Right and Wrong in Politics
The Wall Street Journal has an interesting editorial piece about right and wrong in politics. In it, the author identifies how easy it easy for any of us to define right and wrong based on passions:
"In October 1787, amid economic crisis and widespread fears about the new nation's ability to defend itself, Alexander Hamilton, in the first installment of what was to become the Federalist Papers, surveyed the formidable obstacles to giving the newly crafted Constitution a fair hearing. Some would oppose it, Hamilton observed, out of fear that ratification would diminish their wealth and power. Others would reject it because they hoped to profit from the political disarray that would ensue. The opposition of still others was rooted in 'the honest errors of minds led astray by preconceived jealousies and fears.'" (Source)
We've all known that an extreme attachment to religion (Note: religion, I define as a dogma) can cause people to believe wrong is right. Have our colleges and universities embraced a type of religion in their passion for a certain brand of politics?
Is it even possible for us, as imperfect people, to dispassionately, and rationnally, choose right within politics?
Or is the solution for us to each acknowledge how incomplete our ability to choose right over wrong is, and embrace, as the WSJ author states, "an appreciation of the limits of one's knowledge"?
And if we do, who makes the decisions?
posted by Musings of a Mom at 2:52 PM
5 Comments:
How often do we have a chance to chose between right and wrong when it comes to politics? It seems like everything we vote for is elaborately woven with multiple agendas. Either way you vote, it could turn out bad anyway. I'd question how the choices for policies are even created. I really think that it just takes simple, methodical evaluations of the current policies, in order to a) keep the public informed, b) reduce the mistakes in decision-making, and c) help repair some of the damage from past decisions. We have all made decisions that we regret, and that's why our policies need to be constantly evaluated. Let's stick to the basics instead of trying to pass some sort of mutated one-size fits all bill like a kidney stone.
5:11 PM
jenn, to answer your question at the end: me. brett, i don't think the choices in question have anything to do with the public. our voting "power" is just an illusion to pacify the masses. at this point i believe all 3 branches of our government are 100% corrupted and have been for who knows how long.
9:09 AM
Sometimes I think that those who are so passionate (and hence, not necessarily rational, about a certain decision) are those whose voice is heard. I think one issue is that the rational voice speaks softly, whereas the passionate voice screams.
9:27 AM
Man, such grim observations... where's the hope?!
7:57 AM
I think the hope is to realize that no matter how much taxes we pay, or whether we live within a dictatorship or democracy, there is a "peace that surpasses all understanding." Part of that peace is knowing that the glory of God shines through his children no matter what the circumstances. Sometimes it shines the brightest in the small, everyday decisions of life, not the over-inflated decisions of politics.
9:04 AM
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