Walzer - The Problem of Dirty Hands

Walzer starts right out with the dilemma of dirty hands and one of them that first struck me was "I have dirty hands right up to my elbows. I've plunged them in filth and blood. Do you think you can goven innocently?" This quote from page 161 made me think back to Nixon and his involvement in the Watergate scandal. And as Walzer continues in the same paragraph with "nor do most of us believe that those who govern us are innocent...." I thought of the time when President Ford pardoned President Nixon of any wrong doing and his involvement into Watergate. I remember some of the very controversal heated arguments that were taking place, and at that time, that was when I pretty much decided that politics and religion are the two topics that cause such heated debates, because we all have our own personal opinions as to what is morally right and wrong.

On page 163, Walzer says, "Hustling and lying are necessary because power and glory are so desirable-that is, so widely desired. And so the men who act for us and in our name are necessarily hustlers and liars." Here is another instance that I think back to my grandfather. I recall so many talks about how he thought all politicans are liars. According to Walzer and this article, it is really making me recall alot of those conversartions with my grandfather and how I just sat and listened, didnt respond back because I disagreed with him. Now after reading this article, (and others as well), I'm having a different opinion as to how I thought grandpa was wrong....according to Walzer, my grandfather was right. Especially how he continues on page 164 with, "No one succeeds in politics without getting his hands dirty...."

Staying with this belief that all politicans have dirty hands, I like how Walzer says on page 178, "A politican with dirth hands needs a soul, and it is best for us all if he has some hope of personal salvation, however that is conceived. It is not the case that when he does bad in order to do good he surrenders himself forever to the demon of politics." This just further explains my policy of religion and politics.