OpEdNews - Page 7 of Article: Broken Government: How Republican Rule Destroyed the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Branches

Liberals, while enjoying the perquisites of office, also want to be in a position to use government to solve problems. But conservatives have different motives for wanting power. One is to prevent liberals from doing so; if government cannot be made to disappear, at least it can be prevented from doing any good.

The other is to build a political machine in which business and the Republican Party can exchange mutual favors; business will lavish cash on politicians (called campaign contributions) while politicians will throw the money back at business (called public policy). Conservatism will always attract its share of young idealists.

And young idealists will always be disillusioned by the sheer amount of corruption that people like Gingrich and DeLay generate.

If yesterday’s conservative was a liberal mugged by reality, today’s is a free-marketer fattened by pork.

If you understand these observations of Alan Wolfe you have grasped the essence of Republican rule. If not, reread this passage, for you will never find a more succinct explanation of the quintessence of modern Republicanism.

I have taken little joy in writing this book. Frankly, I once believed Republicans would be good at governing. But I was wrong: They have demonstrated that they can only rule for limited periods. As used in the pages that follow, “governing” is a craft, a skill, even an art; it is an effort to find common rules under which all can pursue happiness; “ruling,” in contrast, is merely reigning and exercising power.

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