Two Cultures

North Carolina man wrecks
father’s Jaguar in attempt to
“save girlfriend from space aliens.”

Many years ago C. P. Snow delivered his famous lecture on “The Two Cultures” that later became a book and was very influential when it came to education in both the humanities and the sciences. Aside from giving us the phrase “two cultures” we need not be concerned here with Snow’s distinction. We have what I think is our own problem with two cultures but it has nothing to do with what Snow was concerned about.

Our two cultures has nothing to do with the humanities and sciences. It has, rather, to do with the culture of Washington, D.C. and the general culture of the United States. It seems to me that what goes on in Washington has little or nothing to do with what goes on in our country elsewhere. Think about it (and weep). Everything Republicans are doing, and have been doing since Obama was elected President, is designed to make him a one term President. Everything the Democrats have been doing are designed to see to it that President Obama is reelected. Occasionally in an unguarded moment someone on one side or the other admits to this. But more usually they pretend they are acting in the best interest of “the people.” Republicans say the people elected them to create jobs, but they have done nothing whatsoever to create jobs and, in fact, most of what they are proposing will create even more unemployment. They say the people elected them to do away with the deficit, but they insist on things, like tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations, and repealing health care, things that will in fact increase the deficit. They do not have the interest of the people in mind. They have in mind only defeating Obama in 2012 and keeping themselves in office, doing so by pleasing those who are bribing them to do their bidding. Wisconsin is the best example of this at the moment, but it is also occurring in other States as well, such as Ohio, Michigan, Florida, and others where Tea Party Governors were elected. This is an all-out attack on the middle class.

The opposition to this Republican war on the middle class is coming from the middle class itself, not from the Democratic Party. What is happening in Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan and other places does not seem to get much support from Washington, D.C. (although it certainly should). That is, Democrats in Congress are much more involved in opposing Republican legislation than they are in defending the American working class (something they have more traditionally done). I guess Joe Biden made a rousing speech recently encouraging protestors, but Obama himself has been remarkably absent when it comes to what is happening in Middle America. And of course Democratic Congresspersons, like Republicans, are primarily interested in keeping themselves in office. Both sides would have you believe they are doing what the American public wants, and occasionally there is some overlap between what Democrats do and what the public wants, but it is not their desire to do the public bidding that is their basic motivation. Their motivation, like that of Republicans, is primarily to stay in office, retain power, and serve the interests of those who fund them. In no case is that the American middle class. Thus the two cultures, that of Washington and that of the country, are in practice quite separate from one another.

What this means is that we have a political system that is supposed to represent the people but does not. It represents various special interests, few of which have the public good in mind. Part of this has to do with the fact that there is no agreement as to what the public good might actually be, and more importantly, seems no longer to even be a matter of interest to our politicians. The welfare of ordinary citizens has been replaced by the welfare of the politicians themselves and the welfare of whatever special interests they need to support. Historically, the Democratic party was always the party of “the working man,” and while occasionally someone makes that claim today, it does not materialize in behavior. It is possible that the demonstrations taking place by the middle class in Wisconsin and elsewhere will bring about a resurgence of cooperation between Democrats and the middle class, but if so, it will be because the Democrats decide to jump on the middle class bandwagon rather than vice-versa. Of course this might not happen at all if Democrats stay loyal to their Wall Street and corporate sponsors, stay aloof from the “revolution” and just wait things out.

Basically we have evolved a political system that operates completely divorced from the public interest. The idea “of the people, by the people, and for the people” has long since passed out of fashion. What may or may not be in the best interest of the people has simply become irrelevant in what is now a contest between two groups who only argue about who is going to be in charge.

LKBIQ:
The fact that an opinion has been widely held is no evidence whatever that it is not utterly absurd; indeed in view of the silliness of the majority of mankind, a widespread belief is more likely to be foolish than sensible.
Bertrand Russell

TILT:
The longest cricket game recorded was played in March of 1939 in Durban, South Africa, between England and South Africa, and lasted for 9 days.