BY DAN VALENTI

PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY

(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION, MARCH 3-5, 2017) — Recently we ended a post with a quote by H.L. Mencken, who said all government is corrupt and attempts to reform it are futile. One cannot argue with the 20th century’s greatest prose stylist.

Government is corrupt because of the human heart. Three things, separately inert, combine into a lethal alloy: power, money, and corporation. The first stands synonymous with “politics.” In fact, THE PLANET defines “politics” as the pursuit, acquisition, maintenance, and wielding of power. This mysterious force comes in two varieties, internal and external. Internal power provides the force through which we become ourselves through our choices, the whole “Existential thing.” Internal power, attached at the hip to Will, includes every virtue, characteristic, attribute, and talent a person possesses. It works alone in and though the singularity of one’s persona.

External power defines us publicly comes about through one’s actions on that stage. It only occurs in consortium. We see a great (though little recognized) example from Jesus in the New Testament, when he says that whenever “two or three” are gathered in his name, he is present also. It might have come straight out of a sociology text. Corporation (at its best “collegiality,” at its worst “totalitarianism”) transforms external power into “politics.”

Humans are social animals not because we love one another but because we need one another. The days of rugged individualism have ended. Coming together in communities requires rules, a social contract, and the devices through which that contract can be administered and enforced. All hierarchies — the military, Church, a political party, city government, a condo association, the Boy Scouts, a football team — must be led. Rules require a ruler.

Unfortunately, power becomes for some an irresistible attraction, an end they pursue by any means. The best among us pursue power for public service. The worst pursue it for themselves. How does one tell the difference? By actions. Above all, beware of the politician who has to keep telling you he or she was attracted to office because of “public service.” That statement is almost always a lie.

Which brings about this post on THE PLANET several days ago from mi:

Peter Larkin is looking into Broadband for the Citizens of Pittsfield and beyond. Karen Polito gave him a few mentions during her visit here. Wouldn’t you rather have P. T. Barnum representing you instead of this phony politico, money sucking Lobbyist.

THE PLANET would rather have P.T. Barnum. For that matter, we’d rather have Barney Fife … or Barney Rubble.

Here’s our favorite Peter Larkin story.

It’s election night, late 1990s. Larkin, then state rep, sits in with THE PLANET, who is anchoring local election coverage for WBRK Radio. The results start coming in, and it becomes quickly apparent that the numbers for the council at-large race make no sense. We send newsman Len Bean to city hall to investigate. Larkin, meanwhile, gets on his phone and is talking secretively to some unknown party. THE PLANET concludes there’s been a colossal ballot screw-up.

We look at the printed sample ballot. Sure enough. For at-large, it tells voters to vote for eight — twice as many as it should have. THE PLANET immediately realizes the severity of the situation, that it will invalidate the election. We pause for a commercial break. In that two minutes, we convene a hasty drawn conference in the corridor outside the broadcast booth. We address WBRK management, Bullet Bob Shade and Chip Hodgkins.

“Fellas, this election is screwed up,” we say. “The at-large numbers are wrong. This election will be invalidated. I want to break this news right now.” They give the green light.

Lenny calls back from city hall. There’s panic in city hall, led by mayor Gerry Doyle. Larkin gets back on his phone. Someone at the station overhears the conversation. Larkin is on the phone with Doyle, who’s telling Larkin to order Dan Valenti not to report what’s going on or the city is going to sue everyone.

When the commercial break ends, we resume anchoring and break the bombshell. Larkin’s face turns white. We ask him for comment. He’s shell shocked because he failed to carry out an order from his political master. He tries but fails to downplay the huge gaffe. We essentially tell him he’s full of it. THE PLANET sticks by the story: The city screwed up the ballot, and that will invalidate the election.

The next day, the secretary of state agreed with our reporting. He rules Pittsfield must provide a do-over at a cost of an additional $25,000.

——– 000 ——–

That day, we saw what a disingenuous politician looks like.

We all know later Larkin quit his seat on Beacon Hill shortly after he won re-election, even though he knew was leaving for a lucrative position that he previously lined up. He turned his alleged “public service” into a grab fest.

THE PLANET, even those 20 years ago, had long had a Mencken-like distrust of politicians. On that chilly election night, Larkin confirmed every suspicion we had. We saw a phony at work. Today, we can spot the type on sight.

THE PLANET will never be able to reform government. We CAN, however, keep giving We The People the information it needs to finally, one day, wake up and not be fooled again.

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“Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.” — H. L. Mencken

“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”

LOVE TO ALL.

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