I just finished reading Executive Orders, which turned out to be better than anticipated. As you might expect, the politicians in it certainly stood up well in comparison to our real ones -- in the book, they are almost uniformly bright, energetic, forthright, and, above all, honest. While not shrinking from danger or the application of violence, they are entirely pure of heart and noble of purpose. For a competing view, I recommend Mr. Stephanopolous' book, which portrays professional politicians in a much darker light, most interested in what benefits them and their party. Sporadically and on a recurring basis, interested in other things, and on rare occasion genuinely trying to improve the lot of the people as a whole, but for the most part, scheming, plotting, smiling while slipping the knife in. And these were the good guys -- the ones I voted for, and would vote for again.
It brings to mind the words of President Kennedy, when he said that we would bear any burden, fight any foe in the defense of liberty. I was moved by those words, and I would like to think that if I heard them now, I would be as moved -- but what I think would actually happen would be that I would try not to snicker as I listened, wondering what really would happen -- and suspecting that whatever happened, it would be much the same as what always happens -- bad people come to and stay in power, my government dithers, driven by politics and polls. Whats expedient in the short term always wins.
I don't know if I would actually like living in a world where the politicians were like those in this novel. No danger of me finding out any time soon, I suspect. Even if Obama got elected (he's most like those fictional pols, I think), he'd find it difficult to overcome. We like rhetoric about nobility. We just don't want to live that way.
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