PETER WEHNER: The Public’s Complicity In Its Own Outrage.

I understand fierce criticism of our political class is sometimes in order. (I’ve even engaged in such criticism myself from time to time.) Often, and understandably, it’s driven by objective circumstances. And the American public is not inclined to deify its (living) politicians, which is a healthy thing.

But we need to recognize this as well: if the public’s animus for our system of government is unrelenting and unceasing, it eventually undermines self-government itself. A democracy relies on widespread respect for the authority of government and compliance with its laws, including (and even especially) from those who are on the losing end of elections. Beyond that, it’s difficult to maintain one’s love of country if one harbors, over a sustained period of time, utter disdain for its governing institutions, for its lawmakers and for its laws.

That’s true, but we also need a governing class that makes at least some effort not to be contemptible. As I’ve suggested before, the current crowd not only underappreciates the role of financial capital, but seriously underappreciates the importance of moral capital. Related thoughts here.