Wednesday, July 22, 2015

10 pieces of advice for American lawmakers

The last time an Italian wrote a political treatise, he wrote some deliberately bad advice for Princes that was intended as parody. Sadly, it was taken literally by numerous sociopaths with bad intent. So, unlike Machiavelli, I'll make my advice VERY good and, rest assured, this is NOT intended as parody. Also, much of this advice could also easily apply to government officials in any other part of the world besides the United States.

1.) The first duty of any public official is to the truth, regardless of whether it is scientific truth, legal truth or historical truth. If you can't bring it upon yourself to admit the truth and act on it, then you have NO PLACE in that office.

2.) Issues should not be decided by what came from the Right or the Left. They should be decided by what is Right and Wrong.

Yes, Right and Wrong will always be a subject of intense debate. If there is ever a time when you are 100% certain that you know the difference between right and wrong then, you're wrong. A man's philosophy is something that should be under the kind of scrutiny that is as eternal as it is intense.

3.) You're sole purpose in life as a public servant is to actually be a public servant.
Special interest groups should not decide policy for you. Also, no one elected you to simply vote the way some party boss/whip told you to vote. Think and Read the Bill for yourself.

4.) When writing a bill, keep it short, direct and to the point.

No one wants to read a bill that's longer than Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace. Don't try to sneak in unrelated items or paperclip anything, either. That's despicable and low. It's also the reason why politicians are usually more despised by the public than pimps, murders and child molesters.

5.) When you are in the Majority, be gracious to those in the Minority. Sooner or later, you WILL switch places with them.

You're job is to serve the American people. You can't do that very well when every day at work is just a pissing match with the people on the other side of the political divide. Like President Kennedy said 'Ask not what your country can do for you but, what you can do for your country.'

6.) Be gracious enough to listen to people that don't see things from your point of view. If broken clocks are right at least twice a day then, so can the co-worker that you think is an idiot.

Thomas Jefferson once said that America's foreign policy should be 'a friend to all, an enemy to none and no entangling alliances with other nations.' Not only is that good foreign policy advice, it's also good advice for dealing with other elected officials. It helps to foster a reputation as a man that believes in and practices fairness in all his decisions. That is the reputation you want to have.

7.) I'm sure you've all heard the old refrain about 'what's popular isn't always right and what's right is not always popular' before. That is just as accurate in politics as it is in ANY other area of life.

Don't be afraid to stand up to your fellow legislators or even your constituents. If you know they are wrong on a certain issue, politely tell them and explain why. Remember, what's popular isn't always right and what's right is not always popular.

8.) Don't rely solely on religion or clergy for advice on morality.

Their views on that subject are going to be VERY myopic and thus, potentially flawed. That, and it is a sad fact of life that those who consider themselves to be Saints are often the most egregious of sinners. In fact, you're probably better off not talking to them at all. Otherwise, you might give the impression that religion has a place in making law, which people will never accept. That would violate the establishment clause in the 1st Amendment.

9.) Have an issue with some proposed legislation that's on a topic that you don't understand? Consult a subject matter expert. (Especially if the legislation is about Science, Medicine and/or Economics.)

10.) The Constitution means EXACTLY WHAT IT SAYS.

Being a 'living document' does not mean it can be interpreted in different ways by different activist judges on the SCOTUS or shrewd lawmakers. It means you can make necessary changes via the amendment process. Yes, that process is hard and that is a good thing too. It keeps people from making frivolous changes that will ultimately hurt the Republic rather than help.

For those on the Federal Level, I have a VERY special piece of advice: The 10th Amendment is your best friend and proverbial 'get out of work free' card.

So, when a constituent asks you to do something that is NOT a responsibility of the Federal government, tell them so and cite the 10th Amendment. Then, refer them to their state and local government officials instead. Trust me, the Feds will have more than enough work to do just by sticking to its assigned roles in the Constitution. Foreign Policy, the military and promoting commerce are never ending challenges in even the best of times.

- Lord Publius

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