Politics Can Be Fun

In the person of congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez, leftists have given us a combination of fanaticism, pomposity, arrogance,  abysmal ignorance, irrationality, and inflated sense of importance  that  can fairly be called stunning. In a group of four hundred and thirty five politicians, many of whom are serious jobs of work in those regards themselves, she has managed to stand out. 

Of course the leftists have no monopoly on any of this. This week a conservative Republican  representative in the legislature of my home state called vaccination sorcery, accused a person who disagreed with him of being a communist, and, denying that scientific and technical progress saves lives, announced that only God Almighty can do that. His performance rates as stunning as well  and would have for most of the last three hundred years.

It is tempting simply to enjoy the farce and laugh these characters off.  They are ludicrous enough. However when one realizes  that they have power and  followers (and in her case a good percentage of the people in the traditional media acting as her  press agents),  the whole thing becomes not quite as funny as one would like it to be. It is still funny enough though.  It should also be a help to someone pondering the questions of how much power governments should have and whether there are reasons to expect wisdom and competence from legislators and officials. For these two, while perhaps somewhat exceptional, are far from alone.