Cynical politicians, cynical voters: Will America survive
Are Americans who are critical of politicians really cynics? Can politicians, whose stock-in-trade is the pedaling of hypocrisy, effectively run our governments? Will the American model of democracy survive? Or has hypocrisy so eroded our republic that we are now destine to experience the fate of homes built too close to a stormy ocean?
A hypocrite according to Webster is “a person who pretends to be what he or she is not; one who pretends to be better than is really so, or to be pious, virtuous, etc. without really being so.” Given the hypocrisy of politics and politicians these days, isn’t it inappropriate to label as cynical those who are critical of politicians and their gamesmanship?
Hypocrisy thrives at all levels of the American political system. Politicians of all stripes lack virtue, lack sincerity, lack honesty, act from a sense of selfishness, and all the while, present the façade of being a representative of the people. The hypocrisy involved in politics permeates our country from tiny towns like Green Park, MO to our nation’s capital. Tinhorn politicians in Green Park campaign for office on a platform of fiscal responsibility and community betterment, but once in office, brazenly continue the destructive idiocy of their predecessors. Our federal politicians are quick to urge international sanctions on North Korea for testing a rocket, but irresponsibly defend as righteous the blatant war crimes and human rights violations committed by Israel.
Realistically, valid criticism is an element of good government. Gamesmanship does nothing in furtherance of molding better lives for Americans or creating a better America.
So stable government cannot be either achieved or maintained based on facades constructed with hypocritical gamesmanship and a toxic mix of concocted virtues.
Will America survive its current fit of hypocrisy? Are there enough cynical Americans to exert the pressure necessary to make politicians changes their errant ways? Or, when confronted with the problems obstructing honest government, will Americans continue to sign, “Oh, well.” and plop themselves in front of their televisions to watch the latest mind-numbing presentation Rupert Murdock pedals as entertainment?
Michael K. Broughton
Green Park
Repubs, you lost. Get over it.
Democrats, Republicans are all the same. They all feed at the same corporate trough, to further their own agenda. Both parties like to keep the American public separated and at odds with each other so nothing changes. This country just needs GOOD Americans to run for office and truly represent the people regardless of what you call them.
William Mahiger:
You are part of the problem. You only focus on “us vs. them” when it is all American’s who will be suffering from the tax and spend policies of GW Bush and Obama. Both of these men have brought big government spending and ominous government controls over all American citizenry. It’s time to stop arguing left vs right, liberal vs. conservative and begin holding the President and Congress accountable for their actions. Why should Bush, Obama and Congress care about Social Security, Health Care or retirement? None of these elected officials have to worry about any of these programs because they are exempt from them. Congress has their own retirement system, their own health care system and they will never have to rely on Social Security. I believe this is called “Taxation without Representation”. Congress is making decisions on crucial programs that affect the lives of 99% of all Americans, and they have no equity in any of these programs. Sure, I can make decisions all day about how homeless people should just get up, clean themselves off and get a job. But until you are living among the homeless and understand what he/she are going though (meaning you have a stake in the game). How can you possibly understand or even care what you are implementing?
Congress needs to be ousted in 2010. All Democrats and all Republicans who have served more than 4 years need to be replaced. New blood is needed to stop the elitist attitudes of our government officials.
5 paragraphs and nowhere do I see the words Republicans or Democrats. But William make it an us vs. them, na na na we won and you didn’t. Very intelligent reply William. Why waste your time?
Paul, you are 100% correct. The two parties and the blockheads that blindly support them are singularly focused on beating each other and don’t give any thought to what’s right for the country. This creates a situation where slimy hacks can rise to positions of power simply because they are good at knocking down the other side. As long as we continue to play this game as voters, we are well and truly borked.
Simply amazing. The media Bush bashing for 6 years and now that a liberal is in office we are not allowed to appose.
The country wont survive on the Obama/Pelosi spending plan not because people can speak their mind (for now)
“but irresponsibly defend as righteous the blatant war crimes and human rights violations committed by Israel”
Don’t you mean the war crimes and human rights violations committed AGAINST Israel? Last I checked, a suicide bomber jumping on bus full of Israeli children and firing rockets at Israeli schools are not exactly a nice things to do.
Mr. Broughton, in the your first sentence you ask, “Are Americans who are critical of politicians really cynics?”. In your second sentence you leave no doubt that you are quite cynical, indeed. Not that being cynical is entirely a bad thing, a healthy balance is what is a good thing. Anyone not born this morning realizes that hypocrisy has always been part of the political mechanism. It’s the sibling of ambition.
My question to you is: why all of a sudden are you so concerned?
“Repubs, you lost. Get over it.”
— William Mahiger
4:04 a.m. I guess this is why my dad used to tell me that nothing good can come from staying out past midnight.
Sure I get ticked over taxes or Irag but truthfully I see no reason to spend every day of my life fretting and giving myself ulcers over it. Shake my fists and scream every day totally depressed over Obamas every speech or pirates in Africa. I’m not blind. I know this stuff exists, but I have a daily life to live. A job, bills to pay, family.
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To spend all day online organizing rallies and boycotts seems a waste of time to me. In college I lived for it. My days were filled with sit ins and protests. But I grew up. I just have more immediate things to worry about now. Does that make me a bad American. Some would say yes..Some people always have something to complain about. Regardless of who is in the white house. That doesnt make them a better American then me. It just means they dont have a life or anything else to care about. OR manye the are just never happy about anything. At least thats my opinion.