The Tragedy of These Times

Why do I write when so few will read?  Maybe it will make a difference, but probably not.  Not enough to motivate those readers or change anything, in any event.  But still I will write.

Our country and society have lost their vision, their sense of self, and their purpose.  We are rapidly degenerating into a sort of self-defined tribalism.

The extremists of the left condemn everyone who disagrees with them as they impose more and more restrictions on our freedom.  Taxes go up as government proliferates.  Politicians become rich while gaining prestige and gratitude for redistributing the assets they have confiscated by using tax law as a weapon to impose their will on society.  They restrict our ability to say what we want to say for fear of offending someone, anyone, making a mockery of the First Amendment which guarantees freedom of expression and religion.  The most intolerant of all the major players in our tragedy, they do this in the name of tolerance.  Hypocrisy is their defining characteristic.

The extremists of the right base their world-view on anger and paranoia.  They rant against immigration, characterizing foreigners as criminals.  The accuse others of an “entitlement mentality” while maintaining just such as entitlement mentality themselves, claiming our nation has a continuing right to profound wealth and power in the world merely because our forefathers did a good job of accumulating wealth and power in generations past.  They vilify those of other political opinions, caring for nothing except themselves and their own kind.  Despite their denials they are largely racist, xenophobic, and most of all, selfish.

The libertarian faction stands for individual freedom, a noble cause.  But in practice they tend to be as intolerant of diversity of opinion as any of the left, and as selfish as any of the right.  As a group, they do not have the maturity to become more inclusive, nor the good common sense to see that some government is necessary for the maintenance of a free society.

Nationalists revere the founding document of our republic, the Declaration of Independence, and extol the affirmation that we are endowed with inalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  But they render that affirmation powerless by failing to affirm that it is universal in application.  They are guilty of the same offense that inspired the American Revolution itself, that of claiming rights for one’s own group while denying them to others.

One faction claims the people do not have the right to do or say anything which is deemed offensive… provided of course that the offended party is part of their own political tribe.  They claim that government has the right to confiscate by means of legislation whatever they choose for the purpose of growing government, redistributing wealth, and enriching themselves.  Another faction claims the right to accumulate as much wealth and power as possible, regulations and the masses be damned.  They blast those they deem unworthy with accusations, childish nicknames and ridicule.

All the major groups fill the public conversation with vindictive, aspersions, vile hatred masquerading as oratory, demagoguery pretending to be statesmanship.

We are a nation being run by leaders who maintain power by accusing, denying responsibility, stoking the fires of conflict and consolidating their power bases by means of fear of the common enemy.  We are being led by mental pygmies, adolescent mentalities fueled by drama, aimed at increasing personal power and wealth at the expense of the masses. 

Our top elected leader is most offensive, attempting to lead by lies and intimidation.  He seems to have missed the point made by another great leader of his own political party, completely convoluting Theodore Roosevelt’s concept of the “bully pulpit.”  He contradicts himself repeatedly, expecting everyone to accept his latest without question.  Sadly, many do.  He has found willing followers among those who deny the evidence of their eyes and ears because they see him as strong and capable of consolidating the power of their own tribal group.  In truth, he cares nothing for the people, not even his supporters.  But they refuse to see that because they want a champion and he seems to fit the bill.

The top leader of the opposition party is to intelligence what the president is to civility.  She makes outlandish comments and proclamations which would be comical if they weren’t so dangerous.  She, too, expects the people to believe whatever inane things find their way out of her mouth, and those of her own political tribe do so.

Both these persons in positions of authority are completely lacking in the skills that make a good leader.  Neither is civil, neither is honest, neither is intelligent (except as you count the ability to maintain power a function of intelligence).  Both are self-serving tribalists lacking any coherent ethical framework.  But consider this.  We the people elected them.  What does that say about us? 

The biblical book of First Samuel recounts the story of the ancient Israelites in the years when their government consisted of judges who ruled well and equitably for many years.  At some point, though, the people decided they wanted a king instead.  The prophet Samuel cautioned the people that a king would claim many rights and take away many of their freedoms.  He warned them, “… you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen.”  Nevertheless they persisted, and Samuel anointed a king.  Never again were they as free as they had been under the benign judges, as wars proliferated and conflict became the way of life from that time forward.

Like the ancient Israelites, we seem to have decided that we want a king, someone who will champion our causes and rule us.  To this end we have begun to marginalize the Constitution that has kept us together and free for two centuries.  We have begun to ignore the principles expressed in the Declaration of Independence, and the rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights.  We seem to want a king.  The only qualification for most of us is that we want the king to be of like mind with our political faction, of our own tribe.  We seem to want kings, so we have begun to elect them.  As happened in ancient Israel, we will cry out for relief.

It looks like the process of the decline of America has begun.  America has been great, but may not be so for much longer.  Ironic, isn’t it?  Obvious irony aside though, this is a process that has been underway far longer than the current administration, or the last.  It is hard to watch, and harder yet to understand.  Why don’t we choose leaders who are competent and worthy of the office?  Why do we no longer value humility, that which reformer Martin Luther called the greatest virtue?  Why don’t we understand anymore that the greatest leader must be a servant.  Why?  I don’t know.  But the era of self-aggrandizing leadership in America has begun.  Our role model is no longer Lincoln, but Mussolini.

I don’t know.  Maybe it isn’t too late to turn back.  If enough people would understand the perversity of our government and its leadership as it currently exists.  Elections still work, in theory anyway.  If we would stop the angry recrimination and be honest enough to take an objective look at what we’re becoming.  If we would choose to begin talking across tribal lines, and really listen.  If we would stop and say, “Enough!”  We have the power to reject arrogance as the defining characteristic of our leaders, to reaffirm the inherent dignity of humility.  I don’t know if we have the intelligence, the will, or (most of all) the self-control to let go of our tribal angst and make a change.

Maybe someday, in a century or two, people will look back on these years as pivotal in the stream of human history.  What will they think of us?  Will they consider these years laughable?  Tragic?  Or will they (least likely but not out of the question) see this as a time when we turned back from the disastrous course we were on and resumed our march toward freedom, dignity, and hope for the future.  They will give us credit for the choices we have made, and those we are about to make.  I pray they will be grateful rather than bitter.

Why am I still writing?  Because it’s bad, but the story’s not over.  I still have some residual hope, some faith in my people, some tiny inkling that we might yet do the right thing.  That is my prayer.

- Gryphem