Editorial #258 The Purpose for Political Parties
The prevailing feeling about politics today is apathy, with our point of view largely ignored by politicians who will do what they want, regardless of our input. This is unfortunate and the main reason we get the politicians we deserve.
There have been numerous attempts at term limits with the thinking that career politicians are out of touch and too embedded in the Washington swamp to fairly represent their constituents. The fact is we already have term limits but society is too apathetic to study the candidates to make certain they are voting for the best person for the job.
There is another menacing fact: lobbyists and bureaucrats love newly elected politicians. They are a blank slate, easily influenced and cajoled into supporting things that were unthinkable before they arrived. The Nebraska Unicameral a poster children for how term limits have failed the state. No legislator has more than 6 years experience and will not learn the machinery of governing before they are forced out. This is fertile soil for career bureaucrats and lobbyists to advance a dishonest agendas by using these inexperienced politicians, many of whom have never worked in the private sector.
Most politicians swear they can work across the aisle, as a selling point. They claim they can compromise on issues to get things done. Often, this means compromising our core values. Jefferson said: “If one does not stand for something, they will fall for anything.”
The best government is one that moves slowly, allowing cooler heads to prevail. When legislation violates our core values, there is nothing to compromise on if the choice is between good and evil. This is the slippery slope upon which evil depends. Government was designed, by our founders, to be slow and deliberate on purpose. It has been often said: when congress is in session, there are 435 communities missing their village idiot.
The purpose for political parties is to form a team of like-minded individuals with a common core value system around which they can support and rally. Both parties should have a platform of living by the golden rule and the core values of truth, fairness, sustainability and integrity as their controlling motive.
The problem comes when the methods used to implement their legislation violates these core values. They become too focused on the outcome and glory to realize they are violating these values in the process. Fixing discrimination by imposing more discrimination or supporting abortion as health care has no place for compromise and are just two example of that spawns hypocrisy.
To unify the country means agreeing to the core values upon which our constitutional republic was founded. If these values cannot be stated and agreed to by both parties, it will be impossible to bridge the gap that will unite the country again.
This is Keith Kube wishing you the best in making the world a better place.
Keith has a regular commentary on WJAG 780 radio at 7:40 on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Check his website www.keithkube.com for past editorials.
