Politics

I don't like politicians. I know it's a blunt statement, but it's true. I don't trust them. I don't believe in them. And, in general, I think that if a politician manages to become famous enough for me to hear about him, I can assume with a high degree of probability that the guy is dishonest. The honest, hard working people don't make headlines.
 
I think that most of them may have had good intentions. At least in the beginning. The race for fame and power is complex and the odds of making it are slim. So I do believe that most of them enter politics because they care. Because they have a cause and because they want to represent, influence and improve things. But somewhere along the way things change. The political game is demanding and addictive. The political reality is cruel and ruthless. Survival of the fittest. They become so focused on their survival, so obsessed with achieving power and position that they forget how they got there in the first place.
 
The sad result is that the people making the most critical decisions, the people who affect our day to day life, lead our nations and shape our futures, are those who manage to survive, with everything that political survival entails - lying, scheming, breaking promises and misleading. We have to be incredibly naïve to believe that these people represent us, or for that matter, even care much about us.
 
And this, I think, is the heaviest toll of democracy.
 
Maybe, in the future, technology will enable us to create a true, pure democracy. Imagine a time when each family will have a special voting device installed at home. This device will allow each and every citizen to participate in the votes. Every person will be able to vote about the issues he most cares about. Very much like today's TV show rating systems. Back to the original form of democracy. Much like the ancient Greeks who used to gather in stadiums and vote. Everyone. Not just the so called 'representatives'. I know - it's not so simple. There are so many technical, ethical and legal issues to resolve, but doesn't it seem better? Isn't that what democracy is all about? Isn't the thought of so many unemployed politicians an indulging one?

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