Politics: a circus with a big taint and a ring of untruth
September 8th 2008 00:34
Like tax forms, mosquito season and the garbage collector, political elections come around regularly. Promises, promises, and so many people get so excited. I don't.
I see politics as one talking face after another failing to deliver. We all want another Gandhi-esque leader, a selfless and honest ruler committed to the twin ideals of civil liberty and welfare, and we never get it.
I see politics as full of cynicism. The problem is Gandhi could afford ideals, and the luxury of acting according to those ideals, because he didn't want to be a politician in the first place. He got there by force of nature and nurture. Try selling that to the selection panel of the candidate assessment committee of the local electorate of your favoured political party.
I see politics as full of people saying things which I have no reason to believe. Most of the time they answer questions by carefully not answering the question. It's a tricky skill to master, but it's a prerequisite these days for any government spokesperson.
When they do make a direct promise, a long history of pledges broken for reasons of political expediency begs the question: Are you committed to this socially valuable scheme because the numbers people have said it will benefit your popularity rating and the spin people have said they can sell it? And will you, should either of those turn around, just drop it like so many before you?
I see right-of-centre governments as trying to buy votes with sexy infrastructure and business-friendly projects and policies. Well and good, but it is at the expense of social services and grassroots concern.
I see left-of centre governments as trying to buy votes with sexy social welfare spending and care projects and policies. Well and good, but it is at the expense of job creation through a healthy business environment.
It's a polarised electorate, and that's the way the big political parties want it. Middle-of-the-road parties - aiming for a balance between social and fiscal responsibility - are labelled indecisive, and swinging voters - thinking people prepared to look at individual candidates and issues in individual elections - are labelled fence-sitters.
Modern democracy is a system which awards no points for openness or common sense. Frank answers to questions are dangerous because you can't control the way the voters or, worse, the media will respond. As for common sense, well it's just too straightforward - too hard to spin.
Politics is a circus with a big taint and a ring of untruth. I'm not interested.
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Now, look what you made me do. I said yes and no. Bugger!
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