i have been occupied by the idea or more precisely the feeling that running countries and politics couldnt be perfect or near perfect at all.... i know it may be due to projection of my own country disappointments... but it is not common to hear normal people talking proudly about their political or economic system even in the developed world ...
i could only hear these words of satisfaction in rhetorics .. ironically ... during nations disasters which can be traced to failed policies ....
i know most guys here hate politics ... and may not even think of visiting such a post .. but fellas ! this is exactly the type of people i want
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I don't think there's a political system in the world that could be or ever be deemed perfect. Everyone is an individual and what one system does well for one person, may do badly for another.
I don't get into politics... don't really understand enough about it, nor do I care to... I still vote... and base my vote on the claimed aims of the political parties, so at least I then have the RIGHT to moan when the system lets me down.
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Somewhere deep inside I think there is an altruistic streak that motivates some people to get involved with politics. I think I have met people who really want to give something back to the community and stand for office. I stood in an election over twenty years ago in a new town borough election and the process is quite interesting. I did not stand in the hope of getting elected (or indeed have a hope of getting elected), such an outcome would have been a nightmare, but as an active member of the Green Party at the time it seemed like the right thing to do. My motives for getting involved were to do with helping to raise the profile of others who were seriously hoping to be able to get into office and also I felt that the messages we stood for were important.
However, once on that path it becomes apparent that other influences affect the way we respond. I found the gladiatorial nature of British politics difficult and I wasn't interested enough in developing the necessary debating skills. I don't think quickly on my feet (and it even takes me a while to compose a message on these boards) and I knew that people want instant solutions to their problems. I didn't, and still don't, believe that most solutions are ever of the instant variety.
As I have aged I have seen that people form alliances for all sorts of reasons, but it is amazing how often people can get sucked into self-serving coalitions. Nowadays my usual response on hearing that someone wants to become a professional politician is that they should probably be the last person who should be allowed to hold office. The very nature of being in a place where there is the buzz and thrill of making decisions and exercising power must be very similar to mainlining a powerful narcotic. How often have we had enormous optimism for an incoming political leader only to have those hopes dashed as they grapple with the machines of power and vested interest? I don't suppose many here will remember the euphoria that surrounded the election of Tony Blair's first government. The realities of the day-to-day soon put cracks in the structure. He held it together for so long by being as despotic as some of his predecessors, but cracks there surely were, because of human acquisitiveness and failing ... not necessarily always on his part. The most extreme example of this effect of being drawn into power in the news at the moment must be Zimbabwe's Mugabe. When the black populations finally began to take a fair share of power following the dreadful chimurenga war that saw the end of the Smith regime, Robert Mugabe was a hero. If I remember correctly the first five years of his leadership saw massive change for the better for the majority of citizens in Zimbabwe. Sadly, something went very badly wrong as is all too evident at the moment.
Sudanese, I agree with your observation that political leaders talk up their achievements. Politics is synonymous with spin. I'm brought to mind of the phrase about something being "a dirty job, but someone has to do it". Unless we are prepared to get our hands dirty and take part in the political process we get the kind of leadership we deserve. We've all sat back and watched laws being changed and civil liberties being eroded. Strangely all the changes seem to concentrate power in a ruling elite and make the lives of the authorities simpler, not ours.
I don't know what the answer is. If we are going to function as a society we do need ways of coordinating the necessary processes. I'm not convinced that we will ever be able to find the right people to do the job, but as long as there are those willing to put their heads above the parapet it should be our job to be vigilant.
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I will be voting in the Pennsylvania primaries this Tuesday. I will be voting for Hillary Clinton but am proud that the Democratic party has finally offered a choice between someone other than a white male.
I do fear that a white male will win the general election but it is all very exciting here...
btw, I love politics and try to learn more every day. I religiously watch a three hour non-commercial call-in/discussion show 7 days a week and feel lucky that we have access to such a show.
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Canada has a U.K. style Parliamentary constitutional monarchy democracy.
There could be a lot better things. I prefer a Republic because they direct elect their leader.
We vote in the number of party seats every couple years, but at the whim of a party the Prime Minister can change without a popular vote.
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