Steve Mensing, Editor
♦ Real Collaboration is laudable if both parties are engaged in a genuine dialogue based on an honest give and take between equals.
Collaboration turns manipulative when one of the collaborators has overly self-absorbed intentions, is being dishonest, or is using the term “collaboration” as a political attack strategy.
An example of real collaboration was when F.D.R and Winston Churchill engaged in genuine dialogue of equals in the middle of the Atlantic to hammer out a “lend-lease plan” for the mutual benefit for both Britain and the U.S.A.
An example of non-genuine collaboration was Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain of England being engaged in creating a treaty with Hitler, a pathological liar and noted psychopath. Hitler misrepresented his intentions. Chamberlain, due to his lack of discernment, was later vilified in Europe and the U.S.A. for declaring: “There will be peace in our time.” Not long after this so-called “peace in our time appeasement” Hitler carried out his lightening war across Europe and launched the Battle of Britain. Collaboration can only be conducted with honest individuals.
Collaboration as a political cudgel can clearly be noticed in the political attack strategy utilized by those wishing to unseat the County Commissioners. Accuse them of being non-collaborative and keep hammering that at city council and in the city’s newsletter. After awhile certain commissioners became defined as “non-collaborative”. Even though their assailants only had their self-absorbed and non collaborative interests in mind, they won the day because those who they attacked failed to define what was occurring and demonstrate the other side’s actual willingness to forgo a legitimate give and take.
Three presidential elections ago Senator John Kerry allowed himself to be defined as a “flip-flopper” because he voted on senatorial bills having items attached to them that could be construed in a way that would make him appear to dance back and forth on positions. Kerry did not defend himself and he did not go on the attack. He deserved to lose.
In this decade of attack ads and expensive Madison Avenue propaganda, a savvy politician needs to get down and get ruthless–it’s part of leadership. Obama’s campaign managers in the 2008 were savvy whenever the other side attempted to define him. O’bama’s managers parried the attacks with websites and O’Bama went on the attack himself. His people did not make the same mistake Kerry did.
It’s too bad that politics has to be conducted this way, but if your opponent hits you low, you have return the favor with a lot more firepower. Politics is war. That’s a fact of life that people who run for public office better understand.
