I've Been on Tilt

I have not posted anything to this blog in weeks. The reason is that I have been on tilt...in a state of disbelief, suspended from participation of any kind in public dialogue. It all began with Democrat capitulation to President Bush on the Iraq war, followed by capitulation on FISA, and then to add a different dimension to the overall surreal state of public affairs, the deafening silence from both sides regarding the Larry Craig incident. Republicans are understandably embarrassed and would like the whole matter to just go away, but you can imagine their sustained public indignation if the transgressor had been a Democrat. Democrats on the other hand seem to be afraid of offending their gay constituency. Apparently it is politically incorrect among Democrats to criticize sexual indiscretions that occur between members of the same sex, no matter how depraved. Salon even jumped into the Craig issue with a featured piece about how "hot" bathroom sex is! I found myself wondering what planet I am on.

Follow up these events with continued capitulation by Democrats on virtually every point of contention with the most unpopular, clearly deluded and dangerous President in modern history and I find myself disoriented. The American people overturned the Republican Congress to put an end to the disastrous war in Iraq and the cowardice of the Democrats elected for that purpose is extremely disappointing. I am hoping that there is some method to the madness, and at some strategic point they will start holding the line, but at this point such thoughts seem more like fantasy than legitimate hope.

Personally, I am questioning what purpose it will serve to continue to weigh in on public affairs. Is there any value in putting forth a balanced view, or is it just a waste of time? Are we headed into ever more violent foreign policy and lawless government regardless of which party is in charge? Is political correctness (both "conservative" and "liberal" versions) so dominant that honest debate is no longer possible on any issue? Are we condemned to continue to be ruled by the least among us? I remain suspended and unsure of the answers to these questions.

Where are the Real Republicans?

Where are the real Republicans? You know, the ones who believe in limited, transparent government, checks and balances, fiscal responsibility, taking care of yourself, minding your own business, strong national defense.

The current crop of Republicans seem to believe in such principles only where they apply to limit the ability of anyone to challenge their power (refusal to comply with Congressional subpoenas; exempting themselves from the FOIA), or where they deny government support to individual people (the current campaign to deny health insurance to uninsured children). But these principles do not seem to apply to limits on the wielding of power as long as those in power are Republicans (waging war with borrowed money; executive secrecy), or where power over individual people is the issue (unsupervised wiretapping; abandonment of habeas corpus). There are dozens of such issues in play where the power over individuals by government and corporate interests has been expanded and where the ability of individuals to challenge that power has been diminished. Folks, this is not conservatism. This is corruption and the consolidation of power for its own sake.

Seems to me that our Founders well understood the impulse to abuse power and set up our system to minimize the damage any individual or group could do. In the past it was Republicans who were most vigilant in guarding against such abuses of power. I know there must be real Republicans out there. I implore you to take back your party. We need real Republicans, just as we need real Democrats. The fundamental impulses of these two parties are not mutually exclusive, they are complementary. Balance is the key, which requires ongoing vigilance and occasional corrective action as well as mutual respect. We'll see what the Democrats do when they get back into power, but right now it is the Republicans who have lost their way and need to get back to their roots.

Christians Who Wage War

From the beginning, the most steadfast supporters of the war in Iraq have been people who identify themselves as Christians. This is a marvel to me. It was Jesus after all who gave up his own life without a fight, and forbade Peter to defend him, saying "He who lives by the sword dies by the sword." It was Jesus who taught "Behold, I send you forth as sheep among the wolves," and "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God."

Those who consider themselves Christians should give some attention to the actual teachings of the Master and less to those who teach in his name. I have seen and heard in public forums numerous perversions of Jesus' teachings using selected quotes taken out of context to justify this war. No honest reading of the teachings of Jesus can justify war on any account, much less an invasion of a foreign land. True Christians, those who follow the teachings of Jesus, would be the last to support any war.

