Demagogy

I woke up today with the word "demagogy", Bush. It's one of those words that gets easily bandied about, but you're never sure if the user knows exactly what it means. So I looked it up in the OED, to be sure that I had it right. It's defined there as "the action or quality of a demagogue," defined, in turn, as the "leader of a popular faction, or of the mob; an unprincipled or factious mob orator or political agitator." And I said to myself, "Well, that's my Bush."

The word was brought to mind, in part, by the announcement that Arnold Schwazenegger, a fellow demagogue of yours and, improbably, our Governor here in California, has taken it upon himself to revert to a currently all too familiar tactic: when you can't get what you want, take it to "the people". So our Schwarzenegger is on the stump. He's upset about teachers' raises, in part--he believes they should all be merit raises--and by the state pension plan. He thinks he can save money by trimming them around the edges, and that it will be easier to persuade the California voters than their legislators.

He's right, of course. It's been proven time and again. I mean, his own election proves it, doesn't it, Bush? Mob mentality? The "popular faction"? It's a proven fact that no one wants to pay a penny more in taxes than they're paying right now, no matter how the cost of providing basic public services rises. So you tell the people you can give them everything they want without raising their taxes, just so long as… they vote on your side on this initiative, or that legislation.

Sound familiar? It's the same story that you're busy telling the people out there about your Social Security plan. It was the same story you used to sell your war: we can clobber Hussein AND cut your taxes, too. The sad part is, it's not too hard to sell a seductive story, even when it's a lie. Spend a little here (on simplistic and deceptive advertizing) and a little there (on "journalists" and pundits who'll pitch your line); stage a little diversion (the story of the planned attack on New York's Grand Central station was all over the news yesterday: coincidence?); target a carefully selected audience (coincidence, again, Bush, that Jackie Robinson gets his Congressional Medal at precisely the moment when your people are courting African American support on Social Security? I think not); then pinpoint those strategic locations around the country where a presidential speech (to the faithful only, Bush; never risk a genuine questioner) can stiffen the sinews and summon up the blood--whatever it is that Prince Hal said. And, as they say in England, Bob's your uncle.

You talk about democracy, Bush. I say that democracy won't work when what it means is a bunch of uniformed people voting in favor of what they've been led by the nose to believe is in their interest. Democracy, as I understand the principle, depends on education--a resource that is in pathetically short supply in this country at the moment, and getting shorter. It means voters who are educated enough to be able to think critically, weigh the issues, and transcend their own short-term interests in view of the long-term benefit of all the people. It means entrusting those for whom we voted with the work that each and every one of us has neither the time, nor the skills, nor the staff to do, in coming to a solid, informed understanding of the full social and economic implications on every serious issue, and then casting a vote as our representative.

What both you and Schwarzenegger are undertaking now, in making your (demagogic, Bush) appeal to "the people" is to subvert the very democracy you purport to be promoting to other countries around the world. What you're practicing is salesmanship rather than persuasion, imperialism rather than diplomacy. And I'm not buying, Bush.