All things must come to an end, it is an inevitable part of the cycle of existence, all things must conclude.
Well, we're finally finished.
I said I would write a piece about each of Gandhi's Seven social sins, and now we're here at the end of the line with "Politics Without Principles."
I must admit that this is a tough topic for me because I've tuned out from politics over the past few months. I just got tired of the same trivial arguments, the ridiculous news coverage and the feeling that not much was going to change any time soon. Life, with all of its hardships, was complicated enough that it was easy to abandon my previous devotion to keeping up with the political world.
I offer no excuses, just the facts.
Plus, it's hard for me to think about the concept of politicians and principles. I'm not saying that all politicians are devoid of morals, but it's obvious that becoming a politician requires your morals to be fairly malleable. So, it's seems useless to talk about requiring politicians to have principles if we don't specify that those principles have to be absolute.
And that's a hard concept to sell in a world where people seem disinclined to understand nuance and inclined to distort everything. I guess it makes more sense to speak in cliches and vague euphemisms then to actually speak honestly and directly to the public.
Honestly, I've become so cynical that I don't expect many principles from politicians. I'll admit that I was caught up in the whole Obama movement, and, while I still think the brother will do a good job, the first 100 days of his tenure have driven home the fact that politicians can only do so much. I think he's a swell cat, but his outlook on life differs greatly from my own.
I guess I don't know what else to say about this sin, which is a bummer because I wanted to end this series on a high note. Oh well, some topics lend themselves to deep thinking, and other kind of make you say:
Duh.
Please let me know how you felt about the series, whether you found it useful or not. Thanks.
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6 comments:
Raving,
I've really enjoyed this series that you done. It's been indepth, insightful and it's definitely made me take a closer look at myself and the choices I make in my life.
Thank you.
Brenda Kay
Sydney, Australia
Life ain't a sitcom...I don't need an epiphany-level resolution at the end. You handled the series well and I enjoyed the insights, inclduing with this final post on the topic.
Had a blast!
Michael Eric Dyson preached at church Sunday and he shared a similar sentiment about the Pres. He said he loved him to death, campaigned for him, and wished him much success, but felt that there were some fundamental life perspectives on which they differed--the means of change being one.
Politics and principles are truly like oil and water; though not necessarily so with politicians and principles. The extent to which the latter diverge, however, is usually determinative of the length and prosperity of the politicians political career.
Good post ... great series.
Good comment little brother. That last graph was very well written.
It was a good series. By the way I loved this " he's a swell cat, but his outlook on life differs from my own"....pretty much sums up how I feel about the Prez.
Don't get me wrong, I am proud that he broke that barrier and became the first Black POTUS but at the end of the day, we are in different places.
I thoroughly enjoyed the series! I definitely looked forward to each entry.
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