Summary: A Washington insider clearly sees the dangerous deterioration of our political system, but ventures outside Washington and misunderstands what he sees. We can learn from his error.
From the always interesting James Fallows at The Atlantic: “‘People Don’t Realize How Fragile Democracy Really Is’“. Please read it in full, as this excerpt looks at only two points — both in red (my emphasis):
Two days ago I mentioned the “Goodbye to All That” essay by Mike Lofgren, a respected (including by me) veteran Congressional staffer who had worked for Republican legislators on defense and budget issues for nearly 30 years. If you have not read his essay yet, please read it now. … When you’re done, consider this message I received today, from another former Congressional staffer whose tenure overlapped almost exactly with Lofgren’s. This too is worth reading carefully, for it advances an important complementary point:
Like Mike Lofgren, I am a retired Congressional staffer who worked for a House Member from 1985 until January of this year. Unlike Lofgren, I did not retire voluntarily; my boss, a moderate Democrat, lost his race for re-election last November. I found myself agreeing with virtually everything in Mike’s article and immediately forwarded it to a bunch of my friends, some of whom remain working on the Hill.
The mainstream media absolutely fails to understand how little attention average Americans really pay to what goes on in all forms of government. During our 2008 race, our pollster taught me … that the average voter spends only 5 minutes thinking about for whom to vote for Congress {1}.
Privately, many of us who have worked in Congress since before the Clinton Administration have been complaining about the loss of the respect for the institution by the Members who were elected to serve their constituents through the institution. I don’t think people realize how fragile democracy really is {2}.
… now that I have been out of the Beltway Bubble, I have gained a little more perspective on how real people see the work of Washington, and I am scared that they are close to revolt {3}.
The second point is frequently discussed on the FM website. The other two {1 & 3} contradict each other. Interestingly, this political engineer does not notice this.
People who spending five minutes deciding how to vote are politically passive, especially when (as he notes) they vote on the superficial campaign slogans and attack ads. These are people like those of the Roman Empire. The Empire’s skillful political engineers ruled by giving the people what they wanted: spectacles and cheap food. Just as our ruling classes do today. Fast food and Fox News babes re-telling exciting morality tales:
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Taxes on wages are at post-WWII lows. Life is good for the majority that are employed or retired (and even for some of the underclass). We whine about terrorism, bureaucrats, and almost everything. But we patiently line up at the airports like well-trained sheep, to have our shoes inspected and — if she is well-built — our girlfriends or wives selected for special attention. Aggressive whining does not suggest a people ready to undergo the sufferings required for successful revolt, nor provide the discipline and commitment necessary.
A frightened people (as our reaction to 9-11 proved), people having low confidence in their political institutions, people facing great challenges — who will they turn to? Gallup’s annual Confidence in Institutions survey tells the answer. Military and police are the most trusted institutions (small businesses are not an institution), and among the few in whose our confidence has increased since 1999. Not surprising results for a frightened people who have lost the capacity for self-government.
God only knows how this will play out.
For more information
See Fallow’s follow-up article here, with additional insights from Washington insiders.
Other posts about about our struggle to adapt to a new century”
- Which is better? Rioting in France and Greece or snoozing in America?, 28 October 2010
- Polarization and hot rhetoric conceal two similar political parties. Will we ever notice?, 29 October 2010
- We have the leaders we deserve. Visit MacDonald’s to learn why., 30 October 2010
- The problem with America lies in our choice of heroes, 2 November 2010
- The Enigma of American Power, 8 November 2010
- Why China will again rise to the top. About their most important advantage over America., 11 November 2010
- The story of the early 21st century: the future arrives, forcing us to build a new world order, 6 December 2010