60 / Politicians

All politics is an exercise in hypocrisy. Political hypocrisy could be an unfortunate necessity among a welter of conflicting interests; or,  a cunning strategy to conceal planned actions. There is a distinction to be drawn between the hypocritical sell out and the legitimate, best available compromise. Between demagogue and statesman. But who’d be a politician in the first place?  Honestly, would you wish the job on anyone?

At the start of your career endless tedious parties at college, or work place, that you have to attend or risk being labelled aloof, antisocial; dismissed as outsider. An eternity of mind-numbing meetings where you have to show your face, build a public persona, develop a political position. Then after you’ve wheedled and cajoled and flanneled your way to becoming a candidate, you’re faced with the hustings.

If elected you soon learn some basic skills from older politicians. To blovicate, to obfuscate, for example, to toe the party line  except when you’re an independent and then  you must be prepared to barter your support  unless you are wealthy enough to create a party line of your very own.

All this is easy to write and some politicians deserve to be aunt sally. But what can we really expect of our politicians?  Parliamentary democracy means that we each have a hand through our individual vote to elect someone to represent us in parliament. Some of us throw our hands  and our ballot papers in the air – and don’t bother. Sure, they’re all the same. Nothing changes. But it’s a mistake to give up on individual suffrage. Without our politicians who would we be governed by?  Unelected, unaccountable civil servants? The military? Multinational conglomerates? The mega-rich buying their way to political power to further their own vested interests and those of the 1%? 

In the next election (coming soon to a polling both near you), ignore fake promises made by fake politicians  and don't forget to vote.  

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