Cryptography is a science of deduction and controlled experiment; hypotheses are formed, tested and often discarded. But the residue which passes the test grows until finally there comes a point when the experimenter feels solid ground beneath his feet: his hypotheses cohere, and fragments of sense emerge form their camouflage. The code “breaks.” (John Chadwick, The Decipherment of Linear B, as quoted in The Code Book, by Simon Singh)
If only … people would treat politics like cryptography. The breaking of the ancient Greek Linear B was an intellectual accomplishment of historical significance – a remarkable feat. Understanding American politics is far less complicated. It is coded and needs to be unencrypted, but once done is quite easy to understand. There are several basic rules:
1. Assurances mean nothing. In fact, assurance are as often a means of disarming opposition. For instance, Obama’s campaign pledge to support a public option had just that effect. Assurance we are receiving now that the Bush tax cuts will be allowed to expire should not be trusted.
2. Politicians can favor something in public and fight it behind the scenes. And often do. Sen Michael Bennet’s (D-CO) public support of the public option as he worked against it was just such a maneuver.
4. Party affiliation is skin deep. Having two parties gives us the illusion of choice, but the same people finance each party and have power and leverage over them. So, when they go behind closed doors, it is about interests, and not parties. This gives rise to the notion that politicians ought to wear patches of their corporate sponsors, like NASCAR drivers do.
5. Politicians rarely appear on uncontrolled forums. There are always a thousand questions we would like to ask office holders, but they are never cornered on a public forum. They rarely take questions from the floor, and usually appear in scripted debates facilitated by professional journalists, who are taught not to be confrontational. Hosting a debate is a sure sign that a journalist is thought to be safe.
7. Money matters, but power matter more. As I mentioned to my arch-enemy Rod Kailey below, the fact that wiretaps are everywhere in DC, and yet there are no investigations of those wiretaps, is telling. There are call girls all over DC, and office employees more than willing to canoodle the boss. There are free trips, junkets, tickets to sporting events, jobs for family members … and more. Each of these items opens the door for pressure. That’s how power works. They have to use force people to get people to do things they do not want to do. It takes power, and that power is knowledge.
The only answer is eternal vigilance, and that ship sailed long ago.
Piece of Mindful 
The answer, sir, is not vigilance but refusal.
The day we declare that no human problem can be solved by beating up our fellow man, we will have turned a new corner in freedom and civilization.
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For so long as some people have power over other people, they will abuse that power. Only counter-power stops this. One way for ordinary people to power is via democratic governance. You seem to abhor this basic principle. You therefore suppor those who have power over those who don’t, and so support the violence that naturally ensues.
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You clump violence and influence together under your description of power.
Power of influence in NON-violent.
Power of the gun is violent.
You wish to resist the power of influence.
This is very easy. I have found that the word “No” is very effective.
But you are annoyed at being in a position where your best interest is to say “Yes” because if you say “No” you can’t get the goods you want. You want the goods, but want to say “No” to having to earn them.
To repair this (non) problem, you want to be able to force the other party -by the power of a gun- to agree to your conditions.
Your condition and position: “I want the goods and I do not want to earn it. Here is my gun. Give me my goods.”
This solution to this (non)problem actually creates a real problem – a wrestling match over the gun. Because you have it, others want it too.
To create some sort of order out of this wrestling match over the use of the gun, you believe the best way to manage the use of the gun is by a show of hands.
You are willing the to risk the use of the gun AGAINST you for the small chance you get to use the gun against someone else. Though the odds are low, you feel the reward is worth the chance at it.
But this game always tends to favor those that are willing to use the gun inside and outside of your game. They then rig the game so that no matter what, they get the gun. But you still want to play the game believing you still have a chance at it.
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I’m not your arch-enemy, Mark. You haven’t really any power, so you’re not worth much as an “arch” anything. You’re impotent. Of course, your wife could confirm my suspicions, but I doubt she will …
And please, keep promoting my porn name. I kind a like it at this point. Of course, so does your wife, and thankfully not your mother.
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You work so hard on your insults. They don’t flow naturally, and.of course are tedious. Work on snippy.
I’ve read your work over at LITW. JD did nail it. You are a Reagan Democrat. And you’ve no real sense of politics. Please study the post above, as you can use it.
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