Essays: Washington, D.C. Is Not The Enemy

Washington, D.C. Is Not The Enemy
by Dave "Doc" Rogers
� 20090315

It is typical of political parties and pundits to vilify the opposition. The heroes of the modern age are those that can deride, denigrate, and defame with skillful impunity. Or, so they think. Those same barb-tipped arrows of accusation and caustic prose are volleyed back coated in virulence in support of their own heroes. This vilification in times past reached levels so significant that horrors too vile to recount here were made upon individuals who rightly, or wrongly, deserved some form of judgment.

How sad.

This saddens me as a human and as a citizen of the USA. For whatever the current intents of their hearts, all initially made statements to be of the people, for the people, and placed in office by the people. What manner of people have we become that we are so accepting of a person until they seek political office and happen to be one of those opposition party members? We talk nicely of one to another while face to face. We cast words as daggers once a way from ear shot or visual range. Do we now take sport on those in whom we have elected to high office? Should we follow the lines then for the great Circus waiting for our doled out bread and blood sport upon the sands below? Have we become so base as to accept that as pleasure?

Washington, D.C. is not our enemy.

Nor are the elected bodies within state capitals or county seats or mayoral councils.

I have voted Republican since turning 18 years of age. Not because a radio or television personality of controversy told me I should. I voted Republican in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s because the other options were not acceptable to me. Does that make me a Republican and one of "them" or "Yeah! He's on our side!" guy? No, not really. In my study of history, I would have voted FDR, Truman, JFK, and Johnson. They were the right men at the right time in history pushing the right agenda that benefitted the USA and, most importantly, its citizens. Incidentally, I would have voted for Nixon and Ford if I could have. Nothing against Mr. Carter but I think Mr. Ford was the better choice in 1976. I was 15. No one was listening to me then. The impactful thing to consider here is not the political party but the job description. If in doubt, return to the original documents for clarification. [Example: http://www.usconstitution.net/const.pdf]

In my observation of the political process from the volatile 1960s through the decades since, I have never grasped the near maniacal zealous fervor that some had for their candidate or political party. It seems that every two years, we in the USA forget that we have to live with these people in other times and rail vehemently upon one to another. And those who parasitically make their living off of their political hosts continue to buffet their meal ticket opposition while sycophantically aggrandizing their favored hosts in hopes to curry position or the grail of a GS20+ post.

I once thought, in my naivet� of studying Western Civ, that the USA could stand an Oliver Cromwell of our own. I have since studied Mr. Cromwell more diligently. History is well to have just one. The costs in association with the benefits are no longer acceptable or tenable. No, rather than a Cromwell, let us have a Washington or a Lincoln. Let us have another Wilson, Roosevelt, or Reagan. Rose or emerald colored glasses you say? No, not really. What these men and others did was to bring disparate peoples together in commonality of purpose unlike their predecessors were able to do. They provided a refocus of energies toward common purpose and unity. We the People of these United States could stand someone of their caliber. Not to be unkind to Mr. Obama, I am certain that he started with the greatest of intentions to be inclusive, to drive toward a common purpose, to strive for unity within the US of A. Passing bills and signing them into law with a majority House and Senate is creating euphoria of purpose but not success. Success should not be defined in pet projects getting approved, but in coalitions who work together for common cause, for common purpose, for common gain.

The lesson learned from Mr. Cromwell is this. The man with the military controls the government and having the will and the heart intent can redirect at want the direction of a people. Several in history learned this lesson too well. Mr. Cromwell, to his credit, did impact the Parliamentary thinking of the UK which led to its current variations which far exceed in general favor the Parliaments of Cromwell's times.

Washington, D.C. is not our enemy. No these freely elected or appointed by the freely elected are our fellow statesmen, our neighbors, and our representatives to our national platform. We should do all we can to free them of the parasites that slowly suck their resolve away. We should do all we can to remind them of Mr. Lincoln's words so solemnly spoken over the fields near Gettysburg that they are part of a government of the people, by the people, and for the people; lest by our omission this form of government should be removed from the face of the Earth*.

[*Source: http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/gadd/gatr1.html]

Washington, D.C. is not our enemy. Those men and women that gave up their other pursuits to trade their time in support of ours and our freedoms should be held daily before our Creator to remind us that we should pray they have clarity of mind, strength of character, tenacity of will, sober of thought, zeal in duty to their nation and their constituents.

