I wish to explore my perception of the rather morally vulgar politics played in particular by the modern Republican Party. As I surmised after writing this piece, our current state of our American politics may not be so unique, as there is evidence that we’ve been here before. Yet I wished to address it. It is a personal understanding of mine that today’s America parallels that of perhaps 1850 to 1960. Hence I theorize that studying this times may prove beneficial for our understanding today. To professional historians this may come as second nature, but for the lay-writer I see a benefit in searching old quotes from early America and broadly from history globally.
From Day’s Collacon, an Encyclopedia of Prose Quotations, two quotes on politics seemingly still applicable in 2023 American politics.
“There is an infinity of political errors which, being once adopted, become principles.”
—Abbe Raynal
Guillaume Thomas Raynal (12 April 1713 – 6 March 1796) was a French writer and man of letters during the Age of Enlightenment.
“There is scarcely anything more harmless than political or party malice; it is best to leave it to itself; opposition and contradiction are the only means of giving it life or duration.” — John Witherspoon
John Witherspoon (February 5, 1723 – November 15, 1794) was a Scottish-American Presbyterian minister, educator, farmer, slaveholder, and a Founding Father of the United States.
I notice the Republican Party taking digs at every opportunity to the Biden administration. One expects political criticism to questionable actions by the other political party’s figurehead, but it seems to be noticeably excessive in these times. The blatant nature of playing politics by the spokespersons of the Republican appears to be so overdone that one doubts its effectiveness in the goal of bringing disapproval to the president.
It is realized that a similar rancor occurred during Donald Trump’s one term as well. It would seem to most honest rational observers to be more justified in this case, considering the shenanigans that were witnessed nearly every day for four unstable, chaotic years. It is, however, a matter of perspective. It’s most important for one to be self aware of one’s own biases, in this realm of politics, this perhaps is lacking in many instances. Walking in another’s shoes is not apparently a constant ingredient to one’s human nature.
It has occurred to me that perhaps in the spirit of reprisal that the Republican Party may be fortified in their need for an equal quantity of criticism to even the score. Trump himself is well documented to hold grudges to the extreme, and the party he leads has taken on his personality, one of pathological disorder. Hence there are no surprises in this political behavior.
And although the political shots at Biden come in a torrent, perhaps in the long term they may indeed be somewhat harmless according to John Witherspoon’s quote, if not acted upon. Perhaps triggering the Democratic opposition may have benefits for their brand of substance-less activities, of show and for many the antithesis of statesmanship.
Yet Raynal may be correct in that the Republican excess use of political attacks might indeed result in errors over time. In a party with little in the way of a stated political platform, such errors in blatant lies, and in what can be thought of as antithetical to traditional American norms, neofascist in nature, such errors may become their “principles,” by which to operate. It is my opinion that this may have steered this party to its current state, one of deformity, extreme dysfunction and adrift.
I wish to move to a different reality of a bygone time. Ulysses S. Grant, a Republican and the 18th US President, a Civil War hero, was known to dislike politics. Playing politics was apparently distasteful to him. Others in the Republican Party at that time seemed frustrated with Grant’s predilection to avoid politics. Republican Senator Ben Wade (1800 – 1878), an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Senator for Ohio from 1851 to 1869, said of Grant “as quick as I’d talk politics, he’d talk horses, and he could talk for hours on that without getting tired.”
Furthermore, unlike the modern leaders within the Republican Party Ulysses Grant was committed to unification of a country torn apart from a war. From the little I have read of this man, that is my greatest takeaway from his national leadership. A quote of his is as follows:
“Avoid all ill - feeling among your parties.”
This is the antithesis of the current MAGA movement in particular, which has many wedges to drive toward division of Americans, wherever a potential fault line can be differentiated. And politics is the hammer to which to drive the wedges, and drive them quickly and like ants stirred on their hill, others must join in in the splitting.
And of Grant’s platform, which he accepted, it was based on continuing Reconstruction, protecting the rights of loyal southerners including African Americans, and ultimately granting all male citizens the right to vote. This in the 1868 election. Such a platform is substantial in its noble principles compared to which the party now represents. One may realize that both political parties have evolved or devolved over the time from the Civil War, essentially exchanging roles in many
Originally formed in opposition to the antebellum expansion of slavery and held together to support the union war effort during the Civil War, the Republican Party of 1868 was fractious with other political issues such as taxation, tariffs, and civil service reform. Even the extent of African American civil rights was debated vigorously within the party. The wide range of apparent views within the party at this time might indicate a more inclusive organization. The party may have been experiencing growing pains, yet most importantly there was positive growth.
