men are created equal” was a hell of a step.
“But I can’t really believe that we are so evenly divided between the red and the blue.”
Of course not. As I’ve said before, nothing is ever as neat as people would like it to be. This goes double for other people. But we love our lables, and we love feeling like we belong to some larger group that will validate our opinions. It’s just easier to say “red” or “blue” than to try to cope with the complexity.
Leave a comment