Going to Washington With Mr. Smith

In another few weeks they'll be back. Our local farmers markets. You know, those sunny Saturday mornings when nearby farms truck in their bounty of fresh, fragrant fruits and vegetables for us. A grand organic harvest from the soil of dozens of nearby farmers, giving us this splendid array of choices.

One of the classic metaphors for American democracy...! Political scientists have long seen our democracy as a great marketplace-of-ideas. Unlike those un-democratic chain stores down the block which dictate what you can buy and at what price, our democracy is more like these wide-open farmers markets where the free clash of choices lets us decide for ourselves which are the best products and prices.

Only there's something a little delusional about this. Our choices only seem our own, when in fact there are a number of unseen forces inevitably manipulating much of what we see. The crops (ideologies) from which all this began...the families (entrepreneurs and bankers) that make it possible.....the field hands (unions) that gather and ship it....the local licenses (laws and regulations) that authorize and give favors to it...not to mention all those other truck farms not allowed in here (clout or the lack thereof).

Here's the problem. What we learn in school and hear on Fourth of July speeches are the indisputable goodness of our democracy. But like the founders of all great religions and the half-time pep talks by all great coaches, those of us who come after rarely live up to these high standards. And so democracy's marketplace-of-ideas in today's Washington, Springfield and City Hall is not quite what we want to believe each time we see a re-run of Jimmy Stewart's inspirational Mr Smith Goes to Washington.

We like to remember Jimmy making the system work, and keeping the "marketplace" open for the will of the little people. However, the guy we should also remember is Claude Raines playing the manipulating Senator who knows exactly how to make that marketplace dance to his backroom deals. Each of the marketplaces-of-ideas in each of our seats of government inevitably have their little unlit corners where the power-brokers from banks, corporations, unions, media conglomerates and big-time contributors control which produce (laws) reaches the market. We the people should have a say -- just like the Founding Fathers and Jimmy say we should -- but in reality there's always a lot of pre-selection going on by those "who know better." (see the current recession for names and details)

In the movie, Jimmy eventually wins the hearts of the people in the balcony, Claude Raines on the Senate floor, and damn near everyone in the audience. I love it! so do you! so do all the Claude Raines out there in their million-dollar board-rooms, estates and yachts. Exactly like every smart-guy loves watching The Godfather. It's cathartic! inspiring! makes you feel good inside!

But lets put it this way. If you happen to think of our new president as Jimmy Stewart (a comparison not yet confirmed by time), then you 've noticed by now that there are a lot more Claude Raines in the screenplay coming out of Washington. However, while we wait for the final reel to see how this turns out, maybe we ought to be more like Jean Arthur and Thomas Mitchell in the original film. Get involved before Claude wins....!