Examples Of Artifice

The Fatal Flaw of Artifice Politicians are in positions of power because they are the nation’s leaders, or the nation’s elect. They are the best a country has to offer. They are intelligent, experienced, and held to the highest moral standards, however, voters rarely hold politicians accountable for one of the most essential qualities of being a leader. This quality is honesty. Since the rise of democracy, politicians have resorted to artifice and deception to win support of the people when running for office, or to maintain a positive popular opinion of themselves to the point where Chris Hedges, in Empire of Illusion, asserts that “the most essential skill… is artifice”. The most relevant example of artifice in politics is none other than
While it is clear that Trump and his administration can talk the talk, it is becoming increasingly clearer that he cannot walk the walk. Throughout the last year, Trump and his cabinet redundantly labeled the opioid crisis as their “first priority,” and promised to take significant action, but their actions, or lack thereof, reveal that this label is just an an added element of their mask that provides an illusion of dedication. Despite labeling the opioid crisis their “first priority,” the Trump administration only dedicated a fraction of the available resources available to them to stop the crisis. They also put the opioid crisis on the backburner in favor of other political hot topics, ignoring the largest cause of the accidental loss of life in the country. Instead of promoting legislation that would lessen the loss of life from the opioid crisis, Trump’s budget proposal cut funding for Medicaid, an insurance program that provides treatment for people addicted to opioids. This is not the action of someone who’s first priority is the opioid crisis. The far-fetched promises that rallied the support of Trump’s voters still linger, ignored and unacted upon, and his apparent concern for the loss
Winston Churchill, one the most successful politicians in history said “I never ‘worry’ about action, but only about inaction.” If the Trump administration took the same approach as Churchill, there would be no problem. The principle that actions speak louder than words is not new. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the second largest opioid crisis occurred. Heroin was first introduced in the 1890s and its addictive and dangerous characteristics were unknown. The number of Americans addicted to opioids skyrocketed, and Theodore Roosevelt knew something must be done. Instead of deceiving the public by making empty promises to accumulate future voters, Roosevelt took action. Roosevelt established an international coalition to eliminate the issue worldwide and immediately passed legislation outlawing opium dens where people would inhale opium vapors. Instead of taking the easy way out of being held accountable for his actions by using artifice, Roosevelt cracked down on the opioid crisis which resulted in immediate improvements. Roosevelt is now praised for his no nonsense approach to solving the opioid crisis, which contrasts with Trump’s unpopularity for his lackadaisical efforts disguised by tough talk. While the Federal Government may not be doing their part, an organization called The Partnership currently leads the way