Opportunists and Opportunity

Opportunists and Opportunity -- Britt Blaser has gone off on a riff about political opportunism today that's worth a look. An excerpt...

It's the Opportunism, Stupid

Politicians are naturally opportunistic, but at each point in the trajectory of a nation's evolution, there are levels of opportunism that even they won't sink to. For two centuries it was inconceivable that states would operate a numbers game because property owners prefer not to pay for proper schooling. Lottery income isn't a fiscal necessity, it's the product of a lack of the political leadership to lead people to pay for what's important in an informed and civil society.

Since the phone tap was invented, it was literally inconceivable that the government would eavesdrop on your line without a warrant. That's a nicety that evaporated when our TV culture got its high-profile WTC face slap.

Just as opportunists in state government couldn't resist the siren call of lottery profits, so too was the big-gummint temptation too great for the opportunistic Ashcroft, Bush and Cheney. Like any government, they want to control our lives, ensure their power and shrink the opposition into oblivion. The odd thing is that they claim to be conservatives while violating the conservative aesthetic of small government, fiscal responsibility and avoiding foreign entanglements.

The same kinds of comments go for the opportunists associated with large economic entities. Power plus circumstances plus chaos usually ends up with more power going to the powerful. In our society, we seem to have forgotten -- or maybe given up on -- the idea that power comes from the consent of the governed -- the people.

Britt's piece on opportunism reminded me of a poem recently featured on the "birthday-quote-word-poem of the day" page at Bartlebly.com...

Opportunity

"MASTER of human destinies am I!
Fame, love, and fortune on my footsteps wait.
Cities and fields I walk; I penetrate
Deserts and seas remote, and passing by
Hovel and mart and palace—soon or late
I knock unbidden once at every gate!

"If sleeping, wake—if feasting, rise before
I turn away. It is the hour of fate,
And they who follow me reach every state
Mortals desire, and conquer every foe
Save death; but those who doubt or hesitate,
Condemned to failure, penury, and woe,
Seek me in vain and uselessly implore.
I answer not, and I return no more!"

-- John James Ingalls. 1833–1900

Fortunately, American society has the chance to wake up, rise and answer the knock on the door of opportunity every four years -- the opportunity to take back the power. It doesn't often seem like the opportunity is real, since most of the time, in order to get into office, politicians at that level -- opportunists one and all -- tend to gravitate toward the easy to tap, concentrated sources of power for support. But I think I'm seeing -- perhaps somewhat naively, but forever hopefully -- the makings of one such opportunity in the unusual combination of grassroots and major party politics in the Dean Campaign. It's the first time since the campaign for the 18-year-old vote 35 years ago that I'm really tempted to get involved again. Interesting that both were/are about the opportunity to expand the powerbase of the governed.