The American Family Gazette Vol. II 1010 F rom time to time I’m inclined to draft letters to the editor and short articles on and around the subjects I write about here—political Independents and the apparent state of frustration of the American public with the results of our politics and government. Infrequently, I actually submit such materials for publication. Invariably it’s in vain. But I anticipate this. I…
Category: Political Writing
Are We Ungovernable?
The American Family Gazette Volume I, 0905 The answer to the question is, NO. But the question itself, Are we ungovernable, is the wrong one. The correct question should be, is either of our two major parties able to effectively govern on our behalf in today’s political environment? Norman alludes to this in his response to Warren on 9/25: “. . .But it seems to me that today’s political…
Choke Points in Democracy (part I of II)
The American Family Gazette Volume II, 1009 Part I of II I n an earlier post this month I commented on an article by Eric Alterman in The Nation magazine. Therein he raised the issue of “choke points” in politics that inhibit, or negatively affect, the workings of democracy. I believe he’s right; they exist, and merit more than passing comment or acknowledgement. They merit…
A Lecture on the Political Left & Right
The American Family Gazette Volume II, 1009 Eric Alterman, a champion of and advocate for a progressive, or just liberal political agenda—I’m not quite sure which— recently penned an article in the magazine The Nation (August 30/September 6) bemoaning the fact that the results of the Obama Administration after eighteen months in office are somewhat of a disappointment in his eyes (which from his presentation…
Look Whos Poisoning Politics
The American Family Gazette Volume II, 1005 It seems almost impossible to dispute that most Americans are not happy with either politics, politicians or government of late. Backing this statement is the recent Pew Research Center public opinion poll finding a historically low 22% of Americans trusting government! Opinion about elected officials is likewise in the dumps: Just 25% have a favorable opinion of Congress; 65% an…
An Independent’s Perspective on What’s Politically Possible and What’s Not
Inspired by an article by James Fallows in The Atlantic magazine By T.R. Harry The by-line, “By James Fallows,” has been a familiar sight to readers for a long time. He’s been associated with the prestigious Atlantic Magazine for over twenty-five years. To appreciate the breadth of his activities on the American journalistic scene, just pull-up his name on Wikipedia. His latest endeavor to catch my attention is an…
The Future of Democracy and Capitalism
The American Family Gazette Volume II, 1002 In The Gathering of the Clan we speak at some length of the tension between capitalism and democracy. They have very different theoretical beliefs about the proper distribution of power. One believes in a completely equal distribution of power (one man, one vote); the other believes in the accumulation and restriction of power. Survival of the fittest is not a bad description…
The Tyranny of the Majority
The American Family Gazette Volume II, 1001 I heard a proponent for the right of Gays to marry say on the news tonight, “The majority does not get to legislate the rights of the minority.” This was in connection with the start of the federal court case to over-turn the outcome of California’s Proposition 8 last fall. On the surface, it’s hard to argue with his point. Why? Because, in…
Government: A Means to an End, or an End in Itself?
The American Family Gazette Volume I, 0912 This is a subject that overlaps the previous posting about the tail wagging the dog. There we looked at government in terms of size. Here we look at government in terms of, for lack of a better term, its input vs. its output. Or, are we at the point where the cost of government is simply to support and maintain an institution…
The Tail that Wags the Dog
The American family Gazette Volume I, 0912 Government is becoming—or has already become—the tail that wags the dog. We hear that often enough, but just what is that supposed to mean? Usually, that the bureaucracy of government is becoming—or already has become—the end or objective of societal activity, not the means to achieving societal goals. We’ll talk a bit about this. It’s a closely related matter, but here, I…
