#361 FRIENDS AND FANCIES
by Bob Moreland (Soapweed's dad)
In our recent exploration and discoveries we found this article handwritten by my dad (Jack Moreland, Soapweed's granddad) more than 50 years ago. I wish the advice given had been taken and followed from then to now.
THE RELATION OF POLITICS TO GOOD GOVERNMENT
Among many groups of people who earn their living either by the sweat of their brows or the practice of their professions, a certain stigma has become attached to politics, political parties and politicians. These people expect corruption in politics and consider a politician to be a smooth operator who makes convincing promises and finds plausible excuses for not living up to them after enough voters have been persuaded to put him into public office. There is enough truth in this view to make the whole picture look unfavorable for the best interests of representative government. However, there is a brighter side to Democracy, though in practice it may be shot through with graft, bribery, threats and insincere promises which all honest people abhor.
Did you ever hear a man say, “ The party means nothing to me. I always vote for the best man.”? The catch is that the man you vote for might easily be pledged to his party to support issues of which you do not approve. Therefore it is essential to know the platform each candidate stands upon if one is to cast an intelligent ballot.
A political party is merely an association of people who basically agree upon the proper approach toward the solution of whatever problems confront the nation at any given time. In countries where one party controls all political propaganda, elections and public meetings, some form of dictatorship is always in the saddle. Where there are many parties, each struggling to grow to the position where it can dominate and control and eventually absorb the others, national unrest is always prevalent. Two great parties, however, which criticize and belittle each other, yet unite in belief on the basic principles of democracy, provide a stable set-up which allows each citizen a chance to know what is going on, and to register approval or disapproval at the polls. In the heat of political campaigns the people take sides, argue, and even fight over the issues involved.
It is the percentage which accepts corrupted influence dictated by boss politicians that endangers the wisdom of the final choice. Another risk is in the percentage who fail to exercise their voting privileges at all. Large cities are the best breeding places for putrid political plagues and these cities pay in high local taxes the cost plus of all governmental services.
The growth to greatness of our nation has ever been a marvel and a source of pride to those who have paused to consider how easily at certain times our struggling national star could have sunk forever. Perhaps it was an ingrown belief in the principle “RIGHT makes might” which had a great deal to do with many crisis survivals. At least there are countless examples in history which show the early decay and death of nations which seemed to prosper while practicing the falsehood that “Might makes right.” Such governments usually die as violently as they are born.
Could it be that we pass by politics on the other side of the street because they “smell” when we should go close, discover the cause of the stench and help to provide the cleansing agent? A disadvantage to the individual who becomes interested in the improvement of practical politics in his community is the suspicion aroused that he is grooming himself for some political race. This suspicion takes the edge off his effectiveness in co-ordinating with like thinkers, themselves likewise handicapped in their efforts to secure more quality, less quantity and a better financial bargain in government.
It seems that potential governmental services have no end of possibilities, limited only by the staggering tax burden which is the penalty. Powered by smooth-running political mechanisms and dressed in attractive frills these plans are used for bait to snare the ballots of unwary citizens, who enjoy give-away programs and hot-air waves.
The gravest problem faced by our national government today is that of rehabilitating its financial structure, which might be likened to an immense water storage project. In a healthy condition, the incoming streams flow normally, the reserve is maintained at high levels while the distribution of the life-giving flow is guided into the proper channels and carefully husbanded to conserve all its value and to flow the length of the canal.
Can you imagine an abnormal condition under which a loose hand at the controls allows the all-important commodity to rush wildly down the channels, which are being deepened by its force? The volume of flow also suffers disheartening losses from seepage down gopher runs and rat holes in the laterals. Can you imagine engineers working frantically to open new springs and other sources to feed these flood waters while the outlet gate is opened wider and wider and the great reserve lake becomes a thing of the past? This absurd imaginary condition finds a parallel in our governmental financial management today.
Wasted water or wasted dollars are gone forever, but the average citizen by his integrity, his frugality and the influence of his ballot can once again help regulate the flow and plug the leaks. But he must first be weaned from the dangerous idea that there is no problem in deficit governmental financing. If people as a nation believed and stoutly maintained that government, to be safe, must follow good business principles and live within its income, then statesmen and politicians alike would not dare cross them at the expense of their own political futures. Is not our democracy a “Government of the people, for the people and by the people?” J. J. (Jack) Moreland 1895-1966.
by Bob Moreland (Soapweed's dad)
In our recent exploration and discoveries we found this article handwritten by my dad (Jack Moreland, Soapweed's granddad) more than 50 years ago. I wish the advice given had been taken and followed from then to now.
