They Have Really Screwed Up... So We Should Trust Them With More?

Catholic writer Colleen Carroll Campbell has a column at STLtoday, Thursday:

.... The steady drumbeat of scandalous revelations since Election Day has been dispiriting, but it may be a blessing in disguise. For a nation gripped by economic anxiety and desperate to believe that a change in administrations will prove a panacea for our economic woes, these daily dispatches remind us that the men and women we entrust with our tax dollars do not deserve blank checks or blind loyalty. They are flawed, fallible and prone to overspending, overpromising and misusing their power for selfish gain. They are politicians, not demigods or Santa Claus.

Given how poorly many of our national political leaders handle the perks and purse strings they already control, we should think twice before giving them free rein to exponentially expand government and manage even more of our money. At a time when a $1 trillion stimulus package barely raises eyebrows inside the Beltway, it's worth remembering that no political party or leader is immune from the temptations that accompany absolute power. And no populace is as vulnerable to granting that absolute power as one racked by fear and seeking a savior.

Campbell alludes to Lord Acton's Dictum: Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Her column also calls to mind some remarks by C. S. Lewis:

I believe in political equality. But there are two opposite reasons for being a democrat. You may think all men so good that they deserve a share in the government of the commonwealth, and so wise that the commonwealth needs their advice. That is, in my opinion, the false, romantic doctrine of democracy. On the other hand, you may believe fallen men to be so wicked that not one of them can be trusted with any irresponsible power over his fellows. That I believe to be the true ground of democracy.

Lane Core Jr. CIW P — Sat. 01/10/09 10:06:48 AM
Categorized as Political.