Via Ross, Ezra Klein explains why, in fact, America is bent for dishonest campaigns and gutter politics, and why politicians who are more conversant in those arts will likely succeed, leading us inevitably to having the worst possible people as leaders and ensuring we continue to reward those who act in the most dispicable way possible in electoral politics. (OK, I through a little of my own editorializing in there. Read the post.)
I've always found the saying that "in a democracy, the people get the leadership they deserve" to be a little too flippant-sounding. But it's largely correct. Our democracy will be as our people make it. What if the people aren't good enough or smart enough to demand a righteous form of self-government? I do think that process, honesty and character matters. I do think that there is a right way to act on the campaign trail, I do think that lies and distortions should be punished electorally, and I don't think that you can just wave your hand and say "everybody does it". But I have no expectation, anymore, that the majority of our country feels that way. What happens when the people in a democracy consistently don't support what's right or what's best? If the press and the government act according to what the people want, and what the people want is consistently self-defeating... we're in trouble.
Meanwhile, the economy is showing more and more signs of being close to utter and complete collapse, or at least a severe downturn, which will further damage a down job market that I (at least ostensibly) am currently searching in. Your humble servant may soon be blogging about selling pencils and oranges on an onramp to the interstate.
(If anybody out there works for a college or university and wants to hire me in any capacity, drop a line. I'll do anything and relocate anywhere for very little money. Seriously.
I make great coffee.)
1 comment:
Have you ever considered joining the ranks of the anti-demoists? It's a long and noble tradition - Thucydides, Gibbon, Maine, Mencken - many a great thinker has noticed the propensity of democracy's for irrationality, short term thinking, and violent warfare.
It is often remarked that "Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others". But have you ever gone beyond what they taught you in civics class, and examined whether that is actually true? If you grew up in China, you would think that Mao was a great man, thanks to the state education system. We outsiders, of course, know otherwise. But we also have a state education system. What kind of false hoods might it have taught us?
For instance, read a bit of Stefan Zweig's The World of Yesterday. He actually lived through Austria's transition from monarchy to universal suffrage. He directly traces the rise of democracy to high taxes, racism, financial turmoil, and war. Of course, we have none of that in our democracy ...
If you are at all intrigued and wish to further explore the dark truths of anti-demotism, I highly recommend the blog Unqualified Reservations. Also check out the book Liberty or Equality (pdf) (it will blow your mind). For some shorter, pithier fare, read some Churchill excerpts.
Surgically removing the myths of childhood is a difficult process, but having recently undergone the procedure, I can tell you that it is worth the trouble. It's amazing how much clearer the world looks with a bit of historical perspective.
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