“In our age there is no such thing as 'keeping out of politics.' All issues are political issues, and politics itself is a mass of lies, evasions, folly, hatred and schizophrenia.”
— George Orwell (1903-1950)
George Orwell describes American politics in his day which has remarkable similarities to today. Seems that we are stuck with the game of politics, and to dream of a reduction in its quantity and an increase in its useful quality may not be in the cards. The mention of “schizophrenia” is particularly noteworthy in the political pathology we observe in tweet after tweet, word after word of certain individuals who have become media stars due primarily to their insanity. The words of “hatred” and “lies” also resonates to any close observer of today’s politics.
Can the Republican Party return to a party of concrete principles for which they are willing to present to America in a straightforward manner, or will they continue to try and poke holes in the dike of the opposition party hoping for an opportunistic disaster to occur in which a political benefit will be their award? There's a heavy loaded barge now on a path with seemingly no means of changing course, with a blind captain who is convinced that providence will steer his ship downstream to his destination. Only the captain and crew can change course, but political attacks are its only reality removed from the actual reality of the needs of the people.
I came across the word “conviviality” when searching for “compromise” from the 1884 Day’s Collacon reference book. Hoping to end this writing with a lining, although not silver, still of some worthy metal. Are we in 2023 not capable of being convivial with our fellow persons, even those we may disagree with. Sir Issac Newton (1642-1727), who was a giant of scientific advancement has a quote I wish to share.
“A social and convivial spirit is such that it is happiness to live and converse with.” — Sir Issac Newton
In July of 2021, I made a trip across this long state of Montana to my hometown for a memorial service of an elderly brother in law who passed from COVID-19. At that time I really could not fathom talking politics with Republican family members. But for several nights a sister of more my left leaning tendencies and I discussed politics in a very candid manner. My Republican sister, a retired ranch wife, one time federal employee, said many things which were troubling at the time. She did not realize the significance of January 6, 2021. This was quite striking to the two of us from Western Montana. She also commented in a rather disturbing way that “we are the ones with the guns.” And she scoffed at my insistence that Trump is mentally ill. I have not had the opportunity to return to the kitchen table to test if her views may have changed. Mine certainly haven’t in the least.
Yet, overall it proved to be a convivial conversation of substance. And from this isolated ranch in Montana, came the same honest and applicable criticisms of the Democratic Party. So I mention this as a key perhaps to bridge our national divide.
We must agree to compromise to a certain degree. To this, I agree with Joe Biden, my sisters and others. All end with another quote from a Republican Senator in the 1800s, who was unwilling to compromise. For him, it was the issue of slavery and Reconstruction for which was his ultimate boundary, being very “radical” at the time for human rights of the American blacks. He apparently was a critic of Ulysses Grant, in that he was unsatisfied with the president’s response to establishing equality. There is a certain admiration in not compromising on certain issues, having political boundaries, such as Joe Biden’s stances on Social Security, Medicare and military and economic aid to Ukraine.
“From the beginning of our history the country has been afflicted with compromise. It is by compromise that human rights have been abandoned. I insist that this shall cease. The country needs repose [a state of resting after exertion or strain] after all its trials; it deserves repose. And repose can only be found in everlasting principles.”
— Charles Sumner.
Charles Sumner (January 6, 1811 – March 11, 1874) was an American statesman and United States Senator from Massachusetts. As an academic lawyer and a powerful orator, Sumner was the leader of the anti-slavery forces in the state and a leader of the Radical Republicans in the U.S. Senate during the American Civil War. During Reconstruction, he fought to minimize the power of the ex-Confederates and guarantee equal rights to the freedmen. He fell into a dispute with President Ulysses Grant, a fellow Republican, over the control of Santo Domingo, leading to the stripping of his power in the Senate and his subsequent effort to defeat Grant's re-election.
So I do hope that sharing through compromise occurs in the future from the left, center and right of the American political spectrum. But as in Biden’s leadership example with caveats. And I expect no different from the other side, and hope for it. For at this time it may not in reality exist in abundance.
15th Posting, February 24, 2023