Please Stop Telling Me How Courageous Politicians Are

[JFN1]

Seems like a lot of Democrats have really lowered the bar on what courage is.

Lots of blogs, news outlets, and websites, with lots of authors telling me how brave and courageous our politicians are - particularly those running for President.

Every day it is a parade of 'profiles in courage' for Edwards, and Clinton, and Obama.

I'm a combat veteran. I've faced bullets and mortars and bombs and snipers and booby-traps and mines, and lived to tell about it. Even after all of these years, I still get crazy sometimes when I hear a loud, unexpected noise, often seeking cover before I realize I'm not in combat, I'm safe at home. And I don't consider myself to be particularly courageous.

I've seen courage on the battlefield. I've seen courage under circumstances I can't even bring myself to visualize without panic beginning to build within me. I've seen bravery and honor, and I know what courageous people do.

And what I've seen out of contemporary politicians - it ain't courage.

Our men and women dying in Iraq are the ONLY example of courage I've seen in our country of late. They know the score, yet they continue to serve, to be maimed, and to die.

But so many Democrats (and Republicans) insist that courage is found in the actions and words of our politicians.

Uh-huh.

Let me help you folks who believe and endlessly espouse how Obama, Clinton, and Edwards are "courageous," by reminding you where the bar for courage should be set - at least for politicians.

Martin Luther King, Jr. is a perfect example of a political figure who actually had courage.

Imagine, if you will, Obama, or Clinton, or Edwards, EVEN ONCE taking the stand that Mr. King took daily. Let's see them EVEN ONCE risk THEIR LIVES for what they tell the rest of us they believe. Mr. King risked his life for what he believed in daily, and ultimately died for his convictions.

That, my friends, is real, actual courage. It's not manufactured, it's not packaged, it's not sold. It's simple, straightforward, human.

Do you really believe standing in front of a crowd you want MONEY FROM and telling that crowd what they want to hear - is courageous? Sorry, this does not strike me as courageous, and smacks more of opportunism and salesmanship than bravery.

Saying you will do something, then waiting to do it until you can measure the overall benefit your actions will have for you personally (ie, voting LAST on a bill, to see where the crowd is going first) - is not courage.

Saying you will do something, and then offering only excuses as to why it cannot be done - is not courage.

Bringing up past 'accomplishments' as a means to cover current failures - is not courage.

Speaking the TRUTH at all times, regardless of political RISK - is courage.

Doing the right thing, despite political RISK - is courage.

In this political environment, there is only ONE reason why our 'courageous' politicians do not act courageously. It is crystal clear, from polling, from reading the blogs, from talking to people at work or at school, what We the People want - an end to the war in Iraq, the reigning in of an Executive branch out of control, restoration of the entire Constitution, etc.

So if our politicians, especially those 'front runners' who seek to lead this nation, are so damned courageous, why are we still at war? Why is Bush receiving another $190 billion for the war? Why is Bush being allowed to gut social programs at will, while connecting a direct pipeline from the treasury to his cronies and their companies?

So please.

Stop telling me about the courage of our politicians.

It is not ethical for you to misrepresent in this way, for it is extremely clear you've forgotten what courage is supposed to mean.

If you need a reminder of what courage is - ask an Iraq War veteran. Ask the family of a current service member stationed in Iraq. Spend a day volunteering at a VA hospital.

Then tell me all about your politicians and their courage. It would be nice to see a little responsibility from you purveyors of courage.

And please, please, please: STOP lowering the bar for the rest of us.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

1. Actually I never hear of politicians being described as courageous these days.

What newspapers have you been reading? :shrug:

[JFN1]

2. There was an op-ed piece today

in my local paper about how Obama is so courageous to take on the Beltway politicians, and how his 'courageous actions of five years ago are mirrored in his brave efforts today.'

This crap is all over the place, and I see it here, too. The actual word 'courage' is not always used, but it is inherently implied in the packaging/selling of our politicians.

[gateley]

3. In some instances I think the word "egotistical" could be substituted. nt

[TwilightGardener]

4. "Courage" is definitely an overused word, in most situations. Its meaning

has been totally watered-down, I agree, and politicians generally don't demonstrate it while in office. That's what makes the rare exceptions so notable. I think Russ Feingold has political courage--there are almost no election/political calculations evident in his Senate positions and votes. His constituents may not always agree with him, but he doesn't care--he knows they'll vote him out of office if they don't like the job he's doing, and that will be that. That's the way they all should be.

[Mojorabbit]

5. great post eom

[Trisket-Bisket]

6. T

Sniff,Snort. The wind smells foul of bad humor and false posture tonight. Aye Captain,a fair wind it is not.

[Skittles]

7. THANK YOU

I agree the words "courageous" and "heroic" are tossed around much, much too easily these days. I see it is often applied to politicians for doing the bare minimum of their jobs while accomplishing very little.

[ixion]

8. Indeed. There is nothing courageous about choosing a career in politics

quite the opposite, in fact.

[Riktor]

10. It's a fail-safe...

To quote Louis Black, "You'll never hear anyone say, 'He used to be the vice president... now he's addicted to heroin!'".

Going into politics pretty much guarantees you income for the rest of your natural life, provided you don't fuck up like Mark Foley fucked up. But, even if you're a fuck up like Jesse Helms, some dipshit somewhere will be throwing cash at you to commemorate something, talk about something, or endorse some other life-long fuck-up. If that doesn't sound like the bee's knees, the best part about being a politician is you don't even have to do anything! Didn't make good on your promises to your constituents? No problem! Blame it on the opposite party's unwillingness to compromise!

How courageous!!!!

[razzleberry]

9. replace 'courageous' with 'self-serving' n/t

[ClayZ]

11. K and R ... great post!

[Perry Logan]

12. You'd love the "Kamikaze Democrats"!

Once upon a time, in the Texas state legislature, there was once a group of liberal Democrats who were always in the minority. They could never win a vote, but they always voted as a group--and lost. They were called "The Kamikaze Democrats."

Sure, they were courageous. But they never won ANYTHING--and everyone thought they were pretty funny.

In truth, courage has little to do with passing legislation. You either have the votes or you don't. Politics is not a knife fight, and Republicans are not bad-asses.

If you would just brush up on how legislatures work, the urge to badmouth politicians as cowards will go away.

[JFN1]

14. It is not an urge

It is a fact. Those who hold as their first concern their own personal benefit, are almost universally cowards. Do they have the potential to be more? To do more? To take risks? Yes of course. Do they? So very seldom that using the word 'courage' to describe them can only be thought of as hyperbole - or the purest bullshit.

[Zandor]

13. I always admire the courage of our military

Thank you for your service. Good post.

K & R

[robinlynne]

15. I agree with you Op, with one exception. besides soldiers who are dying, there

are plenty of good courageous people out there, not politicians, although I find conyers and boxer courageous, but people working to restore civil liberties, people working to expose truth in different ways, people in new orleans who are trying to stand up to the biggest machine there is, peace protestors who are willing to go to jail to save lives, the ACLU, lawyers who work for election protection and other freedoms for us. So I would like to add all these people to the courageous list.
(I agree about Clinton, Obama and Edwards, and especially our congress.)