Oh, the old "double edged sword" comes back to bite us. Can we blame the Russians for trying to influence our elections? I think not.
International diplomacy is anything but a "gentlemen's game." The U.S. has a well documented history of interfering with the elections of other countries. According to a researcher at Carnegie Mellon University, the United States did it more than 80 times between 1946 and 2000. This data doesn't include other types of interventions such as a covert coup d'etats (Iran, 1953 or Guatemala, 1954). Calling our diplomatic behavior "gentlemanly" is an absurd notion, and expecting such behavior from anyone else in the international community is even more ridiculous.
If President Trump, or his campaign, was complicit in such a conspiracy, then we have a domestic problem as well as the usual international challenges. Are we playing in our own excrement? With the outcome of our election as it is, and the appointment of individuals with even modest associations (that may in any way be suspicious or have possible involvement with such conspiracies in order to gain influence or power) to high level positions in our government, it seems very appropriate to follow up with an independent investigation.
If our Representatives have rubber-stamped President Trump's political appointments for reasons that are meant to be "respectful" of the Office of the President, and this behavior proves to be cavalier rather than responsible, we ought to be taking a deeper look at that behavior. After all, we elected these Representatives. Is there a culture among our Representatives that separates them from their responsibility to their constituents? Keep in mind that a constituency includes all, not just those who voted one way or another.
It is time to consider empirical behavior that is based on what we believe is consistent with principle rather than bias. Our Representatives seem willing to stand in jello and alter their positions based on statistically biased polls that are commissioned to back up a position rather than to define one. Their primary objective seems not to "represent" their constituency. Rather it is to get elected and re-elected. They are opportunists. They have a form of personal charisma that attracts voters. They are actors with the philosophy of P. T. Barnum and the naive public are the "suckers."
Have we become a nation of individuals who seem to have become very lemming-like with oversimplified political polarization? Are we so wrapped up in our narcissistic insecurities that we are no longer capable of admitting what we don't know? Is it possible to respect differing opinions as we would like our opinions to be respected? Can we even admit that most of what we think we know is not fact but opinion?
I certainly don't like the sound of any of that. After all, I did well in school, received scholarships, went to graduate school, honestly and successfully survived for decades in business, and have achieved a comfortable retirement. Clearly I am capable of understanding the political games that surround us. There can be little doubt that my opinions represent what can only be right and just.
For many reasons, we would all like to believe that. The reality is, however, that there are as many human needs, desires, and personal biases as there are individual voters. We all want something that will help us to have a better life. Human nature has proven itself to be both selfish and short-sighted. Anyone with even a modest amount of education ought to be aware of this. But, we ignore (or should I say prioritize) what we know – it is one thing to understand human nature and another to behave unselfishly. There is no need for any of us to act as "gentlemen" or "gentlewomen" or even "civilized." There is no credibility in denial. The fact remains, we will almost always act based on self-interest rather than compromise for a broader good.
These are the very reasons that we select other individuals to represent our interests in governing our society. Our Representatives are given the task of making judgments based on social rather than individual principles. Their roll is to help us to overcome our individual weaknesses and act for a common good. We need them to keep us from going at each other in such a polarized manner that we are stalemated.
There really is no need to continue this rant. We all know that we have let each other down. Our government has failed us because we have failed our government. Once we are able to come to grips with our situation, perhaps we will be able to find solutions and save ourselves.
