When Loyalty Is Not A Virtue

Published: Jul 29, 2007

In her book, "Savage Peace," Ann Hagedorn describes America in 1919, the year following the end of World War I, when the United States kept troops in Russia fighting the Bolsheviks.

Hiram Johnson, senator from California, incensed at our intervention in Russia, said the following in the U.S. Senate:

"Why did we enter Russia? I answer, for no very good reason, and we have remained for no reason at all. And what is our policy toward Russia? I answer we have no policy. We have engaged in a miserable misadventure, stultifying our professions, and setting at naught our promises. We have punished no guilty; we have but brought misery and starvation and death to the innocent. We have garnered none of the fruits of the victory of war, but suffer the odium and infamy of undeclared warfare. We have sacrificed our own blood to no purpose, and into American homes have brought sorrow and anguish and suffering. Bring the American boys home from Russia."

Johnson's rhetoric is a distant echo of what we hear today about Iraq, except that Sen. Johnson was a Republican, and President Wilson, a Democrat, had sent our soldiers to Russia. Today's opposition comes from Democrats who are incensed about the blood-letting in Iraq. Wilson wanted to "make the world safe for democracy," while President Bush wants "to spread democracy in the Middle East." Quite a striking similarity!

As the French would say, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Today's parties pull in opposite directions as they did then and as they probably should. But directions change through the years. What can we conclude from this ever-changing behavior that stays the same? Perhaps only that, whichever party they represent, those in power tend to exercise their power; those out of power fight to get it.

What perplexes me more, however, is something new to America: the growing party loyalty of ordinary citizens. Many registered voters defend and support their respective parties even when their party's actions go against those voters' interests. This form of party loyalty seems strange indeed. It is the loyalty of sports fans, not serious, thinking citizens, who should be devoted to the good of our country rather than to having their "team" win. "Yeah, team," while appropriate on the playing field, becomes ludicrous and often self-defeating in the political arena.

I am registered in a major party; however, I feel no loyalty to my party or any other party. In my opinion, my party should be loyal to me. To satisfy me, a political party must work for all Americans. We would all benefit if we set aside party loyalty, stop rooting for politicians, and insist that our representatives represent us all and explain how they will do it.

Because today's politicians rely so heavily on voter loyalty, they are able to get away with far too much that goes against the majority. Most of them, relying on loyal party members, ignore their constituency as they work to squeeze dollars out of special interest groups - industries, unions, religious organizations, foreign interests, and many others.

The morning after an election some years ago, a friend approached me smiling. He slapped my back, and said, "I won; you lost."

"Wrong," I said. "Either we both won, or we both lost."

We may disagree with means, but shouldn't we all want a prosperous, healthy nation for ourselves and our descendants?

I long for the day when Americans of all parties start concentrating on the issues elected officials and candidates stand and run on and how those issues affect our nation as a whole, and not merely on how they affect our individual interests and beliefs. Let us look beyond candidates' images on camera and which hot button issues they press. Thirty-second TV ads and slogans are no substitute for critical discussions. Let us work for a good, healthy America by using our intelligence and reason, and let us confine our cheerleading to the athletic field.

Jack E. Fernandez is chemistry professor emeritus on the University of South Florida and author of "Cafe Con Leche," a novel about Ybor City from the Great Depression to the Castro Revolution. Keyword: Community Columnists, to read other columns by the Tribune's board.