Why do people love politics? Why do they go to political rallies and get swept up in political speeches? I mean what is it all about? Could it be because politics represents the best in us? Isn't that what moves people to radical fanaticism - to support what they think is right? That's what political speeches are always about: elect me because together we well feed the poor, shelter the homeless and save the world. We can fix what is broken.
And what is broken? Why, other people of course! My intentions are right; I'm the one listening to this speech. Its the other people, the ones who aren't here, who don't want to be here, the ones who oppose all of these ideas about truth and right and goodness that need to be fixed, they are the ones holding back society. If only we could make it the law of the land to do all of these great things, then they'd see, they'd have to support progress rather than hold it back. If only we could get them to do what we want, if only we could control them; then we could live in paradise.
One might as well ask; if its so great to do these things, why not just do them rather than talking about making every one else do the right thing? Is it because we are lazy? Oh certainly not, lets just reject that out of hand. Is it because we can't? Well, no I can give to charity, and actually, I do, a little. It would just make so much more of a difference if everyone else would do it too, and people with more means or in different positions of influence could make much more of a difference than me. The problem isn't with me; its with the others, their behavior is what must change!
Implicit in every political speech, in every rally, in every campaign slogan is the very simple statement, "We cannot be happy until other people make us happy. So we must make them make us happy."
It is a wonderful display of self deception and the human desire for power over the lives and choices of others. For the desire for power is either a result of self deception (believing that controlling others is the only way to bring about peace), or the implicit helplessness of the individual to affect positive change in the world is an excuse to seize power. Desire for power is always naively misguided or maliciously shrouded in a pitiful excuse, or both.
This is why I hate politics, this is why I don't get swept up in political rallies and why I roll my eyes when I hear politicians speak; because to me politics represents the worst in us, our potential for self deception, our greed for power, our lack of moral scruples when flippantly assuming we have the right to control the lives of others.
This is what politics is all about.
