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 Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2008 9:55 am Post subject: Character Smear Politics and Character of America |
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The predominant claim by political entities that campaign against the
character of the opposition candidates is that they are protecting the
character or integrity of the office. In fact, they degrade the
character of the office as much as they degrade the character of the
voter. Political culture of character assassination does not improve
character of the office or of the country, but lowers it to the level
of pettiness, nastiness, maliciousness, vileness and ugliness. And
that does not improve the character of the office or of the nation; it
degrades both.
To create a political culture of character assassination, is to create
a political culture of abuse. Abuse then becomes the way of the
political process, putting into office the people who are most skilled
at abuse - and frequently at nothing else. That leads to wrong people
being in the office and implementing wrong policies - in many cases,
given the way they got into the office, policies that are completely
destructive and injurious to the people. So that, when a Rick Santorum
claims that "sometimes it's good that people struggle" as he votes for
a bill to make it harder for single mothers to have their children in
babysitting while they are working, we see the product of the abusive
character in politics and what it stands to do to the people.
It is not only the ones in office that end up being encouraged toward
wrongful action. The politicians' abusive behavior also trickles down
to the voter. It influences people to behave in abusive ways to their
families and to the people over whom they have influence. And that by
itself is a source of needless suffering for millions.
The constituencies that are abusive, or that want to be abusive,
thrive on such politics. The more abusive the constituency, the more
drawn it is to the politics of character smear. The level to which an
individual or a constituency supports character smear campaigns is a
good measure of the individual's or constituency's embrace of abusive
practices in their own lives. And the more political life is based on
abuse, the more people take the example, the more abuse becomes the
reality of people's lives.
The abusive character of the political culture trickles up to the
office-holders and down to the regular people. And then not only is
the character of the political discourse diminished, but people's own
character gets worse and worse, as does the lot of people at the
receiving end of their behavior.
That, is the true degradation in character that has taken place in
politics of America. And the way to restore both statesmanship and
American character, is to see through abusive smear tactics and demand
dignity in the political process. The people who practice character
smear campaigns, are themselves the worst character in the country and
commit by their actions a far greater wrong than anything that the
people whom they attack could be conceivably accused of having
committed. Not only do they bring abuse into politics, but they also
influence people to become abusers themselves. And that not only
injures the credibility of America; it also injures countless millions
of people who stand to be at the receiving end of abusive behavior by
people influenced in such a way.
So whenever one sees character smear campaign, it can be said with
accuracy that the person doing such campaigning is an abuser, just as
it can be said that someone who supports such campaign is likewise
possessive of an abusive frame of mind. And bringing dignity and
respect back to America requires growing beyond such despicable
tactics and creating a culture of dignity in the political process. A
person who truly is interested in character will concern himself with
character which he encourages in the people. And if he campaigns
abusively and influences people to be abusive, then it is him that
exhibits the truly unworthy character and does true violence to the
character of the political office and of the country itself. |
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Me
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2008 2:18 pm Post subject: Re: Character Smear Politics and Character of America |
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On Oct 20, 5:55 am, bettermillen...@gmail.com wrote:
| Quote: | The predominant claim by political entities that campaign against the
character of the opposition candidates is that they are protecting the
character or integrity of the office. In fact, they degrade the
character of the office as much as they degrade the character of the
voter. Political culture of character assassination does not improve
character of the office or of the country, but lowers it to the level
of pettiness, nastiness, maliciousness, vileness and ugliness. And
that does not improve the character of the office or of the nation; it
degrades both.
To create a political culture of character assassination, is to create
a political culture of abuse. Abuse then becomes the way of the
political process, putting into office the people who are most skilled
at abuse - and frequently at nothing else. That leads to wrong people
being in the office and implementing wrong policies - in many cases,
given the way they got into the office, policies that are completely
destructive and injurious to the people. So that, when a Rick Santorum
claims that "sometimes it's good that people struggle" as he votes for
a bill to make it harder for single mothers to have their children in
babysitting while they are working, we see the product of the abusive
character in politics and what it stands to do to the people.
It is not only the ones in office that end up being encouraged toward
wrongful action. The politicians' abusive behavior also trickles down
to the voter. It influences people to behave in abusive ways to their
families and to the people over whom they have influence. And that by
itself is a source of needless suffering for millions.
The constituencies that are abusive, or that want to be abusive,
thrive on such politics. The more abusive the constituency, the more
drawn it is to the politics of character smear. The level to which an
individual or a constituency supports character smear campaigns is a
good measure of the individual's or constituency's embrace of abusive
practices in their own lives. And the more political life is based on
abuse, the more people take the example, the more abuse becomes the
reality of people's lives.
