Washington is a State of Mind

In his article, “Washington Is a State of Mind,” Marquis Childs describes Washington as a war zone, littered with the debris of battles past and trapped in a never-ending cycle of destruction and rebirth. In peacetime and wartime alike, Washington never ceases to act as the political battleground of the nation, a “vacuum in which opposing pressure groups [constantly] struggle for power” (288). During times of relative political peace, when the “crest of the wave has been spent” (287), relationships and alliances are rebuilt. Each new conflict, however, seems to arise before the refuse of the previous skirmish has been cleared from the field. Unlike any conventional war, in Washington “there [are] never any fixed battle lines” (288) and often there is no way of knowing “which way the wind is shifting.” (288). Washington is a unique city in the sense that it is never peaceful, never at rest, but rather engaged in a constant struggle for power that leaves numerous political causalities lying along the wayside.

Childs’ article paints a vivid picture of Washington that still reins true today. Since Childs wrote during World War II, the war analogy is obviously a sign of the times. His words, although clearly influenced by current events, nevertheless accurately describe the inherent sense of conflict and struggle that lives in the political mindset of the city.