Impatience - V1

I have always suffered under the impression that others knew at least as much as I did, which not only fed some insecurities but also drove a compulsion to learn more; to rise to the level of others.

But the sudden infatuation with politics and social commentary festering on the internet and social media has exposed a rank ignorance that I could have never imagined.  If any of us suffered under the illusion that most Americans are informed and knowledgeable about civic structure, history, politics and social dynamics, the last decade should be screaming siren alarm.   It's shaken my respect and patience with several I'd admired and it's made me fearful for our own self-government.

This shouldn't be a complete surprise.  One of the tenants of political communication and calculation is the slim top line messages that will break through to public consciousness.  But I'd always assumed that was because they were busy and distracted - not that they were ignorant. 

Now, internet swamps and social media have only confirmed how uninformed and pliable the American public has become - creating a tremendous danger to themselves, both individually and as a society.

To be sure; politics, history and social movements were part of my schooling.  I've spent 40 years involved in government and public policy and continue to study history and political theory.So I realize that my familiarity with the processes is more than most people.

Understanding civic structures, history, economics and legal structure might be too much to ask; but what we're frequently witnessing is just a lack of plain old common sense.   Indeed, the comments of some reveal not just an ignorance of history and the basis of American self-government; but expose a fundamental ignorance about just how the world actually works!

It most cases, it's not because they're ignorant.  It's because they're uneducated, uninformed, but more alarmingly, too lazy to do anything about it….like read a history book!  They've never learned the fundamentals of society or organizations.  Consequently, they have no basis on which to evaluate claims or distinguish what is credible or even possible.

Web surfing and scrolling through posts, we're subjected to the most inane comments based on cartoonish memes; shallow, simple-minded witticisms graphically composed to give them the appearance of authority or wisdom.   Worse are the narratives, conspiracy theories, misinformation and fear-mongering  deliberately produced by online provocateurs, stoking rage to line their pockets and destroy civility and democracy in the process.

The caricature of Washington and the federal government are prime examples.  When most people think of Washington, they conjure up notions of wealthy lobbyists, sleazy politicians, limousines, junkets at taxpayer expense, and lazy, unaccountable bureaucrats.  Much of that myth is perpetuated by cable television and social media; both of which cook a stew of sensational, fear-inducing headlines and conflict intended to generate revenue for themselves, without really informing their audience.  Worse yet, they undermine confidence in institutions and processes that are the foundation of our own self-government.

The obvious and intended result of this phenomenon is anti-government paranoia.  "They" are out to get us.  "They" are undermining our freedom…..and on and on.   As though "the government" was some unaccountable nefarious force bent on destroying American liberty.  Is this the several layers of political appointees who cycle through the leadership every few years?   They make policy.   No; it must be those in the mid to lower tiers.  Those civil servant Americans who process checks, inspect the U.S. food supply, do medical research, orchestrate the nation's air traffic, and, yes, maintain some kind of regular order to government process.   Like a machine, it needs to run efficiently under any circumstances.

There was a time at the beginning of the last century, when politicians routinely used the power of their office to fill the ranks of civil service jobs with political patrons.  Government services were held hostage to unqualified and often unresponsive campaign loyalists.    Along with the labor movement, civil service reforms were put in place to emphasize occupational requirements and separate the technical expertise needed from fickle, political pressures.  This was a good thing.   We need people -- and these are fellow Americans - to do their jobs and get the trash picked up and the checks in the mail, no matter what silliness is floating around above them.

So it really makes no sense to vilify the poor bureaucrat slogging to work on Metro -- if you're not talking about the temporary political guys at the top – as some awful bureaucrats who are the "Deep State,” bent on destroying your liberty. 

The fear mongers also count on their audiences’ ignorance of government transparency and opportunities to affect public policy.  Participation in self-government is not just limited to voting in November or volunteering in the local fire house.  It gets down to shaping the regulations that those "big bad bureaucrats" are forcing on us.  Every working day, the Federal Register lists scores of announcements of proposed rules, clarifications, 'guidance,' and regulations that are part of the Code of Federal Regulations.   Anyone, at any stage of the process, can comment on and advocate how those regulations are interpreted and how they work.    It’s governed by, among other things, the Administrative Procedure Act, which requires a rulemaking process where proposed rules are posted and comments and participation is solicited.

So, when people ask, 'what does everyone do in (official) Washington?'   This is a lot of what they do.   Whole industries and professions rely on how these rules are shaped.  Expertise is cultivated in-house or hired by consultants who specialize in reading the tea leaves, interpreting what it means for a business or organization and recommending how to respond.   This is big business for both the provider (or employee) and the customer.  There is nothing sinister about it.  The government is required to be completely transparent and open in its rule-making process; and affected industries and groups are free to affect them.

Unfortunately, for the average American, this is drop-dead boring stuff.   Which is why the experts get paid big bucks to follow and strategize them.   In fact, the average American has no idea whether some pending regulation would hurt or harm them; unless their employer, union leaders or fear-mongers, bring it to their attention.  Which, to be clear, might be spun to achieve a bias or narrative.  So caution is advised.

For those who want to put some skin in the game, there are scores of more personal and direct ways to affect government policy; especially volunteering on an advisory panel or as an expert in your field.  From personal experience, the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration and other agencies recruit not just academic, scientific and commercial experts; but make a point of soliciting patient and consumer perspectives.

This is all to say that "the government" is US. 

Maybe it's worth reminding people that the United States is the culmination of the Enlightenment and a beacon to the world because we are SELF-GOVERNED!  The "government" is US.  You elect your representatives, senators, state legislators, and local officials.  There are millions of examples of how this works - from every angle and every level.  When Tea Party conservatives were upset in the 2010 midterms many of them ran for office and won.  Good for them.  That's self-governing democracy.   In 2018 when progressives were upset with Donald Trump many of them ran for office and won.  Good for them.   That's self-governing democracy.   When they get there, they have the authority to change things and oversee the administration. 

So, to prop up this boogey-man of clandestine, secret, malicious "government" is a cop-out.   It's a lazy, wimpy, whiney, ignorant substitute for citizenship.  It's so much easier to sit on the sidelines and shoot spitballs, criticize and cling to hysterical fantasies.  Worse, it's destructive to the rest of us who take the time and make the effort to actually contribute -- no matter which side of the aisle they might be on.

The other prominent feature of this culture is the demonization of "others" with fear-mongering attacks.  'The Democrats are forcing you into SOCIALISM', 'The Liberals are going to take away your guns,' including all the dog-whistle messaging on race, ethnicity and immigration.   If you demonize 'the other,' and build the fear that they are a threat, you build tribal identity that makes the mob more easily manipulated.

Worse than the demonization of government, this tactic relies on the demonization of our FELLOW CITIZENS.   It characterizes them - and the leaders they choose - as illegitimate invaders forcing their will on the country; un-American and unworthy.  It's a theme that does not respect or even acknowledge the equality of opinion or rights of their neighbors.   It undermines the democratic process that requires consensus building and compromise.  

These are trait that animate the right wing.  I trace it back to New Gingrich and personalization of political attacks.  Liberals strongly disagree on a range of issues, from guns to abortion to health care.   And while they hyperventilate over the self-appointed gun-toting militias, neo-fascists and religious extremists, they don't attempt to delegitimize their rights or status as citizens.

So without devolving into a partisan screed…..to be continued elsewhere….