Politics, abstract

[pecunium]

libertango and akirlu are probably my oldest friends in the world.

When I was homeless, I took advantage of them, and if they knew that was what I was doing, they were kind enough to not mention it.

When he broke his leg, last year, I went to help them, it was the least I could do. They will be embarrased, they will blush, and they will pull a Dobie Gillis and dig their toes in the sand, but apart from making sure Maia and I don't fall apart, there is nothing in the world more important to me than they are.

When I was up in Seattle (which I love because they showed me nooks and crannies) last year, they introduced me to The West Wing.

If you haven't seen it, you're wrong.

I don't give a damn what your political persuasion is. I disagree with Aaron Sorkin on guns, and it doesn't matter.

I, because misery loves company, hooked Maia on it.

Two nights ago I told her she couldn't watch the last episode of the first season. It's a cliff-hanger, it leads to a two-part second season opener.

She elected to watch it.

Today I bought the second season.

The opener is the best explanation of what politics ought to be.

It's about hope. It's about trying to make things better for everyone.

Everyone.

I have been a servant. A servant serves. A public service serves the public. That's what politicians are supposed to do; to be, public servants.

For those who know the show, I'd love to be Bartlett. I'm not. I can deliver a speech. I have the passion, but not the drive. I am a Leo McGarrey. It's the story of my life. I make a great number-two. I can prod, nudge, and make tough decisions. I can support people, but I have some qualms when it comes to being the guy who makes the ultimate decisions. I can execute, but, unless I have to, I don't like to decide.

I'll make a great first-sergeant, or sergeant major, I am not the stuff of which generals are made.

Serving.

It's what didn't happen during Katrina.

From before, to the present, at every level, from the city, to the nation, the people who were supposed to be served, were; and are, being left to twist in the wind.

People say this isn't political. They say we ought not be pointing fingers, or assigning blame

Bullshit. It isn't blame. No, it is, and there is enough blame to go around.

When someone screws up, they ought to admit it. It's an old American tradition. Puritans believed in it.

Sin, everyone does it.

Be made aware of it.

Repent.

Confess, in public.

Be forgiven.

If one could do that, confess in public, all would be forgiven.

Accountabilty. This administration hasn't, by my lights had any. They talk but they don't walk.

A public servant serves the public.

Comments

[ladyxoc.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

We're really enjoying The West Wing too. (We're almost done with the fifth season, which a friend put on DVD for us off their Tivo.)

B

[cakmpls.livejournal.com]

Studies have shown that--despite what the insurance companies believe--fewer malpractice lawsuits would be filed if doctors could say, "I made a mistake. I'm sorry." Of course, that may be just what people say.

On the other hand, someone once apologized to me for doing something that bothered me, and I answered, "I don't want you to be sorry. I want you to stop." Some people thought that was very rude of me, but it was the simple truth. If someone committed malpractice on me or a family member, the thing that would be most likely to keep me from suing would be the knowledge that the practitioner wouldn't make the same mistake again, not that he or she was sorry for having done it.

I don't care nearly as much about the many who have screwed up regarding Katrina saying they're sorry as I do about their never doing it again (and those who weren't involved, but now have this as a lesson, never doing it at all). There is nothing about this administration that makes me hopeful.

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

I was reared (and still mostly am) a catholic.

So public accountability for private sins isn't such a big deal to me, but for public ones, for grievous errors in policy; those need the public to know you think you screwed up.

THe most damning thing done by any public official I can think of was George Bush saying he couldn't think of anything he'd done wrong, as president, in his first term.

TK

[cakmpls.livejournal.com]

I also was reared Catholic (Roman), and am very much not one now, but some of that philosophy still informs my own.

I agree that the public needs to know that a public figure knows that he/she has screwed up. I'm just more interested in "I screwed up and I've taken these steps to make sure it doesn't happen again" than "I screwed up and I'm sorry."

Indeed, that is somewhat in keeping with Catholic teaching, which is that saying "I'm sorry" in confession isn't sufficient; one must resolve not to sin again and to avoid the near occasions of sin.

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

Yes.

I just figure a public official who fesses up is going to have to make some sort of assurance it won't happen again.

TK

[anna-en-route.livejournal.com]

That´s pretty much what´s now happened in New Zealand since our government compensation started covering medical mistakes.

I don´t think there´s a single doctor in the entire world who has never made a mistake with a patient, theyçre just lucky if it´s not a fatal one.

That's why Truth & Reconciliation commissions work

[bellatrys.livejournal.com]

I couldn't believe it - I thought surely this was naive bleeding heart liberal talk, that humans were worse than that.

and then i spent hours and hours reading through the testimony from South Africa and Central America, and the limits of it, and yet why it was nothing *but* T&R that stopped the cycle of violence and despair. And my worldview was shaken out of its cynicism, years ago, and has never been the same.

The victims of torture and oppression need to be acknowledged in their suffering and personhood by the oppressors, face to face.

But the oppressors too need to acknowledge their evildoing, because they know they are losing their perssonhood, and for some of them the barrel of a gun was looking better and better every night.

There is no healing, no "moving on" without clearing out the infection and dead cells of pus under the scab. The infection just lingers, and will break out in time, worse than before. This is a true metaphor.

[badger2305.livejournal.com]

I've wanted a bumper-sticker for some time that would say: "Don't blame me - I voted for Bartlett"

EXCEPT that it is just a fantasy daydream. It might imply that I didn't take politics seriously (i.e. it's just a TV show), rather than my actual thinking ("why can't we have candidates like Bartlett?")

Yeah, West Wing is cool.

West Wing

[libertango.livejournal.com]

I put my main thoughts here... including my personal choice for Chief of Staff, should I ever need one. :) But I still like this speech from Toby:

"I understand you all had a very interesting evening... So did I... I met an unusual man. He didn't walk in to the room with a political agenda, he didn't walk in with his mind made up. He genuinely wanted to do what he thought was best. He didn't mind using the words, 'I don't know.'"

Re: West Wing

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

That's a great moment.

It's a great show. It explains, in a simple way, why the Reagan school of thought (that gov't can't help, which leads to things like the nonsense of someone saying nothing better could have been expected after Katrina because beauracracies always fail the individual) is wrong.

We just don't get too many people who aren't seduced by the trapping of power enough to recall why they got started in that dirty game of compromise.

I think that's part of it. People spend so much time compromising to get things done they start to compromise on what they want to get done, and then they stop fighting.

To paraphrase a passage in the first episode of the second season, Josh is telling Hoynes, "I don't know what we're for. I know we're for winning, and not offending too many people, but I don't know what we're really for."

It seems a lot of pols drift to, "not losing," as the reason they're still in the game.

TK

[wcg.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the West Wing is good stuff.

There's a line from Cato the Elder, a man not known as a bleeding heart liberal, to the effect that men form societies to better protect one anothers lives and property. He goes on to explain how the first purpose of government is assuring civic protection.

[lietya.livejournal.com]

I love that show. I want Bartlett for President, in all seriousness. He's brilliant, thoughtful, and a true servant of the public.

[jeffreyab.livejournal.com]

I am looking forward to the fall season.

I'd say more but that would spoil things.

Its a show I watched then stopped, then started, then stopped then started again.

Mostly to do with casting and plot decisions.

[mihb.livejournal.com]

I love The West Wing! It is rapidly becoming one of my favorite shows. Thanks to Netflix we've really gotten hooked. Hope you're doing well and that we'll get to see each other, drink good beer and play Hell relatively soon.

BTW - the link about dealing with stress and spending all your time with distaster-related issues has helped. I forwarded it to quite a few people who needed a break from the news and the computer.

Beth