Words and Actions

A little bit about politics and me.

In political and social issues I value actions more than words. I do enjoy a well-written speech, a good debate, and a well-formulated political plan. But it is the actions of the individuals involved in politics that ultimately prove the integrity and veracity of the ideas. Ideas without supporting actions have no real value to me. Words alone are not enough.

On this US presidential election I am not voting for either the Republican or Democratic Party. I have many reasons for doing that. But what just happened with the earmarks passed within the $700 billion bailout package is a good example of how the actions of both presidential candidates do not match their words. My local paper, the SF Chronicle, has an article posted yesterday that lists some of those earmarks, which amount to several billion dollars in “extra” spending that we, the citizens will have to pay for.

Obama is running his campaign as the party of change. He said he will stand for “common folks” in America and will fight against special interests in Washington. McCain is presenting himself as a maverick and one that will fight corruption in Washington. He says that the best proof of his clean record is that he never pushed any earmarks.
But where are those words and ideals now? America’s financial and banking crisis is real and it is devastating for both the middle and lower class. Most people want to believe in the integrity of the presidential candidates and the bailout package was the perfect opportunity for these politicians to show that they really mean their words; that they really care about us.

This bill should have been squeaky clean because it is a rescue package to an emergency situation, and because it is a huge amount of money that we, the citizens, have to pay for (even if most of us are not the cause of the problem). A clean bill with no earmarks would have shown decency and respect for the people. Now, on top of the $700 billion dollars, we have to pay for a tax break that would benefit Oregon manufacturers of wooden arrows (no kidding). I find the situation a bit insulting, abusive, and disrespectful.

Saying one thing and doing another is a sign of incongruence. But saying one thing and doing another that is diametrically opposed to it is, in my opinion, hypocrisy.

Interestingly enough, wikipedia has the following note about hypocrisy:
“For linguist and social analyst Noam Chomsky, hypocrisy, defined as the refusal to "...apply to ourselves the same standards we apply to others" is one of the central evils of our society--promoting injustices such as war and social inequalities in a framework of self-deception, which includes the notion that hypocrisy itself is a necessary or beneficial part of human behavior and society.”