Sunday, November 09, 2008
Relationships
Politics is about relationships. Relationships can be honest, respectful, cooperative, and reciprocal. Or they can be the opposite.
On all issues of major import -- both foreign and domestic -- relationships have been the latter. As such, nothing can be positively resolved until the relationships are altered, and altered 180 degrees.
Tyrannical governments prefer foreign policies of belligerence, because war is easier than negotiation. They also like elitism at home for similar reasons. Our job is to make those choices more painful than doing the right thing. Whether Americans are up to it is another matter.
On all issues of major import -- both foreign and domestic -- relationships have been the latter. As such, nothing can be positively resolved until the relationships are altered, and altered 180 degrees.
Tyrannical governments prefer foreign policies of belligerence, because war is easier than negotiation. They also like elitism at home for similar reasons. Our job is to make those choices more painful than doing the right thing. Whether Americans are up to it is another matter.
