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“Someone hasto do politics,just as peoplehave to dootherunpleasantjobs, such as

CULTURAL CAVIAR

Pity the Poor Politiciansby Theodore Dalrymple

April 01, 2017

Multiple Pages

The contempt inwhich we hold mostof our politicians,while largely justified,is also dangerous.Politics seemsincreasingly to be themeans by whichpeople who would

not otherwise succeed in business or any other spheresubsequently make fortunes and remain important for therest of their lives. Mr. Trump is in this respect theexception, not the rule, and not altogether a happyexception. But contempt for politicians as a class temptsus to withdraw entirely into our private worlds, which hasthe effect of conferring upon them an even greater sense ofpower and impunity than they already have. It also temptsus to long for a political savior who will abolish day-to-daypolitics and administer our country in the name ofefficiency and the supposed general interest.

This, then, is not a propitious moment to ask people to pitythe poor politicians. The first reason to pity them, however,is that someone, or rather some group of people, has to dopolitics, just as people have to do other unpleasant jobs,such as cleaning lavatories. If it were not for the politicianswhom we actually have, there would only be others, notnecessarily better. Politicians are like the poor: You havethem with you always—except in Switzerland, that happyland where people do not even know who their presidentis, he being so profoundly unimportant.

But the second and morecompelling reason to pity the poorpoliticians is that theirs is adreadful life judged by normalstandards. If it has itscompensations, such as power,money, and bodyguards, they arebought at a dreadful cost. The

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cleaninglavatories. ”

other day I caught a glimpse ofwhat that life must be like.

A television crew came to make adocumentary about me. It will last about 45 minutes, willbe watched (thank goodness) by only a small audience,and took two and a half days’ filming to make. Thetelevision crew was very nice, which is not my universalexperience of television people, to put it mildly; but evenso, two and a half days being followed by a camera ismore than enough to last me the rest of my life.

I found the strain of it considerable, even though, really,nothing was at stake. It did not matter in the slightest, noteven to me, if I made a fool of myself by what I said. Therewould be no consequences for my career, such as it is (it isalmost over); there would be no humiliating exposures ofmy fatuity in the press, no nasty political cartoons as aconsequence, and no insulting messages over theantisocial media. The television team was clearly not out totrip me up or perform a hatchet job on me. It was friendlyand I could trust it not to distort what I said by craftyediting. But all the same, the attempt to act naturally whilein the constant presence of a camera and a microphonewith a furry cover was tiring. The order to be natural is acontradiction in terms. You might as well order someone tobe happy.

Of course, one grows accustomed to anything in time. Justas a bad smell disappears from one’s awareness if oneremains for long enough in its presence, so eventually oneforgets about the presence of a camera and a microphone.No doubt politicians who live half their waking time withinthe field of these instruments learn to ignore their physicalintrusiveness; but, of course, much more is at stake forthem than it ever was for me. They are under constantsurveillance; and just as the pedant reading a bookpounces upon an error, even if it be only typographical,and marks it with his pen, so journalists and politicalenemies pounce upon a gaffe uttered by a politician andtry to ruin him with it. And the more subjects come underthe purview of political correctness, the easier it becomesto make a gaffe that will offend some considerable part ofthe eggshell population. In fact, much of that populationactually wants to be offended; being offended is the newcogito that guarantees the sum. I am offended, therefore Iam.

Most people whospeak for more thana few minutes willsay somethingstupid or offensive tosomeone; andthanks to camerasand microphones, allthat a politician saysis recordable. In

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effect, modern politicians live under a totalitarian regime.

This means that, with few exceptions, only a certain kind ofperson, with very little attachment to his own personalliberty, will go in for a political career. This might beindicative of self-sacrifice, but more likely of vaultingambition. And a person who attaches little value to his ownliberty is unlikely to attach much value to the liberty ofothers. After all, if we can do without something, weassume that others can do likewise. As the politicianprefers power to liberty, so he will assume that hiselectorate will prefer security, or some other advantage, toliberty.

