The government we deserve

An old saying has been attributed to everyone from Thomas Jefferson to George Bernard Shaw. “We get the government that we deserve” is, if nothing else, the battle cry of sore losers. When we win, however, our public officials reflect our aspirations or, at the very least, reveal our willingness to research a candidate or position before going to the polls.

The people of the small but strategically crucial Asian island chain, the Republic of the Maldives, are probably mulling that topic these days. They recently elected a new President, Mohamed Muiz, who openly expressed his desire to cut ties with long-time ally India and strengthen relations with communist China. I can’t help but wonder if the 390,000 Maldivians are aware of China’s human rights policies. Do they want to be aligned with the country known for religious repression, mass surveillance, social report cards, and the days of the infamous one-child policy? One can only wonder if something was offered to make those conditions tolerable or if someone didn’t do their homework. Are they getting the government that they deserve?

Here in our United States, voters in New York’s third congressional district are asking themselves why they elected George Santos. Santos presents an interesting problem: all Americans value the right to reinvent themselves. It’s what helps us transcend the racial and cultural lines that limit individual success in lesser countries, but Mr. Santos took it just a bit too far. He fabricated enough of his personal history that he now faces a 23-count indictment for fraud, identity theft, and campaign finance violations.

Senator Bob Menedez of New Jersey has also been indicted for bribery and corruption associated with his dealings in Saudi Arabia. Like Mr. Santos, he is innocent until proven guilty but has promised that evidence at his trial will logically explain the $480,000 of cash and $155,000 in gold bars seized under a search warrant at his home. As those public dramas unfold, we will also ask if the people of New York and New Jersey have the government they deserve.

This month began with Kevin McCarthy being voted out of his position as Speaker of the House. Like Punxsutawney Phil seeing his shadow, the firing of McCarthy prophesizes another fifteen months of gridlock. With a budget battle only deferred, two hot wars, a leaky border, high inflation, and a sagging GDP, we can’t seem to agree on who will preside over the House, schedule bills, and appoint committees.

Closer to home, it wasn’t long ago that we had a state senator who left many of us wondering who helped him tie his shoes. Despite being spectacularly inarticulate, the guy was a tenacious, energetic campaigner. He showed voters that he was willing to work and was rewarded with a seat in the State Senate. Did any of us deserve him as our spokesperson in state government? I didn’t think so, but much to my chagrin, he was elected to a second term.

I should also mention the time that Red Willow County did us the favor of building a jail that we had voted against several times. The project made a great deal of sense to the law enforcement sector, but absolutely no consideration was given to the downtown corridor, economic development, or, for that matter, any fundamental principles of municipal planning.

I still don’t think we were getting the county government we deserve, but I don’t blame the commissioners. I see a structural problem. If our three County Commissioner’s seats were “at large” positions, perhaps some of the disregard for the city’s well-being could be held in check. As the system now stands, the county has McCook divided into three administrative zones, like Berlin after WWII, and the voice of McCook voters is strategically divided.

All of this comes to mind as I think of Gaza and the world of hurt that is about to rain down on them. I’m still debating whether or not they deserve their government. They initially turned to a Hamas majority in the PLC because they were tired of the status quo; they wanted “change.” Well, they got their change. An Iran-controlled terrorist organization has now led them into war, but they voted for it, right?

Now that Hamas has poked the bee hive in such a colossal way, we have to ask if the people who supported them deserve to suffer the cruelties of war. It’s not for me to decide, but I certainly think they share an ethical and moral responsibility for the brutish and inhuman attack on October 7. The larger question in my mind, however, is whether people in the US will take notice of current events and recognize that elections are not for posturing; Elections are not a platform for expressing frustrations. The consequences are genuine, and when we don’t take elections seriously, we can only hope we never get the government we deserve.