THE RELATION OF POLITICS TO GOOD GOVERNMENT
Among many groups of people who earn their living either by the sweat of their brows or the practice of their professions, a certain stigma has become attached to politics, political parties and politicians. These people expect corruption in politics and consider a politician to be a smooth operator who makes convincing promises and finds plausible excuses for not living up to them after enough voters have been persuaded to put him into public office. There is enough truth in this view to make the whole picture look unfavorable for the best interests of representative government. However, there is a brighter side to Democracy, though in practice it may be shot through with graft, bribery, threats and insincere promises which all honest people abhor.
Did you ever hear a man say, “ The party means nothing to me. I always vote for the best man.”? The catch is that the man you vote for might easily be pledged to his party to support issues of which you do not approve. Therefore it is essential to know the platform each candidate stands upon if one is to cast an intelligent ballot.
A political party is merely an association of people who basically agree upon the proper approach toward the solution of whatever problems confront the nation at any given time. In countries where one party controls all political propaganda, elections and public meetings, some form of dictatorship is always in the saddle. Where there are many parties, each struggling to grow to the position where it can dominate and control and eventually absorb the others, national unrest is always prevalent. Two great parties, however, which criticize and belittle each other, yet unite in belief on the basic principles of democracy, provide a stable set-up which allows each citizen a chance to know what is going on, and to register approval or disapproval at the polls. In the heat of political campaigns the people take sides, argue, and even fight over the issues involved.
It is the percentage which accepts corrupted influence dictated by boss politicians that endangers the wisdom of the final choice. Another risk is in the percentage who fail to exercise their voting privileges at all. Large cities are the best breeding places for putrid political plagues and these cities pay in high local taxes the cost plus of all governmental services.
The growth to greatness of our nation has ever been a marvel and a source of pride to those who have paused to consider how easily at certain times our struggling national star could have sunk forever. Perhaps it was an ingrown belief in the principle “RIGHT makes might” which had a great deal to do with many crisis survivals. At least there are countless examples in history which show the early decay and death of nations which seemed to prosper while practicing the falsehood that “Might makes right.” Such governments usually die as violently as they are born.
Could it be that we pass by politics on the other side of the street because they “smell” when we should go close, discover the cause of the stench and help to provide the cleansing agent? A disadvantage to the individual who becomes interested in the improvement of practical politics in his community is the suspicion aroused that he is grooming himself for some political race. This suspicion takes the edge off his effectiveness in co-ordinating with like thinkers, themselves likewise handicapped in their efforts to secure more quality, less quantity and a better financial bargain in government.
It seems that potential governmental services have no end of possibilities, limited only by the staggering tax burden which is the penalty. Powered by smooth-running political mechanisms and dressed in attractive frills these plans are used for bait to snare the ballots of unwary citizens, who enjoy give-away programs and hot-air waves.
The gravest problem faced by our national government today is that of rehabilitating its financial structure, which might be likened to an immense water storage project. In a healthy condition, the incoming streams flow normally, the reserve is maintained at high levels while the distribution of the life-giving flow is guided into the proper channels and carefully husbanded to conserve all its value and to flow the length of the canal.
Can you imagine an abnormal condition under which a loose hand at the controls allows the all-important commodity to rush wildly down the channels, which are being deepened by its force? The volume of flow also suffers disheartening losses from seepage down gopher runs and rat holes in the laterals. Can you imagine engineers working frantically to open new springs and other sources to feed these flood waters while the outlet gate is opened wider and wider and the great reserve lake becomes a thing of the past? This absurd imaginary condition finds a parallel in our governmental financial management today.
Wasted water or wasted dollars are gone forever, but the average citizen by his integrity, his frugality and the influence of his ballot can once again help regulate the flow and plug the leaks. But he must first be weaned from the dangerous idea that there is no problem in deficit governmental financing. If people as a nation believed and stoutly maintained that government, to be safe, must follow good business principles and live within its income, then statesmen and politicians alike would not dare cross them at the expense of their own political futures. Is not our democracy a “Government of the people, for the people and by the people?” J. J. (Jack) Moreland 1895-1966.