NYT David Brooks- The Stem and the Flower

    A good friend, JimmyC, suggested that I read David Brooks' column "The Stem and the Flower," so I did. I’m in general agreement with Brooks' narrative that government moves slowly and that we should not expect much in the way of results from the process, but I do not agree with his conclusion that we should take politics less seriously.
   What I think Brooks could have included in his column was that although government moves as slowly as the tectonic plates, our current day politicians can have a significant impact on the culture rather quickly. It’s the “fish stinks from the head” theory. Having worked in corporate culture during my career it was quite apparent that the attitude of the leaders filters through the culture very quickly, sometimes because their reputation preceded them and some because they were simply charismatic. When a miserable bastard was the boss the peeps sulked; when the boss was one who made it clear that he wanted his people to thrive, they did. I wanted Brooks to say that to the politicians who read him. He didn’t.
   With respect to my disdain for politicians, while I might disagree with their policy and their ability to get things done in my lifetime, their failures that are inexcusable are generally in the areas of improving the cultural mindset. Politicians should at the very least be transparent, be honest, be inclusive, and give the people hope that things will get better, that all politicians are not scum, that some are dedicated public servants. Obama’s “hope and change” has turned out to be a travesty if not an emotional fraud, which has most hurt those who truly needed to believe that with Obama’s election something better would happen for them, that they would thrive under his “leadership.” Almost six years later they are worse off financially, and even worse, emotionally. The culture is depressed. Brooks didn’t/wouldn’t go there.


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