The work in governing such a populous and prosperous nation is not without its difficulties. It is difficult from the standpoint that great energies must be expended daily to establish uniform justice, insure domestic tranquility and peace, provide for our common defense, promote our general welfare, and secure � if at all possible � the blessings of liberty for ourselves and those that come after us. Any other activity by our national government is off task and off mission.

Washington, D.C. is not our enemy but those who are currently there could be off task, off mission. It is our duty, our responsibility to them to remind them to be on task, to take responsibility and to hold those who represent us accountable for that charge and oath that has been placed in their care.

Those powers specifically assigned to the States belong to the States and should not, if our Constitution is held sacred, be otherwise removed.

Those powers or responsibilities not specifically stated to either National or Statutory governments should not be self appropriated by either level of government. Those powers or responsibilities that are specifically in the hands of the people to do must be done by the people; not the many and severally governments. It would do well for governments to follow the example attributed to David Stern "Davy" Crockett, US Representative from Tennessee. Rather than support a bill that would use tax dollars to pay a war widow, he offered and challenged his counterparts to give of their salaries for 1 week.

It is not the position of the government to be the supporter of the people. It is the position of the people to be a supporter of the government. It is as Mr. Lincoln noted famously a government of, by, and for the people. To do other would be to remove the freedoms so many gave of their highest efforts and prices to insure.

The greed of power, the lust of something without personal cost, the inebriation of victory not sated, the flattering batting of eyes and lips tells lies or deceits to puff one up. These are all the curses within and without Washington, D.C. My dear brothers and sisters in cause, in country, and in creation are ensnared in a devious trap of intrigue promulgated by the best writers of suspense and mystery. Gamemasters who try to remain nameless play parlor conversations as maestro musicians their instruments. Supposed players become the played. Few ever discover the truth of the game. Or the domino gets pushed and another generation begins to play the game.

I lament for my country as the goodly resources of man, material, and industry are squandered at the insatiable lusts of immediacy. The exceeding wealth of the few increases at the detriment of the many. No "-ism" would resolve this plight. No lack of a deity or the false piety of the self-serving will provide succor. Alas, the great works of the past come to an end. I can see it on the horizon. It comes quickly like a harbinger of dearth.

Mr. Obama's marketeers spun well his campaign of "Hope." It was as if there had not been any in years. Short memoried marketeers only pursuing a check from those pursuing a dream fed by those pursuing control. The main 'hope' spun was the Demos would be back in office. The reality is a loss of hope has begun to prevail. Lemmings running with glee after a pied piper who does not see the precipice ahead. Inebriation in strings of victories fawning fans have hypnotized the pied piper along with his lemmings in train. Does anyone see the event horizon?

The one thing Mr. Cromwell sought and did not find in his life time was accountability by those governing. Mr. Hamilton pursued it at personal cost. Mr. Washington pursued it with a life time of service to his king, colony, and new country. Other voices cried out for it in their times and seasons. It seems in each generation a great example, a voice, is needed who cries out for 'Common Sense' as with Mr. Paine in his day.

Washington, D.C. is not our enemy. The occupant and proponent for this party or that party is not our enemy. They are our representatives. We put them where they are. Should we not also require � yes, require them to account to us their actions on our behalf? I will answer the rhetorical for us � yes.

Call, write, email, speak to, voice, petition, demand your representatives in your representative government to be respondent to your demands and your notice. They are to be held accountable to you for how they caretake your government.

They are not 'gods,' nor aristocrats, nor oligarchs, nor autarchs, nor untouchables because of a political role they play in a city far or not so far from you.

They are your government representatives. Require their accountability.

When was the last time you heard from your rep, senator, mayor, councilman, alderman, county commissioner, governor, or president on the state of your state? If they don't communicate, fire them and put a new one in office that will.

Washington, D.C. is not our enemy. We are if we do not govern those that govern us.

DJR.

Author's Note

Enjoy.

Reviews

[Jack the Flash]

Well written, Doc. The honorary title sits well. My only comments would be directed at the ideas you express, where opinions often differ. I remember President Ford as the bloke Johnson said couldn't chew gum and fart at the same time. It baffles me why you rate him highly. He was deliberately chosen by Nixon (as a condition of going quietly) so that Nixon would begin to look good and smell rosier after his departure. The strategy worked. The cynic Nixon got his wish as Ford flopped about making even Warren Harding look good. My biggest objection to Ford is that he was on the Warren Commission - a second instance of him being selected because of his known and confirmed incompetence and willingness to do the bidding of the unelected.

