The political scene in the US during the run up to the November elections has become uglier with invectives flying around with immoral abandon and little concern for truth or civility. The atmosphere seems akin to what Yeat wrote of when he said
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;"
It is truly a time when
"The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity."
One of my big disappointments has been the complete absence of courage in the elite of the country. No one is willing to stand up and say "enough of this nonsense", let us think of the country first. And worse the polity is willing to accept this descent into a morass of self pity and abegnation. In every country it is not possible to have a Nelson Mandela or a Gandhi that keeps the country facing and dealing with its moral dilemmas, but surely it is possible for some leaders in the US to stand up to the dirt and calumny that today passes for public discourse. Why are there no religious leaders who command moral authority, why are not any retired political elites who can stand up for something other than partisan gain?
On the other hand the airwaves are full of the "worst" who are full of passionate intensity. Only in the US can a drug addict like Rush Limbaugh command million dollars for his radio show and spew hatred and invective around the clock. Yet none in the republican party- that he has come to represent - has the courage to call him out on his outrageous assertions. Or when they do ,they soon retreat into their shells at the first calls from listeners egged on by Rush.
In short there is a shortage of courage and an overflow of cowardice in the US scene today that bodes ill for the future. The scene is little different in India but there at least there is an Anna Hazare willing to sacrifice his life for his principles, an Anand Kejriwal who has given up a promising career to fight for a cleaner society. Where are the Anna Hazares in the US today?
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;"
It is truly a time when
"The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity."
One of my big disappointments has been the complete absence of courage in the elite of the country. No one is willing to stand up and say "enough of this nonsense", let us think of the country first. And worse the polity is willing to accept this descent into a morass of self pity and abegnation. In every country it is not possible to have a Nelson Mandela or a Gandhi that keeps the country facing and dealing with its moral dilemmas, but surely it is possible for some leaders in the US to stand up to the dirt and calumny that today passes for public discourse. Why are there no religious leaders who command moral authority, why are not any retired political elites who can stand up for something other than partisan gain?
On the other hand the airwaves are full of the "worst" who are full of passionate intensity. Only in the US can a drug addict like Rush Limbaugh command million dollars for his radio show and spew hatred and invective around the clock. Yet none in the republican party- that he has come to represent - has the courage to call him out on his outrageous assertions. Or when they do ,they soon retreat into their shells at the first calls from listeners egged on by Rush.
In short there is a shortage of courage and an overflow of cowardice in the US scene today that bodes ill for the future. The scene is little different in India but there at least there is an Anna Hazare willing to sacrifice his life for his principles, an Anand Kejriwal who has given up a promising career to fight for a cleaner society. Where are the Anna Hazares in the US today?
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