Usually, the month of August signifies tranquility in the nation’s capital, Washington DC. Congress enters recess breathing a somber vibe into the city while the taxing heat motivates residents to seek out more pleasant climates. The president typically assumes a lower profile, and news channels swap political discourse for sensational, seasonal topics such as shark attacks. However, this particular August embodies anything but a tranquil spirit. A notable number of media outlets appear to be prematurely obsessed over whom the Democrats will imbue with a presidential nomination come 2028.
Washington has just seen a mere eight months of the current presidential term pass, yet sensation-driven speculations about a future election, which might as well be light-years away in political terms, have begun to rear their head. Intriguingly, the ex-Vice President Kamala Harris attributes some of the media frenzy to her recent public refrains from pursuing the Californian governorship, and by claiming she will never again seek the mantle of presidency. Her excuse? A supposed ‘broken system’.
It’s amusing to observe the Democrats’ preparedness to vocalize their grievances about the ‘system’ only when their election ambitions dash against the rocky shores of defeat. Politics, to a silent majority, has devolved into a kind of pseudo-deity—akin to the impotent gods of the Old Testament who, despite their empty promises, continue to attract a misguided following. If the claim that ‘the system’ is malfunctioning holds a grain of truth, it’s safe to argue that much of this malfunction began when we demanded government intervention where it was never intended.
Even as the current administration, for all its glaring imperfections, struggles to mend this supposed ‘broken system’, a frightening amount of voters continue to abdicate their responsibility, choosing instead to place their faith in unworthy vessels. It is at this juncture that the wisdom of the revered author, C.S. Lewis, has the potential to serve as a beacon of enlightenment. His famed book ‘The Screwtape Letters’ features an aspiring demon, Wormwood, who is tasked by his Uncle Screwtape (a surrogate for Satan) to lead us mortals astray from God’s path.
Kamala Harris might find it worthwhile to pay heed to some of the teachings espoused in this enlightening excerpt; after all, she has shown a penchant for painting the ‘system’ as the scapegoat for her electoral failure and subsequent decision to renounce any future presidential aspirations.
‘Ensure the patient remains wholly engrossed in matters of politics. Indulgence in political debates and gossips, coupled with an unhealthy fixation over the shortcomings of unfamiliar individuals, can effectively inhibit any perilous progression towards personal virtue, character, or a consideration of one’s control over their circumstances. It is of the utmost importance to keep the patient in a perpetual state of anxiety, displeasure, and general resentment towards the larger part of humanity, to quite perfectly fend off any emerging feelings of charity or internal tranquility. Always remind the patient that the ‘problem’ resides in the ‘broken system’, not in his own failings.’
The great English playwright, William Shakespeare, also offered his insights on the human condition via the powerful lines of his world-renowned plays. One such instance can be found in ‘Julius Caesar’. In Act 1, Scene 2, Cassius elegantly articulates, ‘The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings.’ We, humans, are in control of our actions and destinies, neither of which is at the mercy of fate. Rather, the consequences of our failures or successes are determined by the beliefs we hold.
What an intriguing prospect it would be if politicians started to embrace and vocalize these profound wisdoms, candidly telling voters, ‘I can’t do more for you than you can do for yourselves.’ However, it seems that an overwhelming number of loyal subscribers to the political faith would hastily vote these authentic politicians out of office, thus further perpetuating the reigning dominance of career public servants.
Given the current state of affairs, it seems that the lesson remains unlearnt: society must realize that demanding more from the government than it was designed to provide is a misstep. Preserving faith in failed politicians only detracts from the path towards personal and societal empowerment.
Granted, it is easier to throw one’s hands in the air and cry ‘broken system’ like Kamala Harris, rather than take personal responsibility. But the inconvenient truth remains that this narrative is not the medicine we require.
Such a mindset may be comfortable in the short term. Still, it only inescapably widens the gap between citizens and their capacity to make impactful changes in their own lives, thus pushing the potential for true societal evolution further out of reach.
If voters continue to place blind faith in politicians who advocate responsibility abdication in favor of casting blame on vague, impersonal structures, then we will continue along this disrupted road. The current pattern is clear: too much faith is being misplaced, too little action is being taken, and the chorus of blame is growing louder.
A true shift, a true evolution towards societal betterment, will only begin when we finally break away from this pattern. It starts when we stop revering politicians as deities who can deliver on unrealistic promises and start seeing them as they truly are: public servants. We must stop electing those who promise to fix our problems for us, and instead start electing those who inspire us to fix our problems ourselves.
A true democracy does not prioritize the loud voices of career politicians and blames an undefined system. Instead, it makes each person responsible for his or her destiny. Should the day come when everyone realizes this, the dialogue can change from ‘the system is broken’ to ‘the system can be improved if we all roll up our sleeves and lend a helping hand.’
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