Politics Is The Art Of Social Compromise

The "power of a cartoon" is an honestly truthful answer.

There are many definitions for the term "Politics." However, very few of these textbook definitions are truly succinct, concise, and clearly explanative of this frequently utilized social term.


For Instance:

• Wikipedia says: "Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to behavior within civil governments, but politics has been observed in other group interactions, including corporate, academic, and religious institutions. It consists of social relations involving authority or power and refers to the regulation of a political unit, and to the methods and tactics used to formulate and apply policy."
• FreeDictionary.com says: "Politics is the art [or science] of government or governing, especially the governing of a political entity, such as a nation, and the administration and control of its internal and external affairs."
• Knowledgerush.com says: "Politics is the study and conduct of decision-making power (who's got it, and who hasn't) at the inter-social and societal levels."

  
Politics is, "The art of social compromise - within a much larger society - of opposite and competing factions." Contrary to all of those previous definitions, Politics has absolutely nothing to do with government specifically; or even directly! Politics is a [mere] fact of innate human life - which occurs everywhere two, or more, individual humans are gathered together. It occurs within America's: churches, businesses, civic organizations, schools, and even public playgrounds. Everywhere some sort of social compromise is [honestly] required, politics is an absolute societal necessity!


Moreover, it is very important that you factually and deeply understand this societal reality... for everything else, fully hinges upon this conceptual understanding of precisely what, "Politics," is. Therefore, I shall shall state it again: "Politics Is Compromise!" And as we already know, compromises are not necessarily: moral, ethical, legal, well-thought-out, correct, or [even] lawfully derived. They are [merely] amenable to the majority of the persons in physical attendance, at that specific point in time... nothing more, and nothing less.

Consequently, our nation has constitutionally verifiable laws to override them - as necessary, to achieve a more proper balance. A preponderance of either: The Supreme Court Justices, The Individual State Legislatures, and/or The General Population can willfully override any law - if believed to be factually unconstitutional - through the various political mechanisms already set in place by our enlightened forefathers. Among these mechanisms are: Judicial Review, State Nullification, and National Constitutional Amendment. However, these are not the only means at our physical disposal... but rather, the most peaceable means [now] openly available.

Although Politics isn't an exclusively governmental function, all functional governments rely heavily upon it - in order to efficiently and peaceably operate. Let's face it, a "Zero Tolerance Attitude" is simply a very dysfunctional methodology - when it comes to dealing with other Intelligent and Freedom Loving Individuals! Moreover, America wasn't founded upon the infamous principles of dictatorship... but rather, upon the more honorable human philosophy of: Individual Freedom, Societal Brotherhood, and Lawful Equality. By the way, Zero Tolerance doesn't work very well in our own public schools - with: the students, the parents, or [even] the teachers... and you can't rightly blame them, either. It creates more [severe] problems, than it honestly addresses!

Consequently, Politics - like all social compromise - must be subject to both: "Moral And Ethical Precepts [ie.. spiritual and religious understanding]," and "Well-Understood Causal And Effectual Realities  [ie.. previously well-understood historical perspective]." Lest, it ultimately generates the resultant negative circumstances - which will invariably lead to: a social, cultural, and political breakdown - within that overall fragmenting society! It happens within America's: churches, businesses, civic organizations, schools, and public playgrounds; and contrary to our common public beliefs, it happens within our man-made governments, as well.

Although it usually occurs upon a much smaller scale - as in: Public Protestations, Labor Strikes, Sit-Ins, Lock-Outs, Peaceful Demonstrations, and Citywide Riots - there is no rational [or, even sane] reason to believe that it cannot happen upon a demonstratively much larger scale. Even our own American History clearly shows such noticeable past occurrences, as: "The American Revolution," "Daniel Shay's Rebellion," "The Whiskey Rebellion," "The Abolitionist Insurrection," and "The American Civil War" - to name only a few of the more notable ones... meanwhile, numerous others [honestly] come to mind - to the well-read American historian!

This is not to say, that such Societal Calamities are factually welcomed, or warmly desired, by anyone... but, they do: actually occur [from time to time], and honestly serve a highly necessary social function - in: heightening, focusing, and channeling our largely apathetic attentions; to where it is largely past due and/or more sorely needed - as an overall society!

Consequently, our ancestors spoke of it, thusly:

• Thomas Jefferson: "God forbid we should ever be twenty years without such a rebellion. The people cannot be all, and always, well informed. The part which is wrong will be discontented, in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive. If they remain quiet under such misconceptions, it is lethargy, the forerunner of death to the public liberty.... And what country can preserve its liberties, if its rulers are not warned from time to time, that this people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to the facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure." 
•  John Adams: "Government is instituted for the common good; for the protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness of the people; and not for profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family, or class of men; therefore, the people alone have an incontestable, unalienable, and indefeasible right to institute government; and to reform, alter, or totally change the same, when their protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness require it."
• Samuel Adams: "No people will tamely surrender their Liberties, nor can any be easily subdued, when knowledge is diffused and Virtue is preserved. On the Contrary, when People are universally ignorant, and debauched in their Manners, they will sink under their own weight without the Aid of foreign Invaders."
• Benjamin Franklin: "They that can give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."

Although I cited only four examples, in this article, I could have [just as easily] quoted from among thousands of well-documented individual references! The personal and corporate sentiments of Our Eloquent Ancestors were abundantly clear and equally shared by most Americans - for at least, the first one hundred and fifty years of our Republic's 234 year history. Nor, have "Real Americans" - such as I - ever abandoned, or spiritually disdained them, over that remaining number of years... and if you have, may your conscience finally and fully rebuke you - for the political miscreant, that you honestly are! In America: "Freedom Is A Constitutional Birthright," "A Lawful And Contractual Obligation," "A Perpetual Societal Covenant," and "The Last Testimonial Will Of Our Most Generous And Freedom Loving Forefathers...."

Although The Devil and his Angelic [or, even Human] Minions will always speak glowingly about Individual And Personal Freedom - when desiring: immoral, unethical, un-equitable, and unlawful changes... they have no stomach for its factual existence, in the practice of human reality! Social Empowerment is always employed largely at someone else's expense - whether through: Economic Servitude, Unbalanced Political Disparities, or Legislative Tyrannies [of real and/or contrived political majorities] - in whatever manner that will situation-ally suit, their own current personal needs and/or expressed desires.

This is what our Founding Fathers fully understood, due to their Spiritually Inspired: Moral and Ethical foundations... and, it is American Truth - in a nutshell. Wake Up, America.... It's time for every "Real American" to come to the aid of their nation! We must demand that our government comes into compliance with The Constitution immediately.... We must stand up for our God-given Freedoms and Rights as fully empowered Free Men and True Americans.... We must thoughtfully consider and individually act upon: "Our Own Best Interests" - lest they continue to [arrogantly] perceive, that: "They may lead us like sheep, to the slaughterhouse of political history."