Our Culture of Pandering
- Book Review,
by Paul Simon
From Publishers Weekly
Former Illinois senator Simon (Freedom's Champion: Elijah Lovejoy) joins the growing chorus of commentators from the left, right and center who believe there is something seriously wrong with the United States' most cherished institutions. Simon, who now is a director of the Public Policy Institute at the University of Southern Illinois, sets out his major thesis in the book's title. Simon passionately believes that politicians, the media, religious leaders and educators have, individually and collectively, abandoned their responsibility to lead. In place of a commitment to do what is best for America, even if it means proposing unpopular policies, leaders in each of these fields have substituted a commitment to tell their constituencies, particularly those with money and power, what they want to hear, in a way they want to hear it. In doing so, says Simon, they have made us vulnerable to future political, moral and economic disasters. Simon's diagnosis that politics is driven by money, pollsters and above all else a desire for reelection, has been already made by other commentators, as have his complaints about the media. More novel and more interesting are his comments about how religious leaders have failed to provide meaningful spiritual guidance. Simon argues that religious leaders pander to their congregations by asking them only for capital contributions rather for than the sacrifices he feels define the Judeo-Christian ethic, mainly to provide assistance for the poor and the less fortunate. Missing in this book, and others like it, is an analysis of why Americans are willing to settle for being pandered to.Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Before joining the faculty of Southern Illinois University in 1997, Simon was a U.S. senator from Illinois. He posits that his book "is a call to alter our course, to encourage those who hold the titles of leadership to actually lead, and to prod those who are not leaders to demand more of those who hold the titles." He contends that our leaders in politics, the media, religion, and education are guilty of pandering, of giving in to what is easy instead of fighting for what is right. Simon goes on to urge the public to demand that political candidates speak frankly and truthfully about issues, and he charges that the media is interested only in higher ratings or larger circulation. His position is that our religious leaders are unwilling "to do the unpopular" and that our leaders in the field of education are not doing enough to adequately prepare students to compete with "the rest of the world." Although Simon gives no specific solutions, he deftly outlines the problems, and he should be listened to. George Cohen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Walter Cronkite
Simon, in another of his powerful treatises, has written the guidebook for anyone interested in the future of our democracy.
Jim Lehrer
Nobody could have delivered the message and the lament stronger and with more credibility than Paul Simon.
Studs Terkel
Simon challenges us to wake up and smell the coffee. . . . Never has the time been more ripe for this book.
Hugh Sidey
Our Culture of Pandering is a gem of a little book.
Booklist
[Simon] deftly outlines the problems, and he should be listened to.
Book Description
As we broaden our views, embrace our differences, foster advancements in science and technology, and collaboratively strengthen the political, social, and educational underpinnings from which we build informed and productive lives, we have much to be proud of as a nation and as a people. But we are tempted—particularly during times of political unrest and unbridled patriotism—to ignore the far-reaching repercussions of a society that caters to money and power. In Our Culture of Pandering, former U.S. Senator Paul Simon interrogates the arenas of politics, media, religion, and education to decry the disturbing practices that confuse public service with profit-making ventures or popularity contests, that compromise the best interests of the broader population to appease a powerful few. Boldly and eloquently contributing to a cumulative understanding of how we can build a sturdier, more ethical foundation for the future, Simon suggests proactive, long-term solutions to the problems that threaten our country’s moral, financial, and intellectual well-being—problems that are increasingly exacerbated by our culture of pandering. "In too many areas we have spawned ‘leadership’ that does not lead, that panders to our whims rather than telling us the truth, that follows the crowd rather than challenging us, that weakens us rather than strengthening us," Simon writes in his introduction. "It is easy to go downhill, and we are now following that easy path. Pandering is not illegal, but it is immoral. It is doing the convenient when the right course demands inconvenience and courage." Lest we grow complacent and our nation static, Simon urges us to demand more from the political candidates who chase dollar signs and cater to polls, to raise our expectations of local and national media outlets that recycle gossip and peddle scandals while foreign policy and international news receive back-page treatment or no treatment at all. He asks us to consider the implications of churches that spend more money remodeling their buildings than helping those in need within their own communities and throughout the world, and he presses us to acknowledge the staggering, long-term consequences of schools that drop their academic standards to sustain their reputations and maintain funding. Our Culture of Pandering is a stalwart and earnest call to action from a steadfast and trusted advocate of progressive public policy. Leavened with altruism and rich with compassion for citizens of America and beyond, present and future, this important and cautioning treatise advocates genuine leadership in the realms of politics, media, religion, and education. In his trademark lucid and synoptic style, Simon supplements up-to-date examples of pandering in our society from a breadth of sources with commentary and interpretive wisdom garnered from a lifetime of public service.
About the Author
Paul Simon serves as the founding director of the Public Policy at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He also teaches courses in political science, journalism, and history. Prior to leaving the U.S. Senate and joining the SIUC faculty in 1997, Simon ranked as the senior senator from Illinois. In the 104th Congress, he served on the budget, labor and human resources, judiciary, and Indian affairs committees. He is the author or coauthor of nineteen books, including Freedom’s Champion: Elijah Lovejoy, Tapped Out: The Coming World Crisis in Water and What We Can Do About It, and P.S. The Autobiography of Paul Simon.
Excerpted from Our Culture of Pandering by Paul Simon. Copyright © 2003. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
We all like to please people. Politicians are not exempt from that trait; when we seek public office or run for reelection, we want to win and usually believe that it is important for the future of a city, county, state, or nation that we succeed. The desire to win has always been part of our political scene, but two things have turned a temptation for candidates into a threat to our free system: First, polls can tell us on a daily basis—hourly, if you want—what people are thinking. In a zeal to win, political leaders too often use these polls to embrace the whims of public opinion rather than stand firmly for the public interests. Second, campaign contributions now play a huge role in who gets elected. In the process of securing that funding, candidates and, more seriously, officeholders find the time that they should devote to complex issues being devoured by begging for dollars. Equally troubling, those who have the big money have learned that a flow of money to the right candidates pays off handsomely. No stock market purchase will ordinarily reward the investor like this type of investment does. Too often, the winning candidates are those who pander to the polls and to the big campaign contributors. . . . The harsh reality is that we have slipped into electing leaders who will not lead, officeholders who are zealous to maintain themselves in power, sometimes at the expense of the national interest. . . . [T]he public should demand that candidates speak frankly and truthfully about issues of concern, and it must understand that once a person is elected and looks at the facts in much greater detail, changes in attitude do and should occur. . . . Perhaps more than anything else, the public must educate itself, not just about politics and political candidates but about local, national, and international issues; people must become involved. This is something most of us have not done.
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