The enemy is never who we think he is. Yogie Possum went on the record to say that he'd "seen the enemy and it was us." That hardly lets Washington DC off the hook. I remember Emerson saying that society is in conspiracy against every individual in its purview. That doesn't let DC off the hook as the committee room where that conspiracy is orchestrated. I can't speak for the US but I can for my own country. Most Australians don't want to govern those who govern us. The result is that public apathy is rampant and we have the most authoritarian government of all OECD countries. Canberra IS the enemy no less than the people who finance the charade. Our history is littered with scandals and conspiracies against democracy that just never saw the light of day. My last book was about one major instance of that back in the 1860s while you chaps were banging the crap out of each other. Few Australians know that we started out as a military dictatorship and over the decades only managed to get rid of the uniforms and the brass bands. Otherwise it's business as usual.

Our two countries have much in common. The major difference I can discern is that you guys have the best and the worst while we venerate mediocrity and the second-rate in everything outside sport. I wrote a book about a revolution in Canberra inspired by our version of Whitman (our poet Henry Lawson) who was a great Cromwell fan and wrote a poem back in 1912 called the King of our Republic. I'm a Cromwell fan too, but only after having reconciled myself with the failings of the common herd. Gorbachev admitted that Communism failed because there were not enough genuine communists to make the system work. He said that the last one got nailed to a cross. Astute man. But the same problem afflicts democracy. There aren't anywhere near enough genuine democrats in the US or the West generally to make democracy work. As the lads on the television program West Wing admitted: 'We don't live in a democracy; we live in a republic." There is a big distinction. And that distinction leads many Americans to the realisation that the problem IS DC. At best we have to admit that it's the symbol of the enemy, which is ourselves. Our apathy, our laziness and our dislike of thinking. The English philosopher Bertrand Russell said that most of us would rather die than think. And in that we condemn ourselves. DC merely gets by with the best hand its been dealt at elections.

We're mostly here to have a good time, and that doesn't mean governing those who govern us. We pay them to look after that so we can go with our distractions. We only get what we pay for. Meanwhile, humanity 'evolves', more or less, sort of, so the hope lingers. The impasse breaker will come when enough of us realise that there's nothing - anywhere or at any time - to be afraid of. We spook ourselves into the chains we wear.

[Ladysue]

Wow, you have said a great deal here. The last two lines say it all...Very well stated!!

[Nick Erickson]

"Washington, D.C. is not our enemy. We are if we do not govern those that govern us."

This is the key phrase here, the one that everyone seems to have forgotten.

I firmly believe we can not change our country until we change our representatives. Everyone gets all excited and dreamy eyed over the presidental elections every four years, yet no one pays an attention to the house or senate. Therein lies the power of our voices. If we focused as much on our representatives, we would have the representation we want instead of the same OLD men and women sitting in office for years and years doing the same nothing as before. If we want change, then we have to enact it and electing a president is not the way to do it.

Shrink the central govt, give the governing and caring for states back to the states, enact FairTax and that would give us a start. Take the glory out of being President or on of the Representatives. Take it back to what it was before, a job you volunteered for and did on your free time, not made a career of. Term limits for everyone.

I enjoyed your essay and agree with a lot of what you said, especially the simple fact it gets people thinking. This needs to be circulated outside of the WC for more readers to get a look.

[Teresa Bridges]

Once again you are on the money. We should be the ones to govern our government! After all the Constitution states a government "for the people, by the people" Interesting write.

[TL Boehm]

They are your government representatives. Require their accountability.

amen and amen. Articulate and objective. A great write. Did you take this over to CN? I haven't been there in a week...Planning to catch up this week over there.

[Starsong]

This was right on the mark. I believe a large reason that we find ourselves in this situation is selfishness. Plain and simple. Seconded by a goodly portion of laziness. And how can we blame our political leaders for governing in ways we dislike if we don't tell them? I know they will usually listen if we actually speak up - I have seen it happen. I enjoyed that illustration you included about Davy Crockett - I had forgotten it until reading it again. Can you imagine if only a few of our Representatives followed his example?

Ah, and could you imagine a political race for office that barred all attacking of one's political opponent? What if we had something like the Lincoln-Douglas debates again? What if real politics were discussed and debated and advertised - not false promises, half-truths, and the slandering of each other's names? Ah, what then? Can you imagine it?