Why DON'T I like politicians?

“Politics (from Greek: πολιτικα: Polis - "affairs of the cities") is the process of making decisions that apply to members of a group, it refers to achieving and exercising positions of governance — organized control over a human community, particularly a state. Furthermore, politics is the study or practice of the distribution of power and resources within a given community (this is usually a hierarchically organized population) as well as the interrelationship(s) between communities.”

(Wikipedia)

Why don’t I like politicians, because I don’t? Why have I zero respect for politicians? Because I have no respect for them.

Now, of course, wherever there exists a group of people with a more or less common goal or purpose and where resources are limited there will be politics. Even in families, there are politics. Humans are social animals and in order to achieve their aims they must interact, cooperate and negotiate with other humans. So, it becomes political.

What I am referring to is politics at the career level, to the professional politicians at all levels of the state. I will assume some form of ‘democratic’ system here. Democracy has massive problems, practically, theoretically and philosophically. The word itself has become empty of meaning and means all things to all people, and is thrown around willy-nilly without definition or specification. Just about every state in the world today calls itself a democracy – The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), for example.

I guess I am, basically, with Churchill on this (although there is some dispute as to who said it first):

“Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others.”

Anyway, the feelings that I have towards politicians, dislike and no respect, have been on my mind for some time. WHY don’t I like politicians?

I used to like them. Back in my communist youth, I believed that some politicians were fantastic, that they told the truth and would do marvellous things if elected. However, I recovered from both communism and my positive feelings about politicians.

Well, they lie a lot, or, at least, they are extremely ‘economical with the truth’. As the old joke has it - ‘How do you know when a politician is lying? Their lips are moving.’ They lie to the people they are supposed to represent, a lot, particularly at election time. Every few years or so they have to set up their market stall and try and attract customers - ‘Roll up, roll up, a set of nice policies here, slightly used, and they only cost your vote.’ Thanks for that, see you in 5 years, bye’.

They are always playing catch up. The world changes, new things become ‘popular’ and the politicians have to adjust their pitch to the voter, in the attempt to be ‘popular’.

I guess, in a democracy, that is inevitable, but it means that they are not honest with people.

They are easily corrupted. By that, I mean that they will adjust their beliefs in a second if it means votes, or money for some project, or power. They also deal with very wealthy and powerful actors, individuals, organisations, corporations, who will ‘pay’, in some way, for influence.

Their view of the world becomes constantly distorted, as they see the world through the distorting lens of power, ambition and party. This is true of everybody, of course, but not everybody has the power that politicians have.

These days, politicians have very little connection to, or understanding of, the everyday world and concerns of everyday people. As an example – when I was young, foolish and voted Labour (UK), at least the vast majority of Labour Party politicians had worked for a living, often in hard jobs (like mining), and they had worked their way up through trades union and local government committees. The average age of Labour politicians was over 40. Today the average age of Labour politicians is under 20. The majority of them are lawyers and went straight from University into politics. Their experience of life outside the political bubble is limited to non-existent. This is, I think, important.

Politicians have contributed nothing positive to individual lives. These things have come from science, technology, capitalism, the arts and so on. Politicians have often opposed these things or jumped on the bandwagon later.

I realise that this piece is an unorganized mess, and I have not backed anything up. However, it is simply an expression of a position that I have had for some time, an attempt by me to think it through a bit. That is all. There are other things that I could add, and may well follow up later. I also intend to tackle the thorny issue of ‘democracy’ at some point, and the whole idea of ‘representation’.

I reluctantly accept that when a large group of individuals exists who are linked by ideologies of nation, religion and so on, then politics will, necessarily, arise. This will develop, in time, into Politics, with formal structure, parties and such. This will produce the professional politician. Their job, as far as I can see, is to ensure the security of the people and little else (minarchism). They are a necessary evil, unfortunately. They are, however, servants, not masters.

Si vis pacem, para bellum

¤

Islam delenda est