Thursday, November 16, 2006
Do not vote for me:
"Because you cannot walk with the holy, if you're just a halfway decent man.."
(Paul Simon – the song "Wartime Prayers" from the album "Surprise.")
The germ of this essay came to mind from a reply to another post, in which I was expressing my disgust with John McCain for not standing up for victims of torture by the Bush Administration. If McCain were truly a victim of torture in Vietnam, (which I'm beginning to doubt,) I could not see how he could ever stand silent in the torture of others. A true victim of torture would always stand up against that abuse given the opportunity.
Of course I've never believed the "maverick" bullshit people claim about McCain. He's just another full-of-shit, right-wing politician.
But as my friend Ellie so astutely pointed out, McCain is just the latest politician to sell out his values because he thinks he's going to be the next President of the United States. I believe this is a pipe dream because the next President will not be a Republican. George W. Bush made sure of that.
"Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
So in the unlikely event I ever run for a political office I urge you: Do not vote for me.
Because I know I would be totally corrupted by power. Much as I wish I could say so, I am not a man capable of staying above such corruption. I know I'd become addicted to such power, that I would abuse it, and that I might well lie, cheat, steal and even kill to keep that power. I'm already arrogant and egoistic, and power would simply spike those two character defects.
My friend and mentor, the late Jeff Getty, once told me to not take anything from drug companies in my role as an activist. Not even a pen. Sadly, I could not fully follow his instructions. I never took money from the drug companies or compromised my principles when writing about them, but I did take a pen or two and a couple of the binders they handed out at conferences. This free stationary never corrupted me or caused me to lose my objectivity as an activist.
But what if the drug company came to me and said; "We'd like to have you on our community advisory board, Mr. Alden, and we'd like to fly you and a friend to Hawaii for our conference on our new Protease Inhibitor." Would I be able to refuse their offer or would I go out and start buying new swimwear and sun-block?
I honestly don't know the answer to that question. I would like to think I would politely refuse their offer and keep my integrity, but I cannot honestly say I would do so.
I know I'm a weak man when it comes to the trappings of power. I know I would be absolutely corrupted by it. So don't ever vote for me. I can point you to a couple of men who I think would make excellent leaders. I would volunteer for them and I would vote for them.
Then I would stand back and pray to the universe they are better men than I.
"Because you cannot walk with the holy, if you're just a halfway decent man.."
(Paul Simon – the song "Wartime Prayers" from the album "Surprise.")
The germ of this essay came to mind from a reply to another post, in which I was expressing my disgust with John McCain for not standing up for victims of torture by the Bush Administration. If McCain were truly a victim of torture in Vietnam, (which I'm beginning to doubt,) I could not see how he could ever stand silent in the torture of others. A true victim of torture would always stand up against that abuse given the opportunity.
Of course I've never believed the "maverick" bullshit people claim about McCain. He's just another full-of-shit, right-wing politician.
But as my friend Ellie so astutely pointed out, McCain is just the latest politician to sell out his values because he thinks he's going to be the next President of the United States. I believe this is a pipe dream because the next President will not be a Republican. George W. Bush made sure of that.
"Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
So in the unlikely event I ever run for a political office I urge you: Do not vote for me.
Because I know I would be totally corrupted by power. Much as I wish I could say so, I am not a man capable of staying above such corruption. I know I'd become addicted to such power, that I would abuse it, and that I might well lie, cheat, steal and even kill to keep that power. I'm already arrogant and egoistic, and power would simply spike those two character defects.
My friend and mentor, the late Jeff Getty, once told me to not take anything from drug companies in my role as an activist. Not even a pen. Sadly, I could not fully follow his instructions. I never took money from the drug companies or compromised my principles when writing about them, but I did take a pen or two and a couple of the binders they handed out at conferences. This free stationary never corrupted me or caused me to lose my objectivity as an activist.
But what if the drug company came to me and said; "We'd like to have you on our community advisory board, Mr. Alden, and we'd like to fly you and a friend to Hawaii for our conference on our new Protease Inhibitor." Would I be able to refuse their offer or would I go out and start buying new swimwear and sun-block?
I honestly don't know the answer to that question. I would like to think I would politely refuse their offer and keep my integrity, but I cannot honestly say I would do so.
I know I'm a weak man when it comes to the trappings of power. I know I would be absolutely corrupted by it. So don't ever vote for me. I can point you to a couple of men who I think would make excellent leaders. I would volunteer for them and I would vote for them.
Then I would stand back and pray to the universe they are better men than I.
# posted by Phillip T. Alden @ 5:41 PM 
