Modern Politics

What is wrong with our politicians today? Don't they understand the first thing about getting things done? When did compromise become a dirty word?

I'm furious at the logjam in Washington and in the California legislature.

This country is in a mess, and all the politicians can think of is getting re-elected. They play to the most narrow of the electorate and they create objectives that cannot be accomplished without compromise. So the liberals are demanding they get everything they want - like spoiled children they stamp their feet and say "All or Nothing". Thanks Mr. Kucinovich.

The conservatives are even worse - they live in a state of denial. They insist they are Christians and want a moral society, but they work against the poor, the indigent, the sick and the minorities. Then they lie to them and frighten them each so that they are all at each others throats. Thanks

Senator McConnell.

The voices of reason are not only drowned out but vilified. This morning's newspaper had an article about a moderate (if there is such a thing any more) Senator who was "thinking of voting with the Democrats on health care"....and the you-know-what hit the fan. The man will end up being tarred and feathered if the rest of his party has their way.

I blame Gingrich. He started this policy of non-negotiation and treating the opposite party as the enemy rather than someone to work with to arrive at some kind of middle ground.

It feeds the lowest common denominator - fear. And it works!

In some kind of incomprehensible way, poor people are voting against a system that is trying to work to help them. People who live in public housing are voting against health care; people who depend on Social Security are voting against taxes; people who want higher education are voting against school bonds..... etc. etc. It's like the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing and they are both working to destroy the body politic.

On some level people don't realize that the very things they demand like good roads, firemen, police departments, higher education, health care, social services for the poor, libraries, armies all are paid for with taxes. To hear them scream you'd think the taxes all went for junkets and partying in Washington. And yes, I'm not stupid, I realize that some of that goes on - but the vast majority of our taxes goes to US - the people.

I'm proud and happy to pay taxes to support the quality of services, education and a whole gamut of wonderful things like national parks, and environmental controls and the FDA. I don't want to live in China.

It frightens me because this kind of immobilizing behaviour sets the scene for demagogues and tyrants to run the show. It's from this base that Nazi Germany arose and I could name a lot of other places worldwide and in history where this is true. Does this mean that democracy doesn't work? I don't think so - but it does mean that like marriage, both sides have to be committed to the concept of the whole.

You cannot work for narrow interests that damage the whole. You cannot achieve success for the whole if the parts are fighting among themselves. All you do is prepare the ground for a strong dictator to take over - and it is in his interest to keep all the various parties fighting and oblivious to the takeover.

So watch carefully out there - some one is looking for his opportunity.