But however careful a politician is, it is unlikely that he willaltogether escape insult and demeaning commentary, allthe more so in this age of easy communication, so much ofwhich consists of insult and little else. He must thereforebe a person with a rhinoceros hide; but people withrhinoceros hides are not necessarily attractive in character.Mr. Trump again seems different, in that he combines arhinoceros hide with a thin skin. The insult du jour seems tosting him, but the pachydermatous integument remainsfundamentally intact.

“A policeman’s lot is not a happy one,” sings the policesergeant in The Pirates of Penzance; but neither is apolitician’s, unless he is a psychopath. And if he is not apsychopath or a megalomaniac, he is the most self-sacrificial person imaginable, far more devoted to thepublic good than any carping critic. I have met a few ofthese types; the trouble is that they rarely seem to rise tothe top. If they achieve any kind of office, they soon resignon principle, leaving the field to the pachyderms and thepersonality disorders.

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Greg_Deane ✓ᵀʳᵘᵐᵖ ˢᵘᵖᵖᵒʳᵗᵉʳ • 3 days ago

Thank God the current President is not a politician, but anethical businessman who knows how to make deals

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• Reply •

ethical businessman who knows how to make dealswithout deferring to factions, so that he could say "I'vebeen dealing with politicians all my life. All my life. AndI've always gotten them to do what I need them to do."Donald Trump. Anyway, I pity politicians now and hopethey can find jobs cleaning lavatories, and lead happierlives. They might have to slip in and out of genders for thesake of job mobility and movements into different types oflavatories. But most politicians who are exposed for fatuityon television are actually fatuous. For example, 45 secondsis enough for Congresswoman Maxine Waters todemonstrate she is super fatuous, and unlikely to get oneof those public convenience jobs:https://www.youtube.com/wat...

Trump can also make political decisions without lavatorycleaners and without bring creeds into government, likeIslam or feminazism, following the advice of an Irishplaywright: "There's no reason to bring religion into it. Ithink we ought to have as great a regard for religion as wecan, so as to keep it out of as many things as possible."Sean O'Casey

17△ ▽

• Reply •

milk bone • 3 days ago> Greg_Deane ✓ᵀʳᵘᵐᵖ ˢᵘᵖᵖᵒʳᵗᵉʳ

There are no more entertaining figures in thehallowed halls of Congress than Marxine Watersand Sheila Jackass Lee. And, of course, I willforever be indebted to John Conyers for revealingthis enlightening tidbit:

https://youtu.be/6wfaIUeDNMk 8△ ▽

• Reply •

Dr. Rieux, aka Deplorable Duck • 3 days ago

> milkbone

That Daniels thinks people becomepoliticians because of vaulting ambitionsuggests to me he should brush up on hispsychiatry. Politics is Hollywood for theabysmally ugly, the narcissistically mad andthe almost completely amoral. Not even ObiWan found sych a scummy lot at the MosEisley cantina. 3△ ▽

• Reply •

Burgess Shale • 3 days ago> Dr. Rieux, aka

Deplorable Duck

https://no1lyrics.com/song/...△ ▽

• Reply •

Gleimhart Gugenheimer

• 3 days ago

> Dr.Rieux, aka Deplorable Duck

See also: upChuck Jewmer. 1△ ▽

• Reply •

Atilla 41✓ᴰᵉᵖˡᵒʳᵃᵇˡᵉ • 3 days ago> milk bone

Two examples of why there should be arequirement of a minimum IQ of 110 forALL elected representatives, as they are soclever, blacks should be held to a minimumIQ of 150............Many problemsimmediately solved. 5△ ▽

• Reply •

Burgess Shale • 3 days ago

> Atilla 41✓ᴰᵉᵖˡᵒʳᵃᵇˡᵉ

Could you find a hundred and fifty ? 2△ ▽

Ignatius J Reilly > Burgess Shale

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• Reply •

Ignatius J Reilly • 2 days ago

> Burgess Shale

Maybe if you added up the BlackCaucus. 1△ ▽

• Reply •

Sydney Greenstreet • 3 days ago

> milk bone

Conyers seems to be either drunk or senilewhen he is speaking in that clip. 1△ ▽

• Reply •

Ignatius J Reilly • 2 days ago

> SydneyGreenstreet

He seemed either drunk or senileduring the '67 riot, when his fellowblacks nearly hung him from alamppost.△ ▽

