The Politics of (In)Humanity

Posted by Richard Blair at 11:36 AM on March 25, 2007.

Yesterday, I marked my 53rd year on the planet. During my time in this mortal coil, I've observed that the art of politics has devolved from at least a pretense of statesmanship, to little more than a game of one-upmanship. Who scores the most points with the voters and the press? Can perceptions be managed in the least damaging way possible? What about whipping the base into a foaming lather (whether the "base" we're talking about is Democratic or Republican)?

One of the most disturbing aspects of modern day politics is the personalization of attacks and absence of humanity by the practitioners in the game. Whether it's Rush Limbaugh mocking Michael J. Fox's Parkinson's convulsions, or other GOP mouthpieces cynically suggesting that John Edwards is using his wife's illness as a ploy to capture headlines, it's enough to make a person say, "Enough!".

There are few of us who haven't been touched in some manner by the ravages of cancer. The cynical suggestion that anyone would use the disease to further their own personal agendas is nothing less than abhorrent. But that's how people like Rush work - the end game of partisan personal attacks, and influencing a decreasingly compliant base of dittoheads, justifies the means...

I am no fan of the Bush regime's Minister of Truth, Tony Snow, but he displayed a bit of grace after the Edwards' announcement on Thursday. As a cancer survivor, he knows the deal. Indeed, he's heading back into surgery on Monday to have an abdominal growth removed, and will be out of action for a few weeks. Perhaps that's why he can empathize:

Asked about his message to cancer survivors, Snow said: "The biggest problem you have sometimes with cancer is flat-out fear. When you see Elizabeth Edwards saying, 'I'm going to embrace life and I'm going to move forward,' that is a wonderful thing."

But, Rush, on this Sunday perhaps it’s worth remembering:

The mili-second after each of us leaves this earthly scene, we’ll no longer be Republicans or Democrats or independents. Just souls.

And it’s unlikely God will say: “Ditto.”

Tagged as: rush limbaugh, tony snow, compassionate conservativ

Richard Blair is a Philadelphia area freelance writer, and the blogmaster of All Spin Zone.