We live in a time of political depravity, when public values and the general behaviour and aspirations of humanity are in decay. Kali yuga they call it in India. So it is no surprise in such a time that demagogues pervert the teachings and very purpose of religion to justify their lust for power, vengeance and war. Those of us who desire a more just world can do little on the macro scale, but we can hold up the truth for others to see, and perhaps by so doing inspire others to do the same. In time a critical mass will be reached and things will begin to change for the better on the macro scale.

Public Office is a Sacred Trust

The power to determine our lives is the property of each individual in society. In order to more effectively organize our common affairs, we give that power in trust to our representatives in government to formulate and administer government policies that will uphold our best interests and that of the common good.

When an elected or appointed government official accepts graft in any form, including PAC money, or otherwise sells the benefit of public policy to any individual or group or promotes the interests of any such individual or group to the detriment of his constituents or the common good, that representative has violated the sacred trust that he holds from his constituents.

Government officials such as Mr. Jefferson from Louisiana who betray their trust for money are the obvious ones. But ideologues and partisans such as Mr. Libby who do the same for their cause are no less guilty. They expropriate the power of government, given by the people in trust for the common good, to promote the interests of their financial backers and their partisan supporters. This should be considered the most egregious of all possible offenses for a government official and cause for great shame and ostracism. But looking out at the political field in 2007, it's hard to identify anyone who has not betrayed their trust in one way or another. So it is no wonder that in this environment Mr. Libby and his backers feel that he is the victim, or that Mr. Jefferson also claims to be a victim.

It is always darkest before the dawn, so we can hold out hope that we will somehow find our way out of depravity to a more enlightened political process and government. There are many elements in the formula for enlightened government, such as a general commitment to truth, service and mutual respect, but the first and biggest obstacle to real progress is the utterly corrosive influence of big money in political campaigns. For those who want to make a contribution to the greater good, there is no more pressing issue than this one.

Scooter Libby and Public Values

The sentencing of Scooter Libby provides an excellent study in the condition of our political process and the values of our political class. A large number of letters were received by the presiding judge urging leniency for Mr. Libby. These letters were by and large from senior Republican officials and other prominent Republicans. The general thrust of their argument was that Scooter was a good guy and an outstanding public servant. At the same time Mr. Libby's attorney made the argument that his transgressions were minor and not deserving of prison time. This argument was also heard in a loud chorus from Republican partisans outside the courtroom. Even our President and Vice President issued statements of sadness and regret for the conviction of this "fine man." The implication of this outpouring of sympathy being that he has been the victim of an injustice. Remarkably, many of these voices were the very same ones that savagely attacked Bill Clinton for his lies under oath.

Nowhere on the Republican side was there heard the lamentation that Scooter had disgraced his Republican brethren. Not heard was consignment of Scooter to his just fate for his crimes and more importantly for failing to uphold the honor required of a public servant, or for his poor example to the general public of blatant dishonesty by a high public official. These things were only heard from the Democrats. Of course if Mr. Libby was a Democrat the players would have simply reversed field.

The object lesson of this spectacle is that the values of our political elite have become severely degraded. Speaking the truth is not considered a requirement in public life today. Promoting partisan advantage takes priority and is valued over truthfulness and all other considerations. This does not go unnoticed by the general public or by young people, who are acutely aware of hypocrisy, take note of how our leaders actually behave regardless of what they say, and model their own behavior accordingly.

This is just one facet of a political culture steeped in non-truth. We cannot hope to come to grips with the large and increasingly intractable problems of our complex society while our political process is is in such a degraded state. Our leaders demonstrate daily that they are willing to lie, cheat, violate the law whenever it suits them and generally do whatever it takes to gain partisan advantage and excuse themselves and their fellow partisans for all such behaviour while condemning their opponents for same. How can we expect the general public to respect the law and strive for the high road when they see their leaders consistently taking the low road?

Politics doesn't have to be like this. Our political process is in such disrepair because we the people tolerate it. If we demanded honor, candor and service to the greater good from our public servants we would get it.