Was having another of those discussions about the ills that confront us and about how we don’t seem to be capable of electing a government that will strive for the best long-term outcomes for the general citizenry and I was reminded of those on-line questionnaires in which you place yourself on a quadrant with one axis representing the progressive/conservative dichotomy, the other representing the continuum from authoritarian to libertarian. I’m proposing a version of that same quadrant-type visualization that would help to frame the problems that confront us in working within our current social parameters. Basically, where there is a system of governance based on the implementation of ethical principles, and where the people charged with the implementation of those principles are themselves imbued with a deep sense of ethical obligation, there is also likely to be a government that will represent an informed constituency and consider a large part of its mandate to be the informing and ongoing education of its electorate in all aspects of its mission. A huge problem arises when an ethical system gets compromised by people who do not possess the ethical foundation to fulfill the mission confided to them, where they stray into narrower self-interest and to supporting the accumulation of wealth and power for groups to whom they are sympathetic, either by emotional attachment or by dint of deriving a benefit from those groups. Conversely, a system that is built on a weak or ineffectual ethical foundation will tend to thwart even the most ethical of people who find themselves trying to right a skewed government. From my standpoint, the worst case is where unethical people are able, through an unethical system of governance, not only to enrich and empower themselves and their friends, but also to perpetuate that situation and to cloak their activities behind a smokescreen of omissions, half-truths, misdirections, propaganda and outright lies.

The exercise now is to think of the various régimes under which we have the privilege of living and to place them on this graphic.

A Few Guesses

It’s an interesting exercise to plot positions on the quadrant for leaders of all stripes, but there are a couple of ticklish questions that arise, not the least of which is any judgment of ethics and what is, or is not, for the greater good.

Over the last several decades, a host of people in positions of authority have subscribed to the notion of trickle-down economics as expounded by Hayek and Friedman. The hegemony of this doctrine is still largely in place along with the notion of the infallibility of markets, though there seems, thankfully, to be a counter current that seeks to recognize that, while the theory may have stemmed from the purest of motives, the practice has largely devolved into a greed fest. Where I would put, for instance Saint Ronald Reagan in the picture would differ considerably from where many others might put him.

Note also that I have put Nelson Mandela on the quadrant in a spot not overly populated, based on my knowledge of the man and his achievements, and I feel reasonably confident in doing so, particularly when he had the courage to lead from outside after one term in office when it was clear that he could have stayed on for longer. However, most public figures are a mash-up of motivations and actions and it often seems clear that we don’t have the necessary information to make an accurate assessment. Some figures, also, tend to be weighed on the basis of their pronouncements rather than on their actions. Public figures are often capable of grandiloquent pronouncements that bear little or no relation to the policies they implement. Thoughtful people often need to engage in internal debate (hopefully not in supermarket aisles) before engaging fellow citizens on matters of personalities and policies.

The second part of the discussion dealt with the indifference and frustration of a large part of the electorate, specifically here in Canada and B.C., an indifference built on lack of real choice. For most of recent history, there was a choice of Liberal or Conservative at the Federal level, with no other party having a realistic chance to form government. Even now with an Official Opposition of New Democrats, the choices have narrowed as the NDP has attempted to make itself more electable by moving to a “mer too” centre. In BC the same situation exists where a Socred/Liberal choice is arrayed against a New Democrat alternative that has failed to capitalize on a couple of stints in government to make a dent in the damage done by their opponents. There is also considerable frustration with legislators being unable to distinguish between governance and politics, between getting the work of government done and getting re-elected. Voters are throwing up their hands and throwing in the towel in increasing numbers as voting increasingly seems a mugs’ choice and the only option that citizens have to participate in running their own social business.

Often, a good part of the electorate has little or no notion of what is being done for them and to them, both because the entire succession of governments in recent history has done a great job of letting out as little information as possible about what they are doing, about how they are doing it and about the possible consequences of their actions. In addition, the press generally has tended to serve the interests of a certain set of groups, largely represented by the BC Liberals and the Federal Conservatives/Liberals, ensuring that the flow of information and analysis is restricted to as great an extent as possible. Further, there are many easier and more entertaining activities available to a large part of the electorate, creating a cocoon fantasy world of “reality” shows, “news”, films, concerts and parties that help us forget what our real obligations might be. Some citizens are so busy scrambling to feed, house and clothe themselves that they literally have no time to think about the ethical considerations relating to participation in the business of government: governing (and reflection) becomes an activity reserved for the leisured classes.