What Behavior Is Rewarded and Rewarding Politically?

 

What Behavior Is Rewarded and Rewarding Politically?

Peter Schultz

 

                  In two words, duplicitous behavior. Why? Because such behavior preserves and fortifies one’s power and power is the coin of the political realm. Weak or weaker politicians are irrelevant and the weaker they are the more irrelevant they are, the more incompetent they appear. Ironically, in the political realm, the appearance of power promotes the appearance of competence, not vice versa. Thus, to be competent, a politician must preserve and fortify his or her power, doing so duplicitously when necessary. Duplicitous behavior, when it works, is rewarding and rewarded. So, duplicity is not only acceptable, normal political behavior; it is indispensable and even praiseworthy. And, therefore, the duplicitous make the best politicians.

 

                  Consider Richard Nixon and his approach to the Vietnam War. Nixon was committed to pulling US troops out of Vietnam, so a question arose, viz., when? Nixon thought it best to do it toward the end of 1971, but Henry Kissinger thought that too early insofar as if South Vietnam were to fall – which both Kissinger and Nixon thought likely once US troops were gone – in 1972, then it would be unlikely that Nixon would be elected for a second term. So, they decided to reach a settlement with the North Vietnamese in 1972, say in July, August, or even September so it would be unlikely that South Vietnam would fall before the 1972 presidential election.

 

                  Was Nixon duplicitous regarding his plans for pulling out of Vietnam? Of course. His duplicity was in the service of making him look competent by severing or disguising the link between his actions and the defeat of South Vietnam. And he and Kissinger were hailed for their competence, which actually was a kind of duplicitous politics, and a duplicitous politics that led to more death and destruction by extending the war and by extending the captivity of the US POWs being held by the North Vietnamese. For these duplicitous actions, Kissinger was awarded a Nobel Peach prize. And their duplicity not only made Kissinger and Nixon look competent, but they were even said to look statesmanlike. Such is the stuff of statesmanship and political greatness.