It’s time to deal with a bigger, “not me” issue out there – politics!
I have been a keen observer of Australian politics for the last 2-3 years. On top of that I have been trying to keep abreast with world current affairs, all the big summits, conference going on around the world. It has been a really interesting exercise. And I can understand now why people can earn a more-than-decent living out of commentating on politics.
The biggest problem I have with politics is the political process itself. It can be so interesting & intriguing, but oh so frustrating, so irritating, so… arrggh!
In Australian politics, the elected members of parliament of the party in opposition will spend their time beating up the party in power. They criticise and howl at government policies, while at the same time offering precious little in the form of reasonable, workable, properly thought-out & costed alternative policies. They can say what they want, and at the end of the day, they can dust their sandals and say “well, you’re the one in power, so it’s your problem”. And, apparently, it’s their right & mandate to ‘keep the government honest’ this way!
On the other hand, the government ministers (obviously, of the party in power) spend their time gloating at their defeated rivals. They sneer at the policies that were “shot down” by the Australian public, they blame the deficiencies & issues on “years of neglect” by the preceding government (which is in opposition now). Public policies, rolled out for the people, are trumpeted far and wide, squeezing out every single ounce of political mileage for the “good of the party”. And, the people can’t really complain, because they have voted the government in.
I suppose that is the problem with democracy.
Sure, democracy (at its best) is the most reasonable method of populace governance. The people (each with equal voting rights) cast their ballots to elect a group of representatives to form a popular government, which in turn is responsible for the public good. The government is tasked with protecting the rights of the nation, diplomatically, fiscally and militarily. The government also provides essential goods & services that a free market economy is unable to provide at a price where most of the population will be able to afford without stress. And, for those who are disadvantaged (physically, socially, economically), the government supports them unto a decent standard of living. In contrast, absolute monarchy & dictatorship (not that they are similar in deeds or results) invests tremendous power in the hands of very few, with the populace effectively at the mercy of those in power, with little or no ability to undertake remedial action.
To me, the problem with democracy is the very fact that democracy is not really workable in its purest sense. After years of political evolution, most people seeking to represent the populace have grouped themselves into parties, sharing some political values, having similar (but not exact) sentiments to different forms of social justice. These parties have grown big and powerful, with some “power-brokers” able to wield influence on individuals within the party, and those seeking to represent the populace are faced with “toe the party line, or else…”. In the process of elections, the powerful parties (corporate entities, not individual consciences) would trump their policies to entice votes. Many policies are obviously well-thought out, but once in power, the political party could potentially (and frequently, would) tweak their promised election policies to achieve more immediate wins, while sacrificing true long-term benefits for the nation. This is probably justifiable, in the sense that the party would need to keep the populace happy, so they can have a second, third or more term to implement far-reaching policies. But, it seems to me that political parties are overwhelmingly more concerned with their own triumph than the real needs of the nation.
There is not really a perfect answer for popular governance. After millennia of civilisation, where monarchy was the rule for an overwhelming majority of that time, we still have not found the perfect form of governance, and we probably would have to settle for the current form of democracy for a while yet.
And, with the prevailing thoughts of political science favouring democracy, countries around the world feel that they have the rights to urge so-called “rogue” countries to move to democracy, via diplomatic missions, sanctions, and (at times) military force. So, it seems, we have interesting situations where the ways of a rogue are used to enforce a more genteel regime.
After considering the above, one can appreciate why politics, as a subject of conversation, is so unpalatable to some (or most?). But, I believe one should always maintain a level of general interest on this topic, for it does affect our lives.
I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone — for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 1 Tim 2:1-2 (NIV)
Posted by ryklim 
Posted by ryklim 
Posted by ryklim 
