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Commentary by TrueDialog.org's Founder, Carl Lindemann August 6 - "Earmarking" and Authenticity Transparency was the new political virtue born in the post-Watergate reforms. For all the value transparency brings exposing hidden financing for front groups promoting candidates and causes, it has significant limits. The New York Times notes the failure of transparency to reign in wasteful spending in Congress. The practice of "earmarking" projects or bringing home "pork" reaches back likely to the founding of our republic. Since all politics is local as Tip O'Neill observed, it is a political necessity that charity begin in your home district. This virtue of selfishness has calamitous consequences as the local loses sight of larger interests. The negative dynamic at work here is just a variation on Garrett Hardin's "Tragedy of the Commons." Put simply, a common resource that is of benefit to the community at large is quickly depleted and destroyed when individual interests go unchecked. For example, a park that delivers benefits to the public at large can be an obvious target for exploitation. Initially, a developer may make a personal fortune despoiling the natural resource with little loss for the public. The developer gains greatly and individual members of the public only lose slightly. Seeing this success, others jump on the bandwagon. As everyone begins to tap the "common" it eventually collapses. This dynamic happens in many different situations. Another example is how a crooked stockbroker benefits from insider trading. The market collapses as everyone tries to cheat the system. The Tragedy of the Commons happens when individual interests are allowed to undermine the strength of the community. Here, "earmarking" drives irresponsible spending because members of Congress curry local favor at the expense of the greater good. What's the solution? Some thought that providing transparency to this system would "shame lawmakers into restraint." Instead, it has triggered open competition to see who can score the greatest haul. In this case, transparency has simply thrown gasoline onto the fire. It turns out to be the wrong solution for addressing this problem. Transparency is a poor panacea because it is based on the fundamental - and mistaken - belief that politics is all about money. In this view, if you see the money you see it all. Oh, some cynics do say the American Revolution was simply a tax revolt. They may see people like Grover Norquist up there with the Founding Fathers. Talk about "revisionist history"! There are rare moments when the money gives way to ideals as statesmanship transcends politics. The Spirit of '76 carried the revolutionaries far, far beyond some gathering of the landed gentry seeking to get a tax cut for their personal benefit. Seeing the shortcoming of transparency is why TrueDialog.org is committed to the more encompassing virtue of Authenticity. Our shared interest in the common good is more than simply about money. That is why we must extend beyond the limits of transparency and reach for authenticity in public life. *** The Wages of Spin Project Spin Shop Ideas & Essays Spin Shops, State by State
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