• Reply •

amphibious • 2 days ago

> Greg_Deane ✓ᵀʳᵘᵐᵖ ˢᵘᵖᵖᵒʳᵗᵉʳ

Trump "an ethical businessman"! You jest, surely?△ ▽

• Reply •

mandrake the magician • 3 days ago

Switzerland is the nonpareil of democracies; democracies of Anglo-Saxon origin seem to be the worst;if the US didn't have its Bill of Rights: specifically its Firstand Second Amendments, then the mind boggles at whatsort of a hideous schamozzle it would now be.... in Westminster-style "democracies", it is, usually, only theCabinet-level politicians who are the real cμnts.....the onesimplementing the soul-destroying policies apropos (((TheirMasters' Voice))) i, personally, have been helped by back-benchpoliticians....in Westminster-style "politic-speak"..... localmembers; usually, they will help and do what they can for ordinaryfolk.....

(silver!) 7△ ▽

• Reply •

mandrake the magician • 3 days ago

> mandrake the magician

(in the US...i think....they're called "your localCongressman [?] ) 2△ ▽

• Reply •

LifeTraveller • 3 days ago

> mandrake the magician

Perhaps where you live, but even the localshere serve a different master... The onlytime they pretend not to have contempt foryou is when they want a vote... 3△ ▽

• Reply •

melamine • 3 days ago

> LifeTraveller

Depends on your locale. Myimpression is it generally workspretty well where I am.△ ▽

John O'Neill • 3 days ago> mandrake the magician

Switzerland is a de facto confederacy where thecentral power is reined in by the cantons and can donothing without their affirmation. The originalAmerican republic believed that the confederationof states should control the country. However themistake of making the president the commander inchief of the armed forces set up its collapse. Since

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• Reply •

chief of the armed forces set up its collapse. Sincethe time of George Washington whose first act asCofC was to attack farmers in Pennsylvania throughAbe Lincoln who ordered the military invasion andoccupation of the South up until the twentiethcentury war mongers:teddy Roosevelt, woodyWilson , FDR, Truman, LBJ, Reagan, Clinton, Bush,and Obama it has been one perpetual war afteranother. In Switzerland the army is confined toSwitzerland with a few exceptions when Swissguards were rented out to the kings and popes ofEurope. Today Switzerland has the higheststandard of living and no military adventures in theworld while the US taxpayer is forced to come upwith nearly a trillion a year for the many wars itsPentagon can contrive while its domestic economyand infra structure rot.

10△ ▽

• Reply •

ShermanLogan • 3 days ago

> John O'Neill

You don't see any difference between a smallmountain country and a continental power?

Who do you think should have been put incommand of the US military? The governorsof the states? A committee of Congress? TheSupreme Court? 1△ ▽

• Reply •

Frederick John • 3 days ago

> ShermanLogan

No. What keeps America safe are twobig oceans and two friendly countriesat its North-South borders. No warsince the civil war has been anecessity that required participationby the U.S. Why can't we be a bigcontinental power with a mountaincountry mentality?? 3△ ▽

• Reply •

ShermanLogan • 3 days ago

> Frederick John

Because if the rest of the world getstaken over by enemies those oceanswon't keep us safe anymore? 1△ ▽

• Reply •

Frederick John • 3 days ago

> ShermanLogan

How likely is that? And about whatenemies with such capabilities areyou describing?△ ▽

• Reply •

ShermanLogan • 3 days ago

> Frederick John

Look, for at least the last 50 years theoceans have been no defense againsta sufficiently advanced enemy.

