It used to be an honourable race. You may not have liked a politician but he or she received and afforded respect. Now it has become mean, disrespectful and vile. People are voting for who will do the least amount of damage. We don’t know who is best for the job because all we hear is malicious rhetoric.
Nowadays scandals are more important than policies and everyone likes to twist the facts to their own agenda. What happened to honesty and honour? Political Bashing has become a favourite occupation of politicians and their voters. Why?
As a child I used to listen to my parents discuss an upcoming election. They would talk about platforms and policies and which party had the best track record of fulfilling their promises. It was a conversation that was repeated in cafés and restaurants, pubs and parks. People talked, they didn’t fight. There was no mean spirited name-calling or vile innuendos flung at each other. We listened, we discussed, we bantered and then we shook hands and moved on.
Elections used to be exciting times. Everyone wanted what was best for the country, the city, the province. We were in this together, including the politicians. The candidates were people we knew and respected even if we didn’t agree with their policies. And if your party lost, then you’d shrug your shoulders and move on. There was always next time. Now people cry ‘foul’ and scream even louder that the winning party did something wrong, sabotage!
I am tired of the bashing that has become so systemic in politics. This reeks of desperate posturing. I want to hear the truth about motives. Have you lied? What benefits and promises have you kept and if not, why? What do you want to do realistically? Politicians have become a joke or a meme. Change that. Make us proud of you again. Stop fear mongering and political bashing.
I am not the only one that wants change . . . the right change!
I wish your wish could come true. I hope we are in the last thrash of a failed generations selfish quest for power.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hope so, for all of us.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’m not sure what’s happening over here Pam. They’re not supposed to go to an election for a fair while yet but suddenly there are ads on tv and much stronger bickering in the news (if that is possible). I think they may be going for an early election, which means weeks and weeks of campaigning everywhere.
Do you have a mountaintop I could borrow for a few months, somewhere with no electricity or newspapers……please! 😀
LikeLiked by 2 people
There’s an upcoming election here and I would like to join you on a mountain top, perhaps the Swiss Alps?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Probably not far enough with today’s technology. I wonder if someone has a spare rocket in their backyard, I’m sure the moon would be a much friendlier place 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
There is an old saying: two things one should never see being made, sausage and laws. The only difference between then and now is that the press used to hide the process, now they focus on it.
LikeLiked by 2 people
And I question if the process is faulty.
LikeLike
Oh I heartily agree with your post. Hard to believe that politicians used to stand for something and were accredited members of the human race who were looked up to.
As a UK citizen I cannot vote in SA; sadly I find it does not bother me one jot!
LikeLiked by 2 people
There are days I wish I couldn’t.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pam, you took the words right out of the mouths of so many of us….probably most of us. Beautifully said. I would like to add that we need to firmly cap how much anyone running for office is allowed to spend on his/her campaign. The fact that a candidate has more money than God and can therefore run the competition off has to stop. Surely we have people capable of running our local, state and federal government, but they haven’t got the capital to stay in the race. That’s just wrong.
Yes, it’s beyond distressing to vote for the lesser of two evils.
On a lighter note, I just love your painting!
🔹 Ginger 🔹
LikeLiked by 2 people
You’re are exactly right! And, thanks! I just finished the painting yesterday.
LikeLike
As far as I’ve known, politicians have always been dishonest and crooked. My parents always told me they were. I hate anything to do with politics. My husband gets into all sorts of nasty political arguments online. I think it’s ridiculous and a waste of time and energy. I’ve become completely apathetic. I no longer vote (I didn’t vote for Trump or Clinton), and I ignore anything to do with politics. No matter what I think personally it makes absolutely no difference whatsoever.
LikeLiked by 2 people
It’s sad, but you may be right.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree with you completely.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks Mark.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: What has become of Politics? – KILIFI DATA LINKS
Highly Relevant, And I could not agree more. Politics has changed greatly!
LikeLiked by 2 people
And that’s a sad statement on society.
LikeLiked by 1 person
When I read about the politics of the 1700’s and 1800’s I’m not sure we’re worse off today. Politicians tend to have a well-earned bad reputation that goes back thousands of years. Those that crave power are often the least deserving of it, and the most deserving tend to avoid political jobs like the plague. Statesmen and women are rare indeed. Sadly, too often the public too often gets exactly what it deserves.
LikeLiked by 2 people
You are right. What we need is rarely what we deserve.
LikeLike
I disagree that politics were ever very civil. Candidates have always been vilified by the opposition and office holders sometimes assassinated. There have been periods of times of relative calm and agreement but those times were always short and ended badly.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I guess I only remember the good. Yes there were bad times but I don’t ever remember such hatred in Canadian politics.
LikeLike
I love this so much! Politics has become so unproductive and a game of points scoring rather than what it is supposed to be; a way to achieve the best for people.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are absolutely right!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The only way out to bring back politics to its noble status lies in an all-out fight of the common people against this current stinking capitalism/corporatism.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Perhaps.
LikeLike