On Politics

I rarely get political here for two reasons.  First, my political beliefs are all over the place.  I’m overall somewhere between conservative and libertarian on most issues.  When it comes to foreign policy, I often make Dick Cheney look like George McGovern.  But I also think that Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders may be right about the Wall Street crowd being bad for our economy long-term.   Second, most of y’all are here to read my EMS brilliance, or what passes for it.   However, I ask your indulgence as I go off on a rant against a trend in American politics that I don’t like.

In short, if your ideas or agenda can’t win in the political arena, that should tell you something.  You’re not winning.  Either accept the defeat graciously or you repackage and resell your ideas to the public.

However, instead, we find both sides, but primarily the modern Left, resorting to enacting public policy through litigation and/or the “public health” arena.

Texas and several other states have been the subject of litigation by anti-death penalty activists seeking to expose the suppliers of execution drugs.  While they couch their arguments in terms of the public’s right to know, the reality is that they are using the courts and the legal process to try and enact a political agenda that hasn’t won in the legislative process.  As an attorney, I try to view the courts as the means to resolve a dispute between two parties rather than as a way to enact social changes.  If you want to enact social changes, run for office on your platform and see how it stands with the voters.

And let’s look at “public health.”  Years ago, I imagined the word of public health as focusing on epidemiology and disease prevention.  Now, the way to control people’s lifestyle has become through the “public health” process.  Want to ban trans fats?  Simple.  Call it a public health crisis.  Want to ban big Cokes?  Call it a public health crisis.  (And yes, the Texan in me calls every soft drink a “Coke.”  Welcome to Texas, the only state you’ll be asked what kind of Coke you want and it’s ok to answer with, “I’ll have a Sprite, thanks.”)  Want to ban guns?  Call it a public health crisis.  To me, the real public health crisis is how many parents ignore science in favor of Jenny McCarthy and refuse to vaccinate their children.

What we really have here is a public policy crisis where those people who want to enact unpopular agendas resort to an alternative way to enact them.  And on that note, I return you to your regularly scheduled internet agenda of cat memes.  Thanks for listening, y’all.

Comments

  1. Gene Gandy says

    COKE!!??? Wes, it’s Dr. Pepper, man! Now you’re making me wonder if you’re a real Texan.