"Robert A. Heinlein - Take back your Government" - читать интересную книгу автора (Heinlein Robert A)

Does all of the above mean that I approve of political bosses and political
machines? Decidedly not! The people of Kansas City paid a terrific price,
both in money and intangibles, for their complacency, all through the reign of
the Machine. Toward the last, as the Boss grew old and the invisible
government became less well disciplined, the price became outrageous and
intolerable. Bombings, shootings, and other crimes of violence became
commonplace.
But the greatest loss was in their own attitude toward civic virtue. They
had become - the "respectable" citizens - cynical about the possibility of
honest and efficient government. They had lost faith in themselves. There
were many times in the early decades of this century when a concerted effort
could have cleaned up their city; they were too indifferent and too cynical to
attempt it whole-heartedly. When the change came, it resulted from decay of
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the Machine and from organized efforts outside the city, not from the
inhabitants thereof.
Something very like the disease of Kansas City caused the downfall of
France.
If bosses were the utter villains the "respectable" citizens think they are,
political reform would be easy. In addition to being no crookeder than the
average of the public and notably more meticulous in their personal honesty
in one respect, successful bosses and successful machine politicians have
many other virtues.
No matter how twisted are their attitudes toward public money and private
graft, successful machine bosses have these positive virtues: They are
friendly. They are helpful. They are tolerant. They are good tempered. They
are conciliatory. They are personally reliable. They give patient attention to
the personal problems of people who ask them for help, without being stiff-
necked about it.
In short they like people and they show it, in practical, warm-hearted
ways. If you expect to compete with them successfully you've got to emulate
them in their virtue while shunning their vices. You can be as pure in heart
and motive as Sir Galahad but it won't make your strength as the strength
often unless you get down off your horse.
Roark Bradford has John Henry tell how to get along with a hog." First you
got to be a friend to the hog. Then he Mend you back." John Henry knew his
political onions.
Take a tip from the Salvation Army. Sal remains pure in heart by never
failing to extend a hand to anyone who asks for help.
Possibly you don't like Jews. Perhaps you think the Negro should be kept
"in his place." A foreign accent may annoy you. You may consider the poor to
be loafers and bums. Or, vice versa, you may consider all the wealthy to be
crooks. Perhaps Catholics come in for your special scorn. Whatever it is, if
you hold any of these attitudes, you had better search your soul and change
them, or you will never be a success in politics.
I don't mind in the least injecting discussion of racism and minorities into
this book. There is no partisan bias here; both major parties are forthright in
their official attitudes condemning these things, despite the mouthings of
individuals or groups, despite filibusters by members of one party and the
silent, guilty consent thereto by the other.