One conclusion that I have reached after a lot of reading, analysis and social observation is - politicians everywhere are rotten breed. Many of my wiser friends arrived at this conclusion with much less diffidence than I did. Ingrained in the very nature of politics is the perpetuation of present hegemony, even if it calls for mortgaging the future. So, even when the good people enter politics, although they don’t eschew their good personal traits, but it is the arena or karma bhoomi that urges the behavior that eventually they show.
Look at what Mayawati is doing. The once most elite state of the country is in a shambles - non productive expenditure stupendously rising. She and her likes have presided on the decay of the state. Industry is shy of the state. She is building statues of Ambedkar at exorbitant costs, probably siphoning funds as well in the process, through trusted conduits and channels. The gain and game is incumbency, and the loss is state exchequer’s and what suffers is development for the future. Even though the statues don’t bring jobs to the Dalits, it does give their social being a sense of legitimacy.
Look at what Obama is doing. His country is wallowing in debt. Putting in simple terms, USA is so much in debt that the largest lender to them, that is China can buy them over or at least stake a claim to portion of their land. Or, if this were to happen in corporate world, China would have by now filed a winding up petition against USA. Curiously enough, even though the country is writhed in debt, growing unemployment, crashing real estate, collapsing banking system, and stock market that is moving sideways, Obama has doubled the aid to Pakistan, is leading the barrage against Gaddafi and perhaps will be the first to jump into the fray or Syria as well. So the American experimentalism with Pax Americana has not dwindled despite disastrous performance on social and economic parameters. Besides, all the wrangling and dirty politics over medicare, medicaid, social security and tax cuts is not hidden from the world.
Look at Japan, where for 24 hours post Tsunami, they could not reach meters to measure the radioactivity due to the leak from Fukoshima, and what the extent of leakage was only the best guess of the wise. Yet the ex-prime minister Hutoyama is busy conceiving a grand plot “Harmonious solidarity for the Grand Coalition to Tackle the Earthquake Disaster” to topple Mr Kan.
Look at Russia, corruption rife, mafia still ruling the commercial landscape, extreme poverty in segments still at large, and the geographical extremities like Chechnya and other republics still simmering, the kushti expert ok let me say Judo expert Putin is staging a grand comeback and this time for another 2 terms. His innovative scheme of demitting office and putting his protégé Medvedev whom he dandles on his knees, in his place keeping his seat warm for him to return in grand style is still the uber innovative way of perpetuating political power.
Let us look at the homunculus like French President Sarkozy, who struts around with a wife twice as tall and a confirmed exhibitionist. Instead of turning the country around he is focusing on populist issues like banning burka on public places. A predominantly catholic country will find comfