Every now and then, a comment made in passing strikes a nerve. Or perhaps I'm pretending that's the case because I'm overdue for a confessional at the Church of the Blog. Either way, here goes.
Some of my best friends are Democrats. Fully sincere, willing to pay high taxes, whatever. And I'm inclined to think that perhaps my personal preference for maximum liberty really does cost some poor child his medical care. Fair enough. I used to say that I would be a Democrat if their programs actually solved the problems that they were intended to solve, rather than provide superficial assurances that the demonstration of compassion demonstrates one's inherent humane-ness.
And then one actually watches the political process (Canada's? Tom DeLay's? Hillary Clinton's? Bill Frist?), and one realizes that all we've done is create a market where people blessed with enough height and charm can exchange the charisma that they radiate for power. One is elected, after all, not by being the best leader, but by being the best at convincing the masses that one is the best leader.
The problem is, of course, that unless one develops more confidence in the ability of a group of people that are self-selected at least in part by their desire for power to restrain this power, once attained, than seems warranted by history, then the fact that this power could be used for good will no longer be confused with the expectation that it will.
Posted by MoisheP at April 26, 2005 08:09 PM | TrackBack