Since being of legal age to vote I usually have, the recent Presidential election being an exception. Voting gives a citizen the right to bitch and since I waived my right this last November, this is not a rant but merely an observation.
Being a Republican by tradition, it wasn’t until recent years that my allegiance began to drift away from partisan politics. I believe in selecting the right person for the job regardless of party affiliation, though that may be too simplistic. Many of us who rush to offer their opinion on matters don’t really know the whole story, which is by design. The big picture is elusive, strategies recondite, agendas hidden. We’re not meant to know everything.
The word politics is derived from the Greek politika or “affairs of state”, based on Aristotelous ta Politika, where the Greek philosopher conceived “politics” as the science of governing an ever-changing public or populace. Western politics is modeled on the theories introduced by the Italian renaissance diplomat and philosopher, Niccolò Machiavelli, in his 1513 treatise on government, Il Principe or The Prince. The term “Machiavellian” is defined as “the employment of cunning and duplicity in statecraft or in general conduct”. Modern politics is not a science but a business.
The last election seemed to involve electing a candidate based not on merit, but on less demerit. We knew that drastic changes were in order and with Clinton, that change would be minimized and things would basically continue “status quo” towards more socialized policies, the more comfortable choice but not necessarily a good thing. With Trump, sweeping changes would be in store, which was terrifying.
Every new administration has been greeted with skepticism, some eventually proven to be justified, others not. As has always been, we must play out the hand we’ve dealt ourselves because there is no turning back.
Much to the consternation of many, President Trump has taken extreme measures early in his administration, but if you look at the subject matter from a more detached perspective, the motivation behind his Executive Orders may be seen more clearly. I will not touch on any of the specific issues, but will just add that Trump’s actions may not be as absurd and radical as so many seem to think.
Though initially stunned by the election results, as I was expecting Clinton to win by a landslide and am yet to sense anything remotely like the “warm fuzzies” from it, my comfort level has improved somewhat as we move into the second month of this new year and new era.
Perhaps some shock therapy is just what our government needs.
