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COMMENTARY: POLITICS IN GENERAL

We shouldn't trust Aristotle, but he, at any rate, writes in Politics that "every state is an association, and that every association is formed with a view to some good purpose." He adds that "man is by nature a political animal." So too is woman we might add. Politics, in other words, is about people relating to each other. And this includes approving or disapproving society's rules -- society's laws -- and relating to those who create laws.

Our nation sometimes goes to war, and the decision to go to war is political. Those who bemoan the mixture of politics and war are naive about the nature of war. Not only is war created politically. It is managed politically, and it comes to an end politically -- not soon enough for some or too soon for others.

Those who decide to run for political office chose to become what is popularly known as politicians. And, strange enough, a few who run for political office choose to denounce their opponents as the politicians they wish to become. In a democracy even idiots can run for political office.

People who hold public office are obliged to study issues and act on their assessment by voting. in a democracy, people not in office are also supposed to understand issues and to choose how to vote. In matters of exercising choices regarding policies there is not supposed to be a great difference between office holder politicians and his constituents -- except that office holders are paid to have more time to study the issues. in their more extensive study, office-holders politicians might exercise their communications skills and offer their political constituents leadership. But this does not always happen.