Which doesn't mean having basesand getting into wars all over theworld is necessarily a better strategy.△ ▽

Frederick John • 3 days ago

> ShermanLogan

Here's some news: the U.S. has neverbeen attacked by any enemy ofsignificance. Thus, what enemy issufficiently advanced to carry out a

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• Reply •

sufficiently advanced to carry out asuccessful attack? And I am of theopinion that the U.S. should getcompletely out of the Middle Eastand let those countries decide theirown destinies. Cui bono? Thepentagon, intelligence agencies, WallStreet, defense contractors, and ourpoliticians (via lobbyist funding ofelection campaigns). Small,insignificant groups like ISIS wouldbe but curiosities to America. 1△ ▽

• Reply •

Ignatius J Reilly • 2 days ago

> Frederick John

Japan was somewhat significant.Matis seems to think NKorea issufficiently advanced. 9/11 didhappen. The Cold War was real.

Maybe we've never been attackedbecause we took it to them. 'Don'ttread on me' and the Big Stick areclear messages. Might makes right.Thinking otherwise is dumb. 1△ ▽

• Reply •

Frederick John • 2 days ago

> Ignatius J Reilly

Well, you can continue to prattle thisnonsense as a faithful soldier in theindoctrination campaign by theneoconservatives and deep stateplayers in our government. If all weshould fear is nuclear attack, thenwhy the huge spending on militaryweapons and military personnel?Trump's increase in "defense"spending alone is more than theentire defense budget of Russia. AndI don't see that we've taken the warto those nation-states that havenuclear weapons. DSo that is aspecious argument. Nuclear armednations are a deterrent to beingattacked. Nobody messes withcountries that have nuclear weapons.△ ▽

• Reply •

ShermanLogan • 2 days ago

see more

> Frederick John

Two separate issues.

The US is of course utterlyinvulnerable to invasion andconquest, for reasons of both ourarmed force and of logistics.

However, the combination of ICBMsand nuclear warheads has since the50s meant that America is utterlyvulnerable to anything from losingone or a few cities to more or lesscomplete destruction, depending onwho attacks us.

Britain or France could launch adevastating attack, but won't, ofcourse. Israel has the nukes but nomissile delivery system, and of

△ ▽

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• Reply •△ ▽

• Reply •

Frederick John • 2 days ago

> ShermanLogan

I thought we were discussingconventional warfare, not nuclearwars. And "nut-jobs" wouldn't havethe wherewithal to handle andprotect a nuclear weapon. Do youhave any idea of the complexityinvolved, the likelihood of radiationcontamination that is associated withdeveloping and handling nucleardevices? That's what make nuclearsuitcase bombs as components of anIslamic terrorist arsenal so ludicrous. 1△ ▽

• Reply •

ShermanLogan • a day ago

see more

> Frederick John

Couple points.

I though we were discussing risks tothe USA. Which hasn't beenvulnerable to an invasion andconquest, realistically, since themiddle 1800s. Not unless some otherpower pretty much conquered therest of the world and then turned onus.

Keeping involved in world politics toprevent that from happening is atleast arguably a matter of self-defense. Let us assume no nukes. Ifeither the commies or Nazis hadtaken over the rest of the world, itseems pretty obvious they'd haveeventually moved against North

△ ▽

• Reply •

Frederick John • a day ago

see more

> ShermanLogan

So many Americans have beenafflicted by the very effectivegovernment/media indoctrinationprogram of the desperate need forU.S. security, even if we have tointervene in and occupy the majorityof world countries. For the U.S.rulers, perpetual war is an economicpolicy, not a safety or protectionistpolicy. It is the economics of WallStreet (bonds), the Pentagon, thedefense contractors, the 17 spyingagencies (do we really need 17 spyagencies?),, the political think-tanks,the lobbyists and most of all, ourelected "representatives." You shouldask, Cui Bono? Who benefits fromthese perpetual wars, from having

1△ ▽

ShermanLogan • 21 hours ago

> Frederick John

From 1959 to 1989 the US was underconstant threat of total destruction.And to some extent since then.

You apparently seem to thinkbecause nobody has launched a

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because nobody has launched anuclear attack, or EMP, biological,etc. that there IS no danger of ithappening.

Look, there are a great many peoplein the world who sincerely intend tohurt or destroy the USA. Some ofthem have good reason for feelingthis way.

There is another large group that hasthe ability to do so.

So far, these groups have not aligned,at least not willing to ignore theconsequences of doing so.

But as time goes by and technologyadvances, it seems entirely likely tome that the three groups will alignand we'll get nailed.△ ▽

• Reply •

The Chigger • 2 days ago

> Frederick John

The Japanese Empire's militarypower was insignificant?△ ▽

• Reply •

Frederick John • 2 days ago

> The Chigger

Hawaii was not the United States. Itdidn't become a State until 1959.Once FDR cut-off Japan's access tooil and fuel for their military, Japanwould have lost its war without theU.S. intervening.△ ▽

• Reply •

Ian Ruff • 3 days ago

see more

Seems our doctor has found the final solution to theinsomnia problem. Read his column and you're inMorpheus land within minutes. Congratulations!

Really, what?

What the fcuk was this?

Amazon has cleared out books that criticize a certainentity. Something like book burning, but done digitally. Ithink they can even remove books on your own device,even if you've paid for them.

Google and Youtube (owned by Google) are censoringpeople based on their political views. For instance, you'renot allowed to be too much against feminists or you're out.

The monopolistic companies are also aiding dictatorialregimes to punish their citizens for posts on for instanceFacebook. I'm talking about Germany, which will put you

24△ ▽

Greg_Deane ✓ᵀʳᵘᵐᵖ ˢᵘᵖᵖᵒʳᵗᵉʳ • 3 days ago> Ian Ruff

There is no need to punish thought crime:“Thoughtcrime does not entail death: thoughtcrimeIS death.” ― George Orwell, 1984.

OR

“If you want to keep a secret, you must also hide itfrom yourself.”

“He who controls the past controls the future. He

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• Reply •

“He who controls the past controls the future. Hewho controls the present controls the past.”

“If you want a picture of the future, imagine a bootstamping on a human face—forever.”

15△ ▽

• Reply •

mandrake the magician • 3 days ago

> Greg_Deane✓ᵀʳᵘᵐᵖ ˢᵘᵖᵖᵒʳᵗᵉʳ

☞“If you want to keep a secret, you mustalso hide it from yourself.”☜

three men can keep a secret if two of themare dead �

10△ ▽

This comment is awaiting moderation. Show

comment.

• Reply •

Burgess Shale • 3 days ago>

RachelPowell1111

Porn Star, eh ? 1△ ▽

• Reply •

Ian Ruff • 3 days ago

> Burgess Shale

Not star, actress. 3△ ▽

• Reply •

Burgess Shale • 3 days ago

> Ian Ruff

"Fake, fake, fake, fake." 2△ ▽

• Reply •

Rhialto • 3 days ago

> RachelPowell1111

$62 for 15 minutes! Post your contactnumber, location and pix.△ ▽

• Reply •

Otsuka Duojinshi • 3 days ago> Ian Ruff

Let it flow through you;

https://www.youtube.com/wat... 4△ ▽

• Reply •

Felix Krull • 3 days ago> Otsuka Duojinshi

Hate is good for you:

https://www.youtube.com/wat... 1△ ▽

• Reply •

Atilla 41✓ᴰᵉᵖˡᵒʳᵃᵇˡᵉ • 3 days ago> Ian Ruff

" We don't need to KILL anyone. We can achieve allour goals in normal political processes. Whymaking a nuisance of ourselves? "

Your reply to me yesterday. With your commentabove, I think you made my point that it will not be able to achieve our aims with political process.△ ▽

Ian Ruff • 3 days ago> Atilla 41✓ᴰᵉᵖˡᵒʳᵃᵇˡᵉ

I still stand by my non-killing policy.

Differentiate between FEELINGS that needa release valve, and PRACTICAL actions thatwill have consequences.

Your FEELINGS are always justified andallow themselves murder, burning villages,raping all the chicks etc. And that's OK to

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