The abusive character of the political culture trickles up to the
office-holders and down to the regular people. And then not only is
the character of the political discourse diminished, but people's own
character gets worse and worse, as does the lot of people at the
receiving end of their behavior.
That, is the true degradation in character that has taken place in
politics of America. And the way to restore both statesmanship and
American character, is to see through abusive smear tactics and demand
dignity in the political process. The people who practice character
smear campaigns, are themselves the worst character in the country and
commit by their actions a far greater wrong than anything that the
people whom they attack could be conceivably accused of having
committed. Not only do they bring abuse into politics, but they also
influence people to become abusers themselves. And that not only
injures the credibility of America; it also injures countless millions
of people who stand to be at the receiving end of abusive behavior by
people influenced in such a way.
So whenever one sees character smear campaign, it can be said with
accuracy that the person doing such campaigning is an abuser, just as
it can be said that someone who supports such campaign is likewise
possessive of an abusive frame of mind. And bringing dignity and
respect back to America requires growing beyond such despicable
tactics and creating a culture of dignity in the political process. A
person who truly is interested in character will concern himself with
character which he encourages in the people. And if he campaigns
abusively and influences people to be abusive, then it is him that
exhibits the truly unworthy character and does true violence to the
character of the political office and of the country itself.
|
NOT ALL LOST - WE GET TO HAVE THAT THIRD PARTY , FINELY.
I agree with principles of your assessment. What the remedy that you
proposing? |
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Guest
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| Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2008 11:09 am Post subject: Re: Character Smear Politics and Character of America |
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On Oct 21, 1:18 am, Me <agnesche...@gmail.com> wrote:
| Quote: | On Oct 20, 5:55 am, bettermillen...@gmail.com wrote:
The predominant claim by political entities that campaign against the
character of the opposition candidates is that they are protecting the
character or integrity of the office. In fact, they degrade the
character of the office as much as they degrade the character of the
voter. Political culture of character assassination does not improve
character of the office or of the country, but lowers it to the level
of pettiness, nastiness, maliciousness, vileness and ugliness. And
that does not improve the character of the office or of the nation; it
degrades both.
To create a political culture of character assassination, is to create
a political culture of abuse. Abuse then becomes the way of the
political process, putting into office the people who are most skilled
at abuse - and frequently at nothing else. That leads to wrong people
being in the office and implementing wrong policies - in many cases,
given the way they got into the office, policies that are completely
destructive and injurious to the people. So that, when a Rick Santorum
claims that "sometimes it's good that people struggle" as he votes for
a bill to make it harder for single mothers to have their children in
babysitting while they are working, we see the product of the abusive
character in politics and what it stands to do to the people.
It is not only the ones in office that end up being encouraged toward
wrongful action. The politicians' abusive behavior also trickles down
to the voter. It influences people to behave in abusive ways to their
families and to the people over whom they have influence. And that by
itself is a source of needless suffering for millions.
The constituencies that are abusive, or that want to be abusive,
thrive on such politics. The more abusive the constituency, the more
drawn it is to the politics of character smear. The level to which an
individual or a constituency supports character smear campaigns is a
good measure of the individual's or constituency's embrace of abusive
practices in their own lives. And the more political life is based on
abuse, the more people take the example, the more abuse becomes the
reality of people's lives.
The abusive character of the political culture trickles up to the
office-holders and down to the regular people. And then not only is
the character of the political discourse diminished, but people's own
character gets worse and worse, as does the lot of people at the
receiving end of their behavior.
That, is the true degradation in character that has taken place in
politics of America. And the way to restore both statesmanship and
American character, is to see through abusive smear tactics and demand
dignity in the political process. The people who practice character
smear campaigns, are themselves the worst character in the country and
commit by their actions a far greater wrong than anything that the
people whom they attack could be conceivably accused of having
committed. Not only do they bring abuse into politics, but they also
influence people to become abusers themselves. And that not only
injures the credibility of America; it also injures countless millions
of people who stand to be at the receiving end of abusive behavior by
people influenced in such a way.
So whenever one sees character smear campaign, it can be said with
accuracy that the person doing such campaigning is an abuser, just as
it can be said that someone who supports such campaign is likewise
possessive of an abusive frame of mind. And bringing dignity and
respect back to America requires growing beyond such despicable
tactics and creating a culture of dignity in the political process. A
person who truly is interested in character will concern himself with
character which he encourages in the people. And if he campaigns
abusively and influences people to be abusive, then it is him that
exhibits the truly unworthy character and does true violence to the
character of the political office and of the country itself.
NOT ALL LOST - WE GET TO HAVE THAT THIRD PARTY , FINELY.
I agree with principles of your assessment. What the remedy that you
proposing?
|
For people to recognize such things for what they are and see through
them. |
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