I am a secret fan of aphorisms – those pithy observations that contain a general truth, like, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” and, “Actions speak louder than words.” Now, as a newspaper editor, I would always discourage trite phrases, of course. But sometimes you just can’t do better than one of those simple truths. Like, “Never use two words when one will do.” Great advice, that, from Thomas Jefferson.
And here’s one of my favorite aphorisms: “A ship in harbor is safe, but that’s not what ships are built for.” It’s unclear who said that first, but it’s good because it applies to so much in life – right? It means you’ve got to do the work at hand, and face down challenges. Ships are built to sail, and ship captains are strengthened by navigating rough waters. So do we grow by confronting life’s vicissitudes, and not slinking into safe ports.
I’d say that aphorism is especially true these days when you look at public life – politics – where so many people entrusted with leadership seem to want to hide in a safe harbor rather than risking the rising sea. I can give you examples – one from recent history and from right now.
Last week The New York Times published a story that answered one of those nagging questions about politics – that is, why Joe Biden stood by during his term in office as migrants flowed across the southern border, giving Donald Trump a potent campaign issue. Argue all you want about the exaggeration of what the migrant influx meant to America, or about the racism inherent in the opposition to immigration. But if you look at the polling data, you have to conclude that we probably wouldn’t have Trump in the White House right now if Biden hadn’t been so complacent about the border controversy.
The Times reporter Christopher Flavelle interviewed dozens of former Biden aides and other officials to reconstruct what was going on. It turns out that Biden and his aides saw the border crisis coming – they knew that his policies risked the flow of hundreds of thousands of migrants, who could overwhelm American cities. But the president and his top advisers chose to mostly stand pat in part because they figured that even talking about immigration would bring attention that would reward Trump. Inaction seemed politically wiser. And by the time Biden finally moved to shut the border, the issue had stuck in voters’ minds. So Democrats took a drubbing in 2024, and we have President Trump.
You would think that the beneficiary of this stand-pat disaster, Donald Trump, would have learned from his predecessor’s mistake. But Trump is not a learner. His point of inaction right now is health care, where a disaster is unfolding in real time.
Politico reported last week that the Trump White House is trying to keep the president out of the current debate over the expiring subsidies for 22 million Obamacare recipients – and the huge increases in health insurance premiums that everybody is facing. Why? Well, here’s what Politico reported: “…because they’re fearful of the president getting yoked into a messy health care fight…”. Trump aides understand that by inaction on health care, they’re risking a Republican rout in swing districts in November – notably, in some New York districts. But any move Trump makes would be controversial. So he’s hanging back.
And in that, we see how bipartisan the paralysis of American politics has become – because the fear that doing anything will annoy somebody leads to doing nothing, which pleases nobody. Because it’s not why we elect people.
Look, I understand that dodging controversy is part of the political game. But I also remember reading John F. Kennedy’s book, “Profiles in Courage,” as a young man. It recounts the stories of eight U.S. senators who demonstrated political courage by taking principled stands against their party or public pressure. It argues, in JFK’s words, that “a man does what he must, in spite of personal consequences.” Or he should, anyway.
So to carry on the metaphor: Yes, your ship will get buffeted at sea. But a ship that never sails is worthless – itdoesn’t get goods delivered, or battles won – and in port, it will rust and lose its seaworthiness.
Our political leaders must venture into the rough waters where we’ve asked them to sail. And, incidentally, that applies to each of us: We can’t stand ashore; we must engage in the battles of the day, each in our own necessary way. So, off to sea, citizens. And let’s demand that, too, of the people who purport to be our captains, no matter what tumult awaits them.
Rex Smith, the host of The Media Project on WAMC, is the former editor of the Times Union of Albany and The Record in Troy. His weekly digital report, The Upstate American, is published by Substack.
The views expressed by commentators are solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views of this station or its management.
