by John Loofbourow, MD

                                                                        We have met the enemy, and it is us.
                                                                                                                                Pogo

Homo sapiens can surely be considered the most literate animal on earth. An immodest animal of course, as evidenced by the choice of words to describe humankind, such as "primate" and "sapiens". Our ability to use language for precise communication, however, contrasts with our ability to use words to expand meaning geometrically or metaphorically. While those of us who may be considered scientists or technicians must try to communicate precisely, poets rely on the imprecision of language to convey that which can't be expressed by words alone. Great art has been said to be that which "says" something new or different each time it is contemplated; its power lies in its imprecision; it is open ended and interactive. Great science "says" something which can be clearly stated, understood, tested, re-confirmed, and clearly re stated. It's power lies in its precision.

Most of our efforts to communicate lie somewhere in between those extremes, but generally we are able to be precise or vague, according to our purpose. In politics it is common to use the language of passion and poetry rather than that of objectivity and reason. Ours is a time of rampant euphemism, parses and paradigms. The razing of a Viet Cong controlled village is "pacification", death is "passing on", and an accusation is an allegation. A drug addict on the street becomes homeless, a janitor becomes an environmental technician, and a lie under oath can be purged by redefining a word like "is". I believe that this condition is a fruit of our culture, rather than a root cause. Because we have entered an era of electronic world wide communication, we need to reserve slippery syntax for poets and artists, and require our leaders and journalists to speak as clearly and accurately as possible.

We live in relatively good times, and it is understandable that our citizenry is not compulsively focused on the problems of the rest of the world. Our national tendency cloak harsh reality in soft words is not all harmful, for we are among the most considerate of peoples, who respect diversity, who try to avoid racial slurs, and who attempt to undo past and present social injustice. Our economic and political success results in part from a relatively free market system. Unfortunately free market economics have led to an excessive commercialization of our communications media, which must sell that which most people want to buy. "News" has become merely another form of entertainment, competing for ratings with movies, soaps, and talk shows. Therefore all TV news programs are alike, aired at the same time, offering the same sound bites, and even the same cute chatter among newscasters, and weather or sports reporters. Newspaper journalism is nearly as sterile, though far more wordy, repeating endlessly the least common denominator of syndicated press releases from city to city across the land. Media moguls weep crocodile tears when one of its own journalists is caught falsifying the news in order to promote sales. Yet the news that best sells is equally valuable whether reported or invented. He who relies on our media for information is thereby largely ill informed, though possibly well entertained.

An ill-informed public would be less worrisome, except for a movement away from responsible government by modern poll-iticians who rely on insta-polls to retain their power and influence. This reliance on polls and public opinion transforms our representative government into a degenerate form of fibrillating democracy. Those "public servants" who heed polls, and are skilled at manipulating public opinion tend to prevail. A cogent slogan attributed to people concerned about the world environment goes: "Think globally and act locally."

In the electronic age, poll-iticians tend to think locally and act globally, basing their national and international actions on public opinion, rather than on the conscientious deliberation required in representative government; and the problem is that our government is nothing if not powerful.

The greatness of a free people derives from its broad base, rather than from the top, which is sustained by that base. Ours is the most egalitarian, the most free, the most civilized people in the world, and possibly in the history of the world. It would be nice for us to keep it that way. Pogo had it right: Bill Clinton is us, and our legislators are us, because in any representative government leaders are created and sustained by those they lead. Yet as Mr. Lincoln knew, the average person may be slow but can learn. I believe the Monica scandal is an important event, having nothing to do with sex, or with the liberal versus conservative paradox. It is a clear object lesson on the nature of government in a free society, a lesson that the American people will hear and understand. If is isn't is in government, in our courtrooms, in our schools, and in our communications media, we must make it so, not through new laws, but through the outrage and insistence of the average citizen. This process is what has made our democracy work beyond any reasonable expectation.