It was a comment yesterday that The Mound of Sound (a.k.a. The Disaffected Lib) made in response to a cartoon I posted depicting the much beleaguered Senator Wallin that made me think. He reminded me of an earlier time when there was honour associated with public service, and expressed the hope that Harper's poisonous partisanship is something that we will eventually recover from.
I have been following politics for a very long time, something that no doubt partially accounts for my deep cynicism. I am well-aware that the current scandals engulfing the notorious quartet of senators under investigation cannot be seen as an indictment of the entire institution; in fact, in many ways it is a mere diversion, or at best a sensational tip of the iceberg, of much deeper problems plaguing our democracy, problems that have only worsened under the dark reign of the Harper cabal, problems that may seem irrelevant to the majority but are in fact threatening the kind of life and values that we enjoy as Canadians.
Yet my gratification at the public squirming of people like Wallin and Duffy is deep and abiding. Mound's comments set me to thinking about why. In my daily life, I like to think that I have a reasonable amount of empathy for others. Why is it totally absent when it comes to public figures who hold authority? Why does the betrayal of public trust, the abuse of power, inflame me so much? I think there are likely three reasons:
Having been 'taught' in the Catholic school systems many years ago, I and many of my fellow students were regularly subjected to both physical and verbal abuse by our teachers, abuse that began in elementary school, only to be intensified at the secondary level. It took me many many years to overcome my anger and bitterness over that mistreatment.
As a teacher, I was keenly aware of the responsibility and trust the position entailed. Almost all of the people I worked with over the years respected that trust. All of us knew that the rare instances in which it was violated reflected badly on all of us. it was a trust we did not take lightly.
Also during my teaching career, I was witness to administrative abuse of authority, decisions made that favoured students and their parents in the effort to stave off parental complaints that could impede their upward career trajectory. Once, I was myself the victim of a vindictive principal who disciplined me with an insubordination charge for the campaign I mounted to get a candy vending machine removed from beside my classroom due to the noise and distraction it caused, as well as what I considered to be the inappropriate commercialization of an academic area. It was a charge I later successfully fought and had removed from my record.
So I guess my point is a public justification for the animus I hold against people in high places who treat others, mainly the electorate, with contempt. Stephen Harper does it, his acolytes do it, as do his Senate appointees. I ardently look forward to their fall, but hope the damage they have done to people's faith is not irreparable.
For those interested, Rosie DiManno has Ms Wallin in her sights today, as does Tim Harper. As well, the Star editorializes on how all of this reflects very very badly on our Prime Minister and his abysmal judgement in appointing three of the four senators now at the receiving end of profound public odium.
People seem to forget that the root meaning from honour derives from honest. Now the two are like complete strangers to each other...
ReplyDeletethat is so true, Anon. We can only hope for some kind of restoration of virtue in the post-Harper era.
DeleteThe Star's editorial is spot on, Lorne. This is about Harper's ability to judge character. He appoints those who hold dear what he holds dear -- and that is the source of the present debacle.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, Owen, his appointments do seem to be a mirror of Harper's dark soul, don't they?
DeleteLorne, I am sorry to hear of your suffering as a child and then as a teacher. It is a troubled world.
ReplyDeleteI worked with politicians for years and I have fairly good understanding of them and their Modus operandi. First thing which surprised me the most, when I started the job, was that there was two types of information - the real one and then the one for public consumption. That was true pretty well of all politicians.
I taught for a short while in an Ontario University. I was lucky that I had great colleagues and had wonderful experience with students. Luckily I did not go through what you went through. Even educated people like the one you described can be very devious. Sad part is that they leave an impact on students.
Thank you, LeDaro. One of the saving graces for me as a teacher over the years was that, like you, I worked with some great colleagues. We looked to each other for strength and support, and that got us through the tough times.
Deleteit is really unfortunate that politics in the worst sense of the word has become the modus operandi of far too many groups and institutions. The concern for optics and the efforts to cultivate image frequently detract from and pollute the work they are supposed to be doing.
Why do we lambaste Harper as a poor judge of character? He wasn't interested in character in these Senate appointments. His sole focus was on utility, capital. He operated as a pimp, plain and simple. Forget about Duffy and Wallin and Brazeau. Look at the gaggle of uncontroversial third-raters that Harper has used as stuffing for the Senate. You'll be looking a long time before you'll find much in the way of character among their ranks. Their mediocrity is overwhelming and it's on the same plane as their robotic reliability. They're there to do the bidding of PMO minions.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed LD's line about the two forms of political dialogue - the one for public consumption and the real one. It was my great fortune when I first was assigned to cover Ottawa municipal politics that a veteran pol introduced me to that reality. I would observe the business conducted in public and he would then fill in what was actually going on. I even sat in on a couple of meetings between this fellow and the then mayor, both very accomplished lawyers and debaters, as they went through the lengthy agenda for an upcoming meeting. Where possible (in about half the items) they would pick sides. One would speak for the item, the other against. This way they would get the key issues out very quickly and, they hoped, avoid hours of rambling discussion from other councillors.
From that experience I did learn to look for and often find the real story behind the public story and that talent stood me in good stead in my subsequent legal career.
To me, the real story of the Senate isn't a couple of pocket-lining miscreants but the way Harper has gored the institution by stuffing it with so many unaccomplished but obedient stooges. The story is how our deviant prime minister has perverted the Senate and, in so doing, the utter contempt he has shown for our country and our Parliament.
And it is this absolute debasement of the Senate at Harper's hands that leaves me quite pessimistic about the prospects for its future rehabilitation, Mound. As I'm sure you well know, rarely is any legislation that appeared odious in Opposition repealed when that Opposition became the government. Similarly, I fear that Harper's filling the Senate with drones to do his bidding has set a new low standard that will likely continue under subsequent governments.
DeleteIn this, I hope I am wrong.