Our Culture of Pandering - Softcover

Simon, Paul

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0809327333 ISBN 13: 9780809327331

Publisher: Southern Illinois University Press, 2006

Synopsis

As we broaden our views, embrace our differences, foster advancements in science and technology, and collaboratively strengthen the political, social, and educational underpinnings from which we build informed and productive lives, we have much to be proud of as a nation and as a people.

But we are tempted—particularly during times of political unrest and unbridled patriotism—to ignore the far-reaching repercussions of a society that caters to money and power. In Our Culture of Pandering, former U.S. Senator Paul Simon interrogates the arenas of politics, media, religion, and education to decry the disturbing practices that confuse public service with profit-making ventures or popularity contests, that compromise the best interests of the broader population to appease a powerful few. Boldly and eloquently contributing to a cumulative understanding of how we can build a sturdier, more ethical foundation for the future, Simon suggests proactive, long-term solutions to the problems that threaten our country’s moral, financial, and intellectual well-being—problems that are increasingly exacerbated by our culture of pandering. 

Lest we grow complacent and our nation static, Simon urges us to demand more from the political candidates who chase dollar signs and cater to polls, to raise our expectations of local and national media outlets that recycle gossip and peddle scandals while foreign policy and international news receive back-page treatment or no treatment at all. He asks us to consider the implications of churches that spend more money remodeling their buildings than helping those in need within their own communities and throughout the world, and he presses us to acknowledge the staggering, long-term consequences of schools that drop their academic standards to sustain their reputations and maintain funding.

Our Culture of Pandering is a stalwart and earnest call to action from a steadfast and trusted advocate of progressive public policy. Leavened with altruism and rich with compassion for citizens of America and beyond, present and future, this important and cautioning treatise advocates genuine leadership in the realms of politics, media, religion, and education. In his trademark lucid and synoptic style, Simon supplements up-to-date examples of pandering in our society from a breadth of sources with commentary and interpretive wisdom garnered from a lifetime of public service.

About this title

About the Author

The late Paul Simon served as the founding director of the Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He also taught courses in political science, journalism, and history. Prior to leaving the U.S. Senate and joining the SIUC faculty in 1997, Simon ranked as the senior senator from Illinois. In the 104th Congress, he served on the budget, labor and human resources, judiciary, and Indian affairs committees. He was the author or coauthor of nineteen books, including Freedom’s Champion: Elijah Lovejoy, Tapped Out: The Coming World Crisis in Water and What We Can Do About It, and P.S. The Autobiography of Paul Simon.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

We all like to please people. Politicians are not exempt from that trait; when we seek public office or run for reelection, we want to win and usually believe that it is important for the future of a city, county, state, or nation that we succeed. The desire to win has always been part of our political scene, but two things have turned a temptation for candidates into a threat to our free system: First, polls can tell us on a daily basis—hourly, if you want—what people are thinking. In a zeal to win, political leaders too often use these polls to embrace the whims of public opinion rather than stand firmly for the public interests. Second, campaign contributions now play a huge role in who gets elected. In the process of securing that funding, candidates and, more seriously, officeholders find the time that they should devote to complex issues being devoured by begging for dollars. Equally troubling, those who have the big money have learned that a flow of money to the right candidates pays off handsomely. No stock market purchase will ordinarily reward the investor like this type of investment does. Too often, the winning candidates are those who pander to the polls and to the big campaign contributors. . . . The harsh reality is that we have slipped into electing leaders who will not lead, officeholders who are zealous to maintain themselves in power, sometimes at the expense of the national interest. . . . [T]he public should demand that candidates speak frankly and truthfully about issues of concern, and it must understand that once a person is elected and looks at the facts in much greater detail, changes in attitude do and should occur. . . . Perhaps more than anything else, the public must educate itself, not just about politics and political candidates but about local, national, and international issues; people must become involved. This is something most of us have not done.

Edition details

• Publisher: Southern Illinois University Press
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0809327333
• ISBN 13: 9780809327331
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 224