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