In re-reading a bit of one of my favorites, I stumbled across a passage that I believe is all too apt today:
"I don't mean that a business politician won't steal; stealing is his business. But all politicians are nonproductive. The only commodity any politician has to offer is jawbone. His personal integrity - meaning, if he gives his word, can you rely on it? A successful business politician knows this and guards his reputation for sticking by his commitments - because he wants to stay in business - go on stealing, that is - not only this week but next year and years after that. So if he's smart enough to be successful at this very exacting trade, he can have the morals of a snapping turtle, but he performs in such a way as not to jeopardize the only thing he has to sell, his reputation for keeping promises.
But a reform politician has no such lodestone. His devotion is to the welfare of all the people-an abstraction of very high order and therefore capable of endless definitions. If indeed it can be defined in meaningful terms. In consequence your utterly sincere and incorruptible reform politician is capable of breaking his word three times before breakfast- not from personal dishonesty, as he sincerely regrets the necessity and will tell you so-but from unswerving devotion to his ideal.
All it takes to get him to break his word is for someone to get his ear and convince him that it is necessary for the greater good of all the peepul. He'll geek."
-- Lazarus Long, Time Enough For Love by Robert A. Heinlein
The application of these descriptions to today's situation is left as an exercise for the reader.... but it's something to think upon, no?
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5 comments:
Great post FG, puts it right to the point.
As far as Im concerneed though, I trust them 'bout as far as I can throw 'em.
Thank you for that quote from LL and RAH (my favorite SF author of all time).
B Woodman
Now I have a craving for Heinlein...not that I'm complaining!
Good post, FarmGirl
"But all politicians are nonproductive. The only commodity any politician has to offer is jawbone."
And yet the populace keeps re-electing the bums!
As I understand it, in the 2010 elections, the entire House of Representatives is up for re-election. Also, one third of the Senate is up for re-election. If enough like-minded voters can get out there, We the People can fire all of them this year. Then, in the next two election cycles, we can replace the other two thirds of the Senate AND kick the bum-in-chief out of office after one term. But we really need a recall election for the office of the President.
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