Making any political comment in public is always dicey, especially when you know you’re being monitored from multiple corners. But most of us, especially creatives, eventually reach an age where we’ve grown tired of being told what we can and can’t do and say every minute of the day unless we have “permission”.
It’s not the first time I’ve grumbled about politics, but having reflected on this month’s elections, my disgust with the world of politics had grown so that I was almost persuaded not to vote. Why waste time and effort going to the polls, or even mailing in an absentee ballot? But once again I decided why should arrogant, ineffective people rob me of my rights in a free society? Especially since most of us want to maintain that freedom.
A lot less campaign literature was mailed for the mid-terms and I was more than glad of that. Even the League of Women Voters is less impartial than it used to be, but I didn’t receive any mail from them this time. The neutral analysis from the Legislative Analyst in Sacramento was rather a dull grind to read. But at least the facts were there with counterpoint opinions from the pro and con people.
I would say that politicians of all strains have been engaging in sandbox behavior instead of working for their constituents, but that would likely insult every child of kindergarten age and younger. The children at least have an acceptable reason for their often immature, self-centered behavior, even when it is spiteful and selfish instead of fun-filled and side-splitting. They’re still babies or toddlers! Many grownup (?) politicians are falling through party planks that are rotting from their own bile dripping onto them.
Honest, hardworking politicians struggle to keep the ship of state afloat, just as honest, hardworking lawyers fight for their clients. But bad lawyers only waste their clients’ money, clog the court systems with frivolous and dubious fencing and tap-dancing, and infuriate jury candidates. Too many of the ethical legal minds get sucked over to the dark side or eventually leave the profession out of disgust for what goes down.
Bad politicians on the other hand feed off the reluctant largesse of the lower- and middle-class taxpayers who put them in office when they were able to outvote the political action committees. Those same everyday people now suffer enormously while much of the upper crust wallows in wealth. The latter don’t even toss crusts to the skinny dogs who have crawled beneath the designer picnic tables.
Some of the most altruistic of both the aristocracy and the nouveau riche use their assets to create jobs for others, to fund charities, and to perform thousands of quiet acts of kindness. Their rewards in Heaven will match their generosity while here on Earth, though most of them are not even thinking about that. They recognize that for everyone to whom much is given, much is expected. Too many others do not even pay their fair share of anything, let alone recognize and embrace noblesse oblige. And these are the people who can get elected, those with millions to throw at a campaign.
It takes an educated person to be a member of Congress. Heaven forbid we should send a total dumbkopf there! Those born into near-poverty once had the opportunity to educate themselves and move forward and upward as they deserve to do. Now even getting an education has become a political football, even in your home town. Too many university systems have reverted to making it possible for only the well-to-do to work toward a degree. Rationing the number of students who can attend community colleges is already underway due to severe budget cuts. A pox on their houses.