The Washington Charade

...a man's first duty is to his own conscience and honor; the party and country come second to that, and never first.
- Mark Twain, a Biography

I have received numerous phone calls, emails, and facebook posts since my last blog.  It is satisfying to know that I have been able to open minds to the current political circus.  I think it would serve us all to step back, take off our party loyalties, and do some real thinking.  If you will think for yourself, the charade crumbles.  When you scrape away the gilded facade and tear down the Washington stage set, you will only find a group of children playing at government.

We can always expect children to be self-centered.  We can expect them to live in the moment only.  We can expect them to be naive about the world.  Adults, however, may be expected to sacrifice for others.  We might expect adults to plan and work for the future good.  We also might expect adults to have some practical experience perhaps even wisdom.

Unfortunately, in Washington over the past days we have seen a horrifying display of extreme childishness.  We have seen political children.  The current crop of politicians may have degrees and resumes, but they are children.  The most telling accusation of all is that they show no leadership.  For many reasons adults must lead.  Today, these so-called leaders of the United States of America do not know what the word means. 

It is true the 535 members of the senate and congress cannot all be leaders, but somewhere in the halls somebody needs to step up.  President Obama is supposed to lead.  He is willing to sit back, let others place proposals on the table, and then shot them down.  The President is supposed to put the proposals on the table.  It's his job.  He controls the agenda.  Where is our Presidential leadership these days? 

The Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate are supposed to lead.  Where is any evidence of real leadership?  The party leaders are expected to step up.  Where are they?  They may try to act like leaders and pose for photos like leaders, but real leadership cannot be faked.  Now that we face a crisis the charade is falling apart before our eyes. 

Every cloud has a silver lining.  The silver lining may be the opportunity to see our politicians for what they really are.  Perhaps we need to select our leaders more carefully.  Maybe choosing adults with a little wisdom could be helpful.

In the final analysis it all boils down to this--we have a government filled with children.  They may be forty, fifty, sixty, or eighty years old, but they are children.  Where are the adults?  Where are the men and women we need in 2011?  Our future may depend on finding them.

Immaturity in Washington

"Fleas can be taught nearly anything that a Congressman can." - Mark Twain, What Is Man?

"...the smallest minds and the selfishest souls and the cowardliest hearts that God makes."
- Mark Twain, Letter fragment, 1891

Over the past weeks I have watched Washington with great interest.  I have always been a fan of politics and history.  Since the age of nine, I have been a political animal.  I love debate and the exchange of ideas.  I love reading about politicians who move beyond politics to statesmanship.  My heroes are those men and women who were willing to risk everything for the country.  President Kennedy's book Profiles in Courage has many examples.

With this background the circus we see in Washington in the summer of 2011 is sickening.  I have struggled to make sense of the circus acts we see each day.  And make no mistake it is a three ring circus.  As soon as the President, a senator, or a congress person enters the ring, they start their act.  They are playing to the crowd and looking for applause.  Everybody tries to outdo the last act.  It has been a shameless, embarrassing display of all that's wrong in 2011.

Mark Twain once said, "Get your facts straight; then you may distort them as much as you please."  This summer no one bothers with facts.  No one has his or her facts straight.  I watch video of the proceedings in complete amazement as I hear lie after lie, distortion after distortion, misrepresentation after misrepresentation.  And our so-called leaders do it without embarrassment.

I am sick of the whole group.  I am absolutely disgusted with both Democrats and Republicans.  Just this week I finally realized what bothered me so much about the whole mess--our political leaders are immature brats.  They act just like my high school students used to act in the cafeteria before a food fight.  When they are fourteen and ready to throw a pad of butter at another student, one can understand.  When they are forty and ready to risk the economy of the world to score political points, we cannot and must not forgive.

I have seen mature fourteen-year-old students.  I have seen fifty-year-old children.  Our nation's capital is filled with immature men and women posing as leaders.  Many of them are privileged brats who have had all the advantages, attended the best schools, were swept up into a brilliant career, and ended their rise to fame in Washington.  They clean up great and look good on camera, but they are whining, irresponsible, selfish children.  It is hard to find an adult among them.

From the President to the Senate to the House we are in trouble.  In the summer of 2011 the inmates are truly running the asylum.

A Better Man

"All I care to know is that a man is a human being---that is enough for me; he can't be any worse.  I can get right down and grovel with him."  -Mark Twain's Notebook

Mr. Twain, that's alright for men, but what about women?  Are women human beings or another species altogether?  This has been debated by men for thousands of years.  It all started when when Eve came around that boulder with her new hat and Adam said, "You are absolutely beautiful, but who in the world are you?"

Men are always a little puzzled by women.  Sometimes they are a lot puzzled.  In the movie As Good As It Gets, Jack Nicholson, who plays a writer, is just leaving the publisher. The young female receptionist asks Nicholson a question.
Receptionist:
“How do you write women so well?”
Nicholson:
“I think of a man, and I take away reason and accountability.”

Based on my last blog about manners, a friend suggested that I am a better man than my wife.  I am.  I always have been and always will be.  In this one area I excel.  I am a better man than Patricia.  In all other areas I retire from the field.

For example, woman are much better at apologies.  Men always hem and haw and look ridiculous.  Women just come right out and say, "I am so sorry I hit you with that brick.  I was mistaken.  You looked like a terrorist at the time, and you scared me.  You shouldn't scare people.  Now that I see you are harmless and a little pitiful looking, I regret my rashness.  You must forgive me and come over for fried chicken on Sunday evening."  What can the poor man say?

Like all men, I grovel with you.

Don't Mind My Manners

"It is a mistake that there is no bath that will cure people's manners. But drowning would help." -Mark Twain

We are enjoying National Tom Sawyer Days here on the banks of the mighty Mississippi River.  Once a year the internationally famous boyhood home of Sam Clemens, aka Mark Twain, celebrates the July 4 weekend with an old-fashioned, rip-roaring festival.

The Hannibal-Cannibal Walk Run was off and running early this morning with a boom.  Runners filled the streets and watchers filled the sidewalks.  Over the next two days we will have frog jumping, fence painting, carnival rides, a generous portion of fair food, and, of course, the parade and fireworks on Monday.  Eager citizens descend on the historic district featuring lots of attractions and very few parking spots.  Every nook and cranny of downtown is filled with food carts and carnival rides.  The whole front of my theater is blocked with food carts and pickup trucks. 

National Tom Sawyer Days is an amazing display of human nature.  Like Tom Sawyer in the book, many visitors leave their manners at home.  Since many of our usual tourist crowd stay away during the weekend, our audience always changes.  Yesterday as I walked into the theater getting ready for my show, someone shouted "You're the fake Mark Twain."  I was shocked.  Of course, I am an actor playing a part.  I know and everyone knows that I am not Mark Twain, but most of my guests keep those comments to themselves.  It is also the only time of the year we always have people enter the theater, ask about ticket prices, and leave in a huff.  We try to make sure they understand we are not the Twain Penny Arcade.

Yesterday, one of my American flags made in China and shipped halfway across the world for display on my old theater was stolen.  It is a little like stealing a Gideon Bible from a Motel 6.  Stealing an American flag on Main Street in Hannibal, Missouri, is just bad manners.  What is Main Street coming to?  Don't worry I'm a cynic.  I always keep an extra flag or two on hand during the July 4 festivities.  This is not my first Tom Sawyer rodeo.

Perhaps you are thinking my manners might be in danger.  Don't worry my manners are safe.  When a man offended me today, I picked up a brick and hit him on the head.  Not really, that was on the inside.  I only hit him in my mind.  On the outside I demonstrated restraint and civility.  On the inside I seethed.  On the outside I found a spot to cool off.  It was air-conditioned.  Now that I have calmed down, I can see that the brick was perhaps wrong.  Perhaps, my manners are improving.  I hope so.