3 posts tagged “democracy”
The role of politics, of our politicians of our Presidents in a democracy is broadly twofold. The first is to represent us, the People. This includes articulating our dreams and hopes as well as our fears and trepidations. The second role is to preside over peaceful and beneficial dialogue that advances the interests of our society. The executive control that most automatically associate with politicians and Presidents is really only a bye-product of these two roles. In this way it can be seen that a mandate to action relies on properly exercised authority and persuasion.
Pat Buchanan was one of the people who stated on CNN that McCain was wrong to make himself party to the jokes of Saturday Night Live as he saw this as a debasement of politics in general and of a would-be President. This is a hard balancing act to make in democracy: Being one of the people, but just maintain the right distance from them in order to exercise the right authority in times of need. McCain has made much of his folksiness in comparison to Obama’s loftiness. But Obama is in no way as lofty as Kerry or even Gore so this attack looks like it will fall short of the target. As a result McCain might have ceded political credibility for folksy charm. On paper this does not look like a good trade.
One of the most important issues facing modern liberal democracy is the funding of political parties. Part of this conundrum is that political parties are very political and will find it hard ever to give up temporary advantage that they might enjoy for the long term common good of the country. The funding parties also mirrors the lobbying something that has great and profound significance in Washington D.C.
But we are reminded that it is possible to get cross party consensus as it was revealed this week that both Republicans and Democrats got AIG to voluntarily cease professional lobbying over the contents and nature of rules that directly affect the company going forward. This was a preventive measure against what would have been public outrage at public money being recycled so transparently into the political world. Whoever is the next President will have to address these issues in a forthright and straightforward manner. Both lobbying and political funding are miniscule parts of an otherwise enormous spending machines (it has often been noted that Americans spend about as much on chewing gum as on the political process) yet they have the power to corrupt the political process. They also have the power to degrade the seemliness of political process in the view of the American people. These are issues, therefore, on which it is right and proper for a President to lead.
A simple three page document, urgently requested by the Secretary of the Treasury to stem the imminent destruction of the United States financial system, turns into a four hundred and fifty one page tome. The remit of the action required is expanded to include such diverse measures as exemption for duty on arrows designed for children. In seeking to serve their constituents’ interests the political process has been shown up for all that is lacking in America today.
This was an appalling view of the politicians at work. Under the cover of ‘democracy’ and ‘oversight’ they inserted elements that would dilute the aim and the meaning of this provision. Make no mistake, the bailout was still authorized and went through. The politicians’ addenda made a mockery of legislative process, their agreement to the plan in the end made a mockery of their protestations, and the pork provisions at the end made a mockery of seeking resolution of matters in the name of the common good or the commonwealth. This affair just reveals why it is so hard to get straight talk and straight actions from Washington lawmakers.
