Diary of a Worm will take a ‘peace’ break, and be back Sunday, July 18th.

Struggling for the Best

After Democrats in Congress voted a 33 billion dollar supplement for the war in Afghanistan by using a procedural move in congress I criticized the vote. A ‘progressive’ Democrat wrote back justifying this move, which our local congressperson voted for, as “the best we could get.”

Progressive Democrats voted for the Federal Health care bill, although they had said it was inadequate and not a significant change, again saying it was “the best we could get.”

All the Democrats and three Republicans voted today for the Financial reform bill in the Senate, although they admit it does not go far enough in financial reform. You guessed it; they said it was “the best we could get.” Maybe we should just call the Democratic Party the “the best we could get.”

I guess this is what they call the ‘art of politics’ settling for “the best we could get.” Often it is said this is the first step and we will get other changes we seek in the future, but that seldom seems to happen.

Politicians say we will stay in the war in Iraq and Afghanistan till we get a victory, or, as I would translate it, till “the best we could get.”

People say that by insisting on core values and principles I am not tactful. They are right, since I believe that in some areas of belief and values “the best we could get” is not acceptable.

I know people who do not live up to expectations they or others have and say “I am doing the best I can do”, even if they are not.

Perhaps in a garden we can accept the “best we can get” but in issues of war and peace, justice and injustice I cannot accept this compromising position. Perhaps this is the way politics are played but I do not need to play this way.

I believe in comprise but also in conflict and persistence to keep working for the best. We may never get or be the best but the struggle to be and achieve all we can be and achieve is more important than getting the best or accepting “the best we could get.”

Comments

(:commentboxchrono:)