WEAPONS OF MASS DISTRACTION AND THE LONGING FOR A POLITICS OF PRINCIPLES & HEART

Our politics in this century leaves me cold. It fails to touch my heart. I was mad and saddened about the confusing outcome of the Florida election playoffs three years ago, but gradually got over it. I have come to accept that we live in a divided country. "Divided we sit-- and watch..."

In my opinion our current president is merely a figurehead standing in for the corporate powers that be. I am certainly not alone in feeling we live in an oligarchy rather than a democracy.

How it hurt to see him squander the world's sympathy and respect after 9-11! Unilateral actions on the international front, abrogating treaties and acting like a big bully on the block, so soon after winning the most closely contested election in our history, and then invading Iraq. Meanwhile, we plunged quickly into a huge budget deficit from a comfortable surplus. I detest the current regime's weapons of mass distraction and its uncompassionate conservatism, environmental unconsciousness, and corporate protectionism while poor people and social services everywhere suffer, in a political climate where public questioning and criticism is characterized as unpatriotic.

Although I have hope for John Kerry in November, and certainly hope we all get out there en masse and vote for him, I am also trying to take a more long term view-- there will be other elections, candidates, other decades. I fear the incumbent's weapons of mass distraction will increasingly be brought to bear to help ensure their desired result in the upcoming elections; and I think we need to look further towards the future for the kind of positive change and development that I would like to see.

The truth is I feel I can't trust these people-- and I don't mean just the Republicans. There's not much truth-telling nor enough meaningful public conversation amidst all the partisan bickering and spin and media. These don;t seem to me to be public servants of character, conviction, vision our courage; their short-sighted self-serving plans, policies and pleas for my support and enthusiasm simply fail to touch my heart.

Two years ago, my wife and I visited the great monuments along the National Mall in Washington D. C. Looking at the statues of Jefferson, Lincoln, and Washington and contemplating the message of their examples, I felt like crying, reflecting on how far we've fallen, how diminished our political leadership and vision has become. Decades ago, RFK said that politics is an honorable profession, and no one snickered; I doubt we could say the same today. Personally, I long for sincere statesman to step up and lead us, but fear our country is not ready to either produce or recognize and elect a high calibre of political individual. It hurt when Wellstone of Minnesota and Tsongas of Massachusetts both met untimely death. I admired them both..

Where will the future leaders of our country come from? Who in their right mind would enter and persevere, surviving in the bitter swamp of our cynical partisan political system long enough to emerge as a real candidate for high office in this country? How can we cultivate some form of enlightened leadership and true higher education that can help foment such leaders for the future? Who will learn to replace their "I and me" with a larger We, and authentically?

Love,

Surya Das