Logic and Reality and Politics
Logic is immutable but reality really is. The two states coexist. The former represents absolute truth but flaws in human nature cause mankind to deviate for a variety of reasons.
Man often believes that truth can be established by a majority vote. Citizens may be obliged to obey arbitrary and capricious laws, often measures that are the embodiment of evil. Some, even many, may ignore foolish or unjust laws. Such a common sense (or humane) evasion may chip away at the respect for the entire body of laws and the foundations of a just society begin to crumble.
Yet who are our lawgivers? The Supreme Court building is decorated with the names of famed lawgivers in a roster that reaches back to ancient times and includes Moses and Napoleon. There was a duality to the late Emperor that encompassed a tyrant and a lawgiver. Few are totally without merit and even fewer are without sin. The latter population may be summed to 1.
Yet our current breed of lawgivers includes venal dullards and hacks as well as outright criminals. The infamous New York gun laws were the product of the syphilis-impaired brain of a notorious whoremonger and mobster who once sat in the House of Representatives. How many have taken an elected official to task for some act of legislative folly? How many have given direct praise when it is due?
Politics is the art of the practical but too many elected officials are running ‘open loop’ with no feedback from the greater electorate that does not have ‘hired guns’ called lobbyists.
Shall this neglect be continued until there is a tipping point in which there will be a demand for heads on pikes?
John:
Heads on pikes? I hope so. At this point all 535 members of the legislative branch should be shot for treason against the people, dereliction of duty and lying under oath to uphold the constitution. We need two new rules to run for office: no lawyers and term limits.
11 January 2009, 10:36 pmPhoenician in a time of Romans:
Shorter Art Downs: Ignore me ass-kissing the most incompetant President ever for the last eight years - now that Democrats rule, revolution is called for.
12 January 2009, 12:14 amArt Downs:
As usual, the Phoney Phoenecian shows: (1) a lack of reading skill s; (2) Ignorance of practical politics; (3) acceptance of his own bias as total reality.
As an activist, I accept that politics is the art of the possible and often vote for the lesser of the two evils. As a person of principle, I will criticize both candidates and elected officials of my party. This has gotten me some negative feedback from some officials and even attacks in newspaper editorials. So be it.
The nation needs a return to the concept of the citizen-legislator and not be dominated by people who have spent the majority of their life with thheir snout in the public trough.
Term limits are not the answer. More citizen activism is.
Bigger Government is never the answer but is the problem.
12 January 2009, 5:58 amJohn:
Term limits are not the answer, but they can be part of the answer. There is no reason Robert Byrd should be “serving” in the senate since reconstruction. No one can convince me he’s been the best man for the job for 150 years. There are several people in congress who get reelected even though they have proved themselves unworty to serve. Ted Kennedy and Tom Murtha come to mind. But their respective “machines” get them re-upped in perpetuity. By they way, it’s not just term limits for individuals. Look at cities (Phila., Balt, DC) or states (Mich.,Mass., Ill.) run by a single party for so long the entire system is corrupt. The only thing worse than a two party system is a one party system. In Philly they all scratch each other’s back then put the tab on the small businessman, blue or white collar worker and move on to their next scam. I know I don’t have the answers, Art Downs, but we need to explor how we as citizens can clear the landscape of perpetual politicans.
12 January 2009, 8:27 amJohn:
Pho, by the way Republicans govern, Democrats rule as you stated.
12 January 2009, 10:05 am