My minds excavator cannot pinpoint the moment. The moment when I first heard the phrase “be politic”. I do recall the interpretation: in the end success will occur if there is some level of agreement.
In other words, you cannot use verbal explosives and reach a satisfactory conclusion. Agreement requires some level of agreeable behavior.
In lawyer’s verbiage, I do not have a brief for Dr. Anthony Fauci. A fair reading of his conduct: he is human. Extended: his humanity and professionalism were assaulted by self-regard. Sort of: “if I say it, it must be true because I am Doctor Anthony Fauci.”
Self-regard and its pathologies are a disease in centers of power. A provable one.
Most of America would like to see a rational post-mortem on the Corona Virus period which was a time of death and dislocation. What did we do right, and not? When once again we are confronted with a potentially deadly disease are their lessons we should apply? Fauci, if not subverted by his self-regard and threats of criminal action, could be a source of some insight.
Senator Rand Paul who chairs the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs insists Fauci should be criminally prosecuted. Fauci, under assault, turns to lawyers and they turn to the ever-ready source of evasion, the 5th Amendment.
What we want, what we need, is that Fauci’s words be used for us. Maybe, just maybe, at 85 years of age he might want to render a public service in his final chapter, informed by candor, right or wrong.
Senator Paul has opted to use the government as an assault weapon. To be fair, there is a pandemic of weaponizing. Every public policy battle these days seems to be waged with vituperation. In effect: my opponent is evil and I am here to prove it.
It is impossible, given our Constitution’s free speech protection, to legislate against weaponization, but if our democracy is to work, we better get a handle on the character of the people we elect. Harshness should not be a campaign asset.
In fact, today the bases of the two political parties do not want to be majoritarian. They want to win the arguments of the day in Primary Elections, which feature low turnout and correspondingly a much higher level of partisan control. I think of this as a decivilization conspiracy led by self-serving, so-called political leaders.
Much of today’s campaigning is performative, leaving little room for thoughtful but understated candidates. Candidates are expected to be animated (Trump dancing, for example) but the words and phrases often careen to the edge of defamation.
Reality: Fauci is not going to prison. The fact he was pardoned by President Biden and took the 5th Amendment in the Senate hearing added unwanted exclamation points to his public persona. However, a thoughtful proceeding would invite several panels of Covid response leaders and thoughtful analysts looking back and forward. Fauci should be on one of those panels and if he refuses then contempt of Congress should be considered.
