Letters: 6-16-16

Poor field to choose from

History offers us patterns, and repeats them often for the benefit of the slower of us. One of those patterns is the demagogue.

A demagogue or rabble-rouser is a political leader in a democracy who appeals to the emotions, fears, prejudices, and ignorance of people in order to gain power and promote a political or personal agenda.

The demagogue is driven by the need for power over others. His first acolytes are usually the dim, lured by simplistic solutions to complex problems such as how to achieve salvation, how to cure cancer, how to attract women.

James Fenimore Cooper said, “The demagogue is usually sly, a detractor of others, a professor of humility and disinterestedness, a great stickler for equality as respects all above him, a man who acts in corners, and avoids open and manly expositions of his course, calls blackguards gentlemen, and gentlemen folks, appeals to passions and prejudices rather than to reason, and is in all respects, a man of intrigue and deception, of sly cunning and management.

“Here is your problem and only I can save you.” The pattern remains because it works. This fall, most of you will vote for a leader of our country. Admittedly, the choices are poor. But step away from yourself and ask what is the best for our country. Then, hold your nose and vote.

Harvey McDaniel

Naalehu