In politics, perception is reality. That is a widely held truism in the political realm. While catching up on some of the reading I missed last week, I found Betsy Newmark's latest Examiner column on the topic of fakery in politics, including some excellent examples of how much damage can be done when politicians are more concerned with seeming, rather than being.
They posture and preen to score political points but ultimately accomplish nothing.She goes on to give other examples including one in which such fakery endangers our national security. Read it all.For example, whenever gas prices climb, you'll see politicians work up a righteous anger and vow to prosecute those evil price-gouging oil companies getting rich off the suffering of the driving public. It's a sure bet that they will commission a study, just as they did after the price increases following Hurricane Katrina. And like that study, and all the other dozens of investigations that preceded it, they'll find no illegal market manipulation or price gouging, only natural reactions to market forces.
Politicians know that they'll get this same result every time, but both parties eagerly call for such investigations anyway. Faced with constituents upset about high gas prices, our elected representatives are desperate to be seen as doing something to alleviate the pain at the pump. Only those who know something about economics or recent history will recognize a price-gouging investigation for the play-acting it is.
This is cross-posted at Wizbang.
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Comments (4)
You've got an open italic t... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Lee | July 8, 2006 7:17 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
You've got an open italic tag somewhere, Lorie, that is causing the rest of the page to stay in italics.
1. Posted by Lee | July 8, 2006 7:17 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on July 8, 2006 19:17
2. Posted by Lorie Byrd | July 8, 2006 9:22 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Thanks for pointing that out. I fixed it. The italics did make the page look kinda pretty though. Sorry, I am a girl at heart. But for the record, I never did do those hearts as dots on my "i's" or anything.
2. Posted by Lorie Byrd | July 8, 2006 9:22 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on July 8, 2006 21:22
3. Posted by Lee | July 8, 2006 10:47 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
well, I think "Lorie" with a little heart over the "i" would look cute, but I'm glad you set the record (and the page) straight. Politics is serious business you know (wink).
3. Posted by Lee | July 8, 2006 10:47 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on July 8, 2006 22:47
4. Posted by kimyl oh | July 8, 2006 11:08 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
The reason gas is always important is that it it essential to everything. high market prices are fine, just like failing business is fine, as long as its not essential goods. the feds helped airlines cuz they're important to infrastructure. in the same way, gas profits are not innocuous, they drive inflation and hurt standards of living across the board.... i won't argue that politicians don't posture, though. just look at the House agenda....
4. Posted by kimyl oh | July 8, 2006 11:08 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on July 8, 2006 23:08