Anyone who follows politics knows how incredibly tragic the loss of Tim Russert is. Ever since Friday, I have been following the coverage. Seeing the humanity brought out in these journalists and politicians that I watch all of the time makes me realize what an amazing person he must have been. I watch Meet the Press every Sunday. This morning, Tom Brokaw started the show with a "no weeping" policy, however, part way in, it was Brokaw who struggled to fight off tears in an attempt to finish his sentence.
One thing I've taken away from watching this coverage is that Russert spent most of his time neck deep in politics, studying it from every angle. Yet, unlike most people, he remained hopeful and optimistic; he loved politics and never grew cynical. I know a lot of people who hate politics, could care less or have grown jaded. I hope I never become that way. Politics are an enormous part of the human condition and influence every area of life. So I am exited for the coming election day because, ultimately, I am hopeful for a better world; I am hopeful for better people and, therefore, also for better politics. But it will be sad to watch it all unfold without the coverage of one of the only journalists who deserve the label "fair and balanced."
7 comments:
I count myself among the cynics, not because I lack hope or optimism, but because I do not believe the system we currently have is anything more than purchasing votes with promises of taxing the evil rich people in order to buy off 50.01% of the electorate. We get what we get because we have lost sight that there is a better way.
"Government is not the soution to our problem. Government is the problem."
I'm sad, too. I didn't always watch, but when I did it was a strangely nice show to watch and always very interesting. I am definitely not a political junkie, but like to take it all in from time to time and just "be." (I know-I sound weird-I am.)
lol, that's funny heath because i thought it was the people who've been in power for the past eight years that were trying to buy 50.01% of the electorate by promising tiny little tax cuts for the middle and working class, all the while lining the pockets of the rich.
and government isn't the problem; corrupt, broken people are the problem. government is just one means of trying to create a just society, and see that everyone has a chance for a decent life.
See, there is a great illustration of the political disconnect between us. The govenment doesn't line the pockets of the rich. The rich are quite capable of doing that all by themselves.
Tax cuts do not give anything to the rich. It is already theirs to begin with. Tax cuts allow them to keep more of what is theirs. And everyone in America already has a chance for a decent life. They just have to be willing to reach for it.
(I know, I know... they are all oppressed... and life is not fair... yada, yada, yada...)
Also, government is never interested in creating a "just society," whatever that is. But don't take my word for it. Smarter men than me have seen the tyranny of government for what it is:
"Some writers have so confounded society with government, as to leave little or no distinction between them; whereas they are not only diffrent, but have diffrent origins. Society is produced by our wants, and government by our wickedness; the former promotes our hapiness positively by uniting our affections, the latter negatively by restraining our vices. The one encourages intercourse, the other creates distinctions. The first is a patron, the last is a punisher."
"Society, in every state is a blessing, but government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in it's worst state an intolerable one; for when we suffer or are exposed to the same miseries by a government, which we might expect in a country without government, our calamity is heightened by reflecting that we furnish the means by which we suffer. Government, like dress, is the badge of lost innocence."
-Thomas Payne, from Chapter 1 of "Common Sense."
where we differ is that i think if terms of the whole and the collective as where you think in terms of the individual. to say that people get rich in this country all by themselves just isn't true. everyone that is successful in any country is successful because of the contributions of their fellow citizens. when you pay taxes then, you are simply paying what you owe for the success you've been allowed to have by taking advantage of what others have contributed. sorry, if that's confusing, but i don't have time to refine my thoughts right now.
as for your paine quote, it's beautiful, and exactly what i was saying. notice this line: "but government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in it's worst state an intolerable one; for when we suffer or are exposed to the same miseries by a government, which we might expect in a country without government"
note that he doesn't say government is the problem, but, on the contrary, says that a country WITHOUT a government is as bad as a country with a tyrannical government. paine is saying what i'm saying, humans are broken, and, because of that brokenness, in order for us to have a good society, we must have the necessary evil of government.
oh, and a "just society" is one characterized by racial, social, and economic justice. and, no, we don't have that yet.
**in** not **if**
Actually, I have read Common Sense in its entirety and I would say Paine is actually saying, to put it in your terms, that humans are broken, and because of that brokenness, government should never be trusted.
Also, your "just society" will never exist anywhere on this side of heaven. But we have the best Babylon there is, as Tony Campolo is so fond of saying... However I would judge that the more power and responsibility we entrust to government, the worse our Babylon will become.
BTW, it would be awesome if you would turn off that word verification feature... I did it on my site 6 months ago and have only gotten 2-3 spam posts in all that time... And it is sooooooooo annoying to type. :)
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