Mark Twain once said, "Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it," and it´s certainly easy to sympathize with his attitude today.

We know a lack of various strands of DNA may be largely responsible for the inherent lack of compassion and integrity we see in some people, and that would include elected officials who serve in the United States Congress. But there is a lot more that's damaging going on in this country today than could ever be blamed on "bad genes."

If any of us were safely in a position to reveal the thinly disguised contrast between facts and propaganda we witness on so many nightly news shows, or to unmask the rivalries between news organizations that perpetuate grievous falsehoods to guarantee their commentators the power to persuade, things might be different.

None of us can demand that elected leaders on both the Right and the Left stop using political correctness or uncorrectness as they do. The use and abuse of PC as a tool to conceal issues is rampant. But who's kidding who? Saying uncivil things civilly does not somehow make them civil, and the spoken word affects people's lives.

Of course, things would be different if more political leaders and clergy were honest brokers of the public good, and politics was not such an intolerably unruly, nasty and profit-driven, corporate controlled business in so many ways. The fact is we live in a world of delicate balances where it is obvious there's no such thing as an "isolated event" and when people perform senseless, thoughtless, greedy or self-centered actions, they inflict pain on others, and the results are more widespread than "we the people" get to discuss in public. Chalking these actions up to "collateral damage" changes nothing. Public outcries may be impressive but are always after the fact.

Curiously, Twain´s statement also implies that he sees the world´s smartest, brightest, and truest potential leaders abdicating their responsibility to others or leaving the room of debate. But we know that´s not the true story. The uneven process of human development and social maturity that persists in our "free society" makes PC what it is.

Speaking Succinctly . . .

We hope that you find reading some of the Political Insights on this website underscores the obvious but neglected fact that as a nation, we are in dire need of something like "preventive politics." In other words, the kind of politics that establishes leadership and policies that keep us healthy rather than claiming to cure one set of problems while creating others that have equally horrific effects.

We've found that honest, reputable New Yorkers tend to appreciate and exhibit well-mannered civility, even when speaking frankly about things, and an amazing number of them can dispense real charm. They are value conscious voters who know that the manipulation of society through propaganda, lies and politically correct vagaries makes it impossible for leaders of any flavor to run a democracy with honesty and sensitivity, much less the sincerity, sanity and fairness needed to direct a twenty-first century society and culture.

"Civility is claiming and caring for one's identity, needs and beliefs without degrading someone else's in the process."

– Tomas Spath and Cassandra Dahnke, Founders of the Institute for Civility in Government

If you live in New York, you live in a reasonably modern state. You can rise to a clear overview of what's actually going on in your world if you are able, call things by their rightful names, and engage in honest, genuine progressive conversation about the situations you experience in life; the inequality and the need for effective change. Shouldn't that frame of mind provide the basis for the development of something like real politics throughout our country? Wouldn't that make positive change more of a sought after commodity and render resistance to corruption and calousness more effective?

Speaking Responsibly . . .

From the time of America's founding to today, serious leaders have introduced the ideal of civil public discourse over and over again . . .

"So let us begin anew – remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is always subject to proof."     – John F. Kennedy

Insofar as political correctness goes . . .

"Under the misguided and destructive cover of political correctness, America has become a society where tolerance, rather than condemnation of irresponsibility has become the accepted norm. We have become a nation too afraid to publicly criticize bad behavior, much less ascribe negative consequences for such conduct. To our downfall, we have permitted our elected officials, our courts, our educators and our media to redefine tolerance devoid of any linkage to accountability."   – R. E. Bell

The Civil New Yorker's earlier Political Insights were articles published by the "Huffington Post." They were written with the view to displaying civility and humor, and at the same time, to avoiding the kind of politically correct wordsmithing that conceals and suppresses the truth about issues of fundamental importance to all of us. Progressive politics is trending in America because so many of our current crop of leaders make concealment and suppression a practice and get away with it. It is an unmistakable fact, and that keeps us from being part of a true democracy and having a say in its direction.

We hope you find the growing number of articles, books and listings on this website interesting.

Comments are always welcomed.