Good Politics/Bad Politicians

 

I ran across a statement years ago that was credited to Mohandas Gandhi. Its origin subsequently has been questioned; however, I don’t care who said it. It remains one of the truest adages I have found. The statement is, “Beware the illusion that you can create a system so nearly perfect that nobody has to be good.”

On paper, free enterprise—free market capitalism—may offer the greatest economic potential to the greatest number of people and situations. On paper.

But systems don’t stay “on paper;” nor do they run themselves. People run systems. And not all people are good—especially when it comes to economics (“The love of money is the root of all evil.” ~ 1 Timothy 6:10)

Free markets do not exist except on paper. Eventually, some person or group has always controlled every market. The result has rarely been good for anyone except the ones in control. Small businesses have been virtually eliminated from the retail market by mega corporations, and the pharmaceutical/medical/insurance conglomerate has made health care a thing for the shareholders. A small handful of massive corporate conglomerates and billionaire families own the vast majority of major news networks and media outlets. (And, BTW, I don’t believe the media forms or influences public opinion to any serious degree. Each outlet attracts people ALREADY aligned with its socio-economic, political and value orientation. The media is more of a dipstick than a driver.)

One might expect the government to regulate the markets to keep them fair and equitable; however, governments don’t run themselves either. People do. And, again, not all people are good. There virtually always have been people in government willing to prostitute themselves for a piece of the pie.

Zig Ziglar once said, “Any system will work for you if you’ll work the system.” Another truism. And, again, the outcome depends upon the person or people working the system, and not all people are good.

So, my point is that the system is not the most important consideration in human enterprises: economic, political, social, religious, or whatever. Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Socialist, Socialistic Democrat, Independent (which basically means “not accountable to anyone”), liberal, conservative, leftist, capitalism, communism, socialism, Marxism… On paper, some systems are worse than others; but the most important factor in any human enterprise is whether the person or people who administer it are good.

And by “good” I’m not referring to consensual sexual relations (it’s ironic and pitifully duplicitous that the same people who condemned Bill Clinton for his fling with Monica Lewinski are turning their heads from the MULTIPLE sexual escapades and exploitations of Donald Trump). I have standards many would consider old-fashioned and even strict; but, while I am willing to share them, I have no right or desire to impose my private and/or religious standards on anyone else. As long a person’s sexual relations are consensual and not abusive or exploitive, those matters are none of my business.

In my values related to this discussion, “good” is measured by who benefits and who is hurt by the outcome of any system under consideration, and while each individual human is of unique value, systems that are aimed at the general population should seek the benefit of the greatest number of people possible, especially those who are vulnerable and least able to acquire the related benefits on their own.

My values are primarily a reflection of my understanding of the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth; however, I find no contradiction between my values and the aim and purpose of our constitution…

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

…and the government—and separation of powers thereof—created by that constitution:

·         Article I: Establishes the Legislative Branch to make laws.

·         Article II: Establishes the Executive Branch to enforce laws.

·         Article III: Establishes the Judicial Branch to interpret laws

          As I see it, my political values--and thus my party affiliation--are reflections of my moral and ethical values and my standard for "good" that boil down to who (and how many) will benefit and who (and how many) will be hurt by any specific political action. For me, good politics are very often corrupted by bad politicians. 

          That’s the way it looks through the Flawed Glass that is my world view.

Together in the Walk,

Jim