A Thought on Politics
A student asked the question today, what is the best political system or the best party right now?
Here is my answer: In some ways, the Green Party gets it right, in ways that are similar to those who have been outcast from the Republic Party in the last 15 years. We should have a country that respects ecology. Ecology, though, includes human ecology or harmonizing society such that all humans benefit from all human advances, economic, science, cultural, educational, and technical. Society as a whole should think this through. We should oppose economic and military adventurism, that crushes the poorest and least fortunate, and that leads us to commit all kinds of injustices against our own citizens and others.
At the same time, the most stable kind of constitution over time is one that recognizes the executive, aristocratic, and democratic element in society, gives them a role in law-making and office sharing, and limits each of their roles. This is the value of the constitution of the United States.
However, the great danger is that the wealthy class take over. By insinuating itself into these institutions in an unjust way, the wealthy class tend to turn the society into an oligarchy, setting up the clash between oligarchy and democracy, the corruption of morals, and the destruction of the family. Once the family is destroyed, the children will look to comfortable lives (oligarchy), the military, or pleasure (democracy) as their options. This will lead to the overall degeneration of society, the rise of an Empire, or the rise of an authoritarian or totalitarian state.
In an odd way, the current favortie platforms of the Republicans and the democrats, and an unfortunate aspect of the Green Party, work well in the logic of Empire. The abortion and sexual revolutionary policies of the democrats tend to undermine the family. This makes the children less civilized and ultimately thirsting for military vengeance, a comfortable life, and some sort of order. The economic politics of the Republicans tend to weaken the family by forcing them to move around to keep the free market economy going. It also tends to rely on the military and foreign advernturism, which, over time, weakens the family under the false mask of promoting social order and security. Times of wars tend to introduce more sexual misbehavior and break up families. So, the sexual politics of the democrats and the Greens work "nicely" with the economic and foreign affairs of the neo-cons in the Republican Party for building an empire over time.
If we could adopt the constitutionalism, foreign and moral policies of the conservatives, with the "sense" of the common good of the democrats, and the "ecology" of the Greens, we would have perhaps, the formula for a "Catholic" party in the US.
Here is my answer: In some ways, the Green Party gets it right, in ways that are similar to those who have been outcast from the Republic Party in the last 15 years. We should have a country that respects ecology. Ecology, though, includes human ecology or harmonizing society such that all humans benefit from all human advances, economic, science, cultural, educational, and technical. Society as a whole should think this through. We should oppose economic and military adventurism, that crushes the poorest and least fortunate, and that leads us to commit all kinds of injustices against our own citizens and others.
At the same time, the most stable kind of constitution over time is one that recognizes the executive, aristocratic, and democratic element in society, gives them a role in law-making and office sharing, and limits each of their roles. This is the value of the constitution of the United States.
However, the great danger is that the wealthy class take over. By insinuating itself into these institutions in an unjust way, the wealthy class tend to turn the society into an oligarchy, setting up the clash between oligarchy and democracy, the corruption of morals, and the destruction of the family. Once the family is destroyed, the children will look to comfortable lives (oligarchy), the military, or pleasure (democracy) as their options. This will lead to the overall degeneration of society, the rise of an Empire, or the rise of an authoritarian or totalitarian state.
In an odd way, the current favortie platforms of the Republicans and the democrats, and an unfortunate aspect of the Green Party, work well in the logic of Empire. The abortion and sexual revolutionary policies of the democrats tend to undermine the family. This makes the children less civilized and ultimately thirsting for military vengeance, a comfortable life, and some sort of order. The economic politics of the Republicans tend to weaken the family by forcing them to move around to keep the free market economy going. It also tends to rely on the military and foreign advernturism, which, over time, weakens the family under the false mask of promoting social order and security. Times of wars tend to introduce more sexual misbehavior and break up families. So, the sexual politics of the democrats and the Greens work "nicely" with the economic and foreign affairs of the neo-cons in the Republican Party for building an empire over time.
If we could adopt the constitutionalism, foreign and moral policies of the conservatives, with the "sense" of the common good of the democrats, and the "ecology" of the Greens, we would have perhaps, the formula for a "Catholic" party in the US.
Labels: culture conservatism, democracy, democrats, economics, foreign policy, green party, oligarchy, political culture, political philosophy, politics, republicans, sex, society, United States
posted by Joe Philipowicz at 4:47 PM
3 Comments:
This was a really interesting and enjoyable blog entry.
Many, many, many examples and thoughts come to mind. Permit me to mention one: there seems to have been a resurgence in ROTC programs in the past 10+ years. I have nothing but praise for those individual students, but it seems to be a major method by which students who cannot pay the 40K (or more) in tuition/room-board at an elite private university are able to matriculate alongside the sons and daughters of the materially elite. I do not take this as a good sign because it is a form of indentured servitude. Far better if there were more scholarships available for those students that came without military strings attached.
I appreciate your examples of how the political parties unwittingly advance the causes of their rivals. I am always amazed by the inconsistencies: the pro-life person who can't wait to fire-up the electric chair; the pro-abortion person who is all concerned about the plight of abused and unwanted pets. [Current example are the tv ads for the ASPCA which show abused dogs and cats and feature Sarah McLachlan as the spokesperson...can't cast stones at anyone but I wish to point out that her "Lillith Fair" concerts (Lillith, what a name!) benefited Planned Parenthood and N.O.W. as sponsored "charities"].
We need a party with the "green" and peace of St. Francis, the "platform" of St. Thomas Aquinas, and the worldview of JPII.
[Caveat: it was my understanding that the Canonical status of The Work was held-up a decade or more because Pope Paul VI's Secretary of State held a grudge against St. Josemaria because the future-Saint would not endorse a Catholic or Christian party in Spain. I'm not sure what St. Josemaria would think about "politics".]
It might have been that the Work was held up for the reasons mentioned. St. Josemaria was very careful to avoid discussions about politics, even during the Spanish Civil War, as he wanted to make it clear that the Work was not allied with any political system.
He would probably caution against any political party being called Catholic. It would probably be better to have a party that was simply a party, that hopefully, those within it, were Catholic in their principles and inspiration. I think he thought that, within holding to the principles, there was a lot of contingency in politics, given the nature of the fallen world.
Thank you.
I am drawn to the wisdom St. Josemaria gave us.
Post a Comment
<< Home