Chess and Politics Part II: Civility in politics

I fear the Congress and the President as institutions have in large measure forgotten the importance of decorum, respect, fair play civility and honor. I find the increasing trend towards winning every vote using whatever tactics and stratagems necessary to achieve the win regardless of however questionable to be quite disturbing.

For twenty-seven years I have been following politics during those years I noticed that the only time the Congress and the President refrained from promoting their own self interests and subverted the concerns of their states placing national concerns before them for any length of time occurred during the periodic governmental shutdowns that characterized the 1980's and the early 1990's, during times of national tragedy or crisis. At all other times it seems as though the mantra of Government has become anything goes.

The attitudes exhibited by the Congress and the Office of the President reminded me of an epigram given by Dr. Emanuel Lasker, the World Chess Champion from 1894 to 1920, Dr.
Lasker once remarked:

Chess is above all a fight.

It could be argued that politics like chess is a fight in the sense that both are contests in which opponents seek to obtain an advantage over each others often relying on combinations and other techniques to achieve their ends. Further there are numerous examples in both politics and chess illustrate the tendencies of master class politicians and chess players to promote their own self interests at the expense of the public at large. Having said that I should note that their have been individuals such as Jeanette Rankin and Edmund Ross who valued honor, decorum, civility, respect and principle. In this way they were akin to Carl Schelecter and Geza Maróczy chess players who valued fair play and honor over a win under questionable circumstances. The powers that be would do well to take to heart the lessons of these individuals who valued fair play and honor over a win under questionable circumstances.