Ya Soffie,Thanks for sharing a highly educative piece. This is very relevant as we struggle to find a meaningful way forward in The Gambia.Regards,Omar.> Date: Fri, 9 Mar 2007 10:33:56 -0500> From: [log in to unmask]> Subject: FW: [>-<] Is Honest Politics Possible?> To: [log in to unmask]> > Old and I think, quite relevant.  Thanks Baba.> > Soffie> > -----Original Message-----> From: Baba Galleh Jallow > Sent: Friday, November 14, 2003 8:41 AM> > > Is Honest Politics Possible?> > by Kwasniewski Aleksander> President of Poland> > "Those who desire to treat politics and morals separately will never> understand anything of either." So wrote Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and I> agree. The practice of politics not only can but must be reconciled with> the imperatives of honesty.> > But what is honesty or dishonesty in a politician? Is it possible for a> politician to be honest at all?> > The question goes to the heart of democracy. When voters write off> politicians as dishonest, anti-democratic movements thrive. Yet all> politicians know that ambiguity and compromise tend to prevail over> universal truths. Sometimes one must choose the lesser evil. Our> ordinary standards of decency and righteousness cannot always be applied> - but not because cynicism and hypocrisy are all that matter in> politics.> > Consider, for example, that prince of ambiguity, the Duc de Talleyrand.> Not only corrupt, but a notorious traitor to consecutive masters,> Talleyrand was said to have failed to sell his own mother only because> there were no takers. Yet, although serially disloyal to French rulers,> Talleyrand probably never betrayed France.> > Political dishonesty, it turns out, takes different forms. Let us> identify the various types. One type is someone who is a dishonest man> or woman to begin with. Such a person will be a dishonest leader,> ideologue, or diplomat in any circumstance.> > Another type is the well-meaning dilettante. Clumsy and amateurish, the> dilettante's actions harm the interests he aims to advance.> > Political "gamblers," on the other hand, put competence to bad use. They> are skilled but ruthless, lack humility and eschew reflection. The> gambler's close kin is the political "troublemaker," who pursues his> soaring ambitions by any means necessary, whatever the risks and> regardless of the cost to others.> > The political "fanatic" is also dishonest, for he is blinded by the> conviction that he is absolutely right in all cases. The fanatic is> inflexible and inertial, a steamroller ready to flatten everything in> his way. By contrast, the political "wheeler-dealer" is no less> dishonest, for he lacks what the first President Bush called the "vision> thing." He is spineless, devoid of principle, and retreats in the face> of responsibility.> > Beyond these distinct types of dishonest politicians are more general> political postures. Cynical forms of pragmatism take the lead, embodied> in the principle that the end justifies the means whenever moral> imperatives conflict with political interests.> > At the other extreme is a naive, utopian, and moralistic stance that is> equally dishonest. Its acolytes deplore the grit and relativism of> politics and issue futile appeals for moral revivals. But things are not> that simple. History is not an idyll and politicians' biographies do not> read like the lives of the saints. Paradoxically, if all people were> honest, politics would become redundant.> > This does not mean that we cannot identify honest politicians when we> see them. Immanuel Kant described two types of politicians. The> political moralist wants to "hammer out morality" in keeping with the> requirements of politics construed as a cynical game. It is a label that> easily applies to all the types of dishonest politicians described> above.> > Kant's second type is the moral politician, who rejects cynical> pragmatism but does not succumb to naive moralising. An honest> politician is someone who regards politics as a tool for achieving the> common good. He is not naive, and knows that patience, compromise, and a> policy of small steps are often needed. Yet in pursuing partial goals he> will not lose sight of higher objectives.> > An honest politician, in short, pursues a pragmatism built on> principles, on the courage to say unpleasant things, but always with a> constructive attitude. Indeed, irresponsible criticism - the eagerness> to expose and publicize a problem, unmatched by the willingness to> propose feasible solutions - is perhaps the most common form of> dishonesty in politics.> > This is why actual governance is so often the best test of political> honesty. In democratic countries, if politicians who are critical of> others while in opposition prove to be ineffective when in government,> voters can - and often do - punish their dishonesty at the ballot box.> > The toughest test of an honest politician comes when he or she must> defend ideas that are unpopular but right. Not everyone passes such a> test, particularly when elections are approaching. However, only the> dishonest politician equates politics exclusively with popularity.> > At the same time, a moral politician never succeeds single-handedly in> ensuring the common good. Only when politicians support one another's> decency can they be confident that in critical moments for the state,> they can rise above their political divisions.> > But political honesty is not the sole responsibility of politicians.> Public opinion must play its part as well. After all, political honesty> - and honest politicians - is more likely to take root in a society> marked by a culture of tolerance, solidarity, and the equal enjoyment of> individual rights. Political mischief-makers do poorly in such soil.> > I am a political practitioner, first and foremost. So I know that no> theory, no amount of analysis, can free a politician from bouts of soul-> searching, from troubling his or her conscience with questions about> what is and what is not honest when confronting political choices. Above> all else, the honest politician willingly shoulders this burden.> > Aleksander Kwasniewski is President of Poland. This text is based upon> his recent speech to Project Syndicate member editors in Vienna.> Copyright: Project Syndicate/Institute for Human Sciences, December 2002> > > > > > > ----------------------------gambiapost.NET------------------------------> ------LATEST NEWS FROM THE GAMBIA, NOW AT:>>-------> http://www.gambiapost.net/newspaper> -------------ACCESS TO OUR ARCHIVE AT:>>-----------> http://www.gambiapost.net/signon.php> (password is : freedumo )> --------CHAT WITH FELLOW GAMBIA POSTERS>>----------> http://65.18.147.105/chat/index.php> ------------------------------------------------------------------------> Be sure to contact List Management for (un)subscription requests by> e-mail addressed to: [log in to unmask] or simply follow our DIY> directions> at:              http://www.gambiapost.net/unsubscribe.htm> ------------------------------------------------------------------------> -> (c)2002 Our Guiding Principle : "Va, pensiero", "Let thought(s) fly> forth"> ------------------------------------------------------------------------> -> > ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤> To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface> at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html> > To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l> To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:> [log in to unmask]> ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
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