Politicians vs. Statesmen

In my stumbling around, trying to understand the politics and motivations of politicians -- the innate love of country as opposed to the fierce desire to get elected -- the wonder and the glory of planning the future of planning this great democracy and the great fear that one might not be able to reach the levers of power --- Why can't budding politicans act like statesmen? Is it because most of them were trained as lawyers? --- A lawyer is taught to defend his client to the end --- never admitting any fault --- only the positive points of his case --- no matter how bad or black this client's case is --- he is defended to the hilt!

A jury member is usually so dazzled by the rhetoric and distractions, innuendoes, word play, razzle-dazzle --- he can be misled into a vote that is not in line with reality. Even judges may be fooled --- hopefully the opposing lawyer is equally adept! But what does that really achieve??

Certainly, in politics, it can be fatal to our democratic form of government. Maybe there needs to be, in addition to law colleges, a statesmanship university, where the client to be defended is the democratic structure, the will of the people, the growth and prosperity of all sectors of society --- where the creators of the nation's wealth are rewarded, as well as the builders and workers compensated, and last but not least, the "petty" consumer upon whom the whole edifice stands --- shares proportionally the fruits of their total labor.

It should not really be a race, but a cooperative effort. The more one-sided a solution is, the more likely it will have unintended consequences.

How easy for some, in the mad rush to the top, to let the ideals of youth, those that were taught so well by schools, churches, and especially parents, those virtues that had been forged and polished over the centuries, through strife and fire. Truth-telling instead of blatant lies --- fairness and sharing --- instead of greed, welcoming the stranger, not fearing his otherness.