In ninth grade, I had to write a paper about Shakespeare’s
play Julius Caeser. In it, I had to analyze the character of Brutus—the friend of
Caesar who agrees that the leader’s ambition is faulty to the nation. With
regret almost from the outset, he helps in the brutal assassination of his
former friend. In one of the most memorable lines, the dying Ceasar cries out in
shock.
“Et tu, Brute?” Meaning, of course, “You too, Brutus?”
The betrayal of Caesar, while perhaps nobly inspired, does
not bring rewards for the tormented Brutus. Instead, he watches the system
crumble before his eyes as the eloquent Marc Antony masterfully convinces the
crowd that the murderers must be held accountable. In the end, the balance of
power leads Caesar’s adopted son Octavius to become the new leader. And Brutus?
Well, let’s just say he kills himself in the end.
So, what was the theory of my paper? Ends don’t always
justify the means. In fact, they may be destroyed by them. That is to say,
moral goals or objectives cannot be achieved through corrupt or immoral means. Let
me make it clearer.
The musical, Alexander Hamilton, has some similar themes. Through
hip-hop music and quick-witted speeches, we get to watch as the ambitious Aaron
Burr, whose only wish is to make a difference, gives up principle for the sake
of power again and again. Eventually, his allies desert him. Alexander Hamilton
not only refuses to endorse Burr in the Presidential Election, but actually
sides with his old, political opponent Thomas Jefferson. As Hamilton states near
the end of the play:
“We have fought on like seventy-five different fronts. But
when all is said and done, Jefferson has beliefs. Burr has none.”
What are these embellished versions of history trying to
tell us?
Sacrificing principle for the sake of power never leads to
good ends. The abandonment of integrity in calculations of political gain
always lead to self-damnation and ruin.
If only the GOP had learned this lesson before the election
year. The fact is, after the repeated demonstrations of Donald Trump’s disgusting
behavior and revealingly intolerant rhetoric there is no possible way in which
he can be defended without first abandoning principle.
Supporters of Trump have only one very weak defense, and
interestingly, it is the exact statement that I had to discredit in my ninth
grade paper. They are convinced that the “end” of keeping Hillary Clinton from
the White House justifies the “mean” of supporting an immoral, abusive, bigot
as the standard-bearer of the party’s more morally intentioned policies.
But hypocrisy never survives in the game of power and principle.
Because the moment one abandons the latter, they become a victim to the former.
And there is no principle left to defend them. Machiavelli could tell you that.
Radio hosts, politicians, regular citizens, or anyone who
still maintains that the republican nominee is still somehow morally superior
to his democratic [and sometimes republican] opponents are deceiving themselves. Why?
Because it doesn’t really matter whether or not the democrats are worse. It didn’t matter if Caeser really was “too ambitious.” In the latter
case, murder was still wrong. In the former, so is Donald Trump. The gamble to
maintain the noble objectives of the Republican Party through an immoral
standard-bearer will lead to the downfall of the entire movement. They will
have no legs to stand on when the political smoke clears and people remember
that power is fleeting and all victories short-lived.
Instead, history will record—independent of the outcome—that
some citizens sacrificed power to save their conscience while others sold their
soul on the off-chance that one evil would secure a better good in the long
run. But choosing evil of any degree will never salvage goodness from the soul.
There is no “long run” when character is on the line. They will be left to their
own ruin and condemnation.
There can be no “higher principle” when the pursuit of it is
full of corruption. We cannot think that to deny Clinton the White House will
somehow redeem us from supporting someone who encourages xenophobia, racism, and
blatant sexual harassment.
What I am saying is vote for principle. Because you are casting the
ballot of your character. The chance to define the integrity of your soul. It
might not mean one of the two main candidates on the ballot.
One day, we will rise up in the aftermath of perhaps the
most unpopular and disastrous election, and the only people who will have the
moral authority to lead movements for change will be those who refused to
sacrifice character in the current, dirty power struggle. Let’s commit to be
the future of the American soul. We do not need to vote for power. We need to
vote for principle.
That will never be a waste.
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