June 20, 2025

Politics is a battle against process, just as life is. It is a war against the tendency of things to take their natural course. That’s why we care about politicians: because they offer to turn the tide of events in the directions we favor.

Louis Menand (1952–), American critic, essayist, professor, New Yorker, “After Elvis”, October 26, 1998

How ready are you to take the side of some who share your interest in a particular matter, and to ignore completely the differing interests of others in the same matter. Do you proceed on the basis of what is good for the greatest number, or do your interests trump all others?

The problem is that what one person views as a favourable “natural course of events” is often what another deems a purposeful and unmitigated disaster in light of their interests. Unfortunate it is for you if such opposing views are well-represented among your constituents and you have to choose one.