MORE REALISM DISGUISED AS CYNICISM

6/22/09

I sent the following letter today to one of my favorite columnists, Neil Steinberg of the Chicago Sun-Times:


Hi Neil,

At first, I didn’t understand “Today’s Chuckle,” to wit:

“The government is us—we are the government, you and I.”
Theodore Roosevelt

After all, isn’t that the deal in a self-governing democratic republic, such as ours purports to be? The people elect those who govern them, and thus the government represents, and serves at the pleasure of, the people. That’s a fact, not a joke, right?

Then I got it. That description of government as being “us…you and I” may have been true back in TR’s day, when the populace, though having spent fewer years in school than today’s electorate, was better educated in a genuine sense, better read, and more conversant with the public issues they faced. However, the notion that the people are the government in 21st century America is preposterous. Today, our typical “representative” in government is the charlatan indulging his particular brand of childish narcissism who could raise enough money, from those seeking a more favorable place at the public trough, to hire the spinmeister who is more effective than the other guy’s spinmeister at influencing an apathetic, lazy, insouciant, largely ignorant populace. In most cases, the losing mountebank learns his lesson and raises more money for the next election (The office itself is unimportant.) so that he can get a greater share of a bewildered and clueless electorate, thus ensconcing himself in his lifelong sinecure from which he can feed his oversized ego and flaunt his undersized intellect.

Looking at it another way, maybe the joke indeed isn’t funny, but is merely the truth. While the government may not be “us…you and I” or most of your readers, it is indeed the people who elected it: the people who are too busy watching addle-brained prime time TV and, if they make the effort to pick up a paper, read the celeb section to that they can more effectively follow every development in the vacuous lives of air-headed celebrities. As Mencken said, the American people get the government they deserve…and they get it good.

Ever wonder why my wife thinks you and I were separated at birth?

Thanks, Neil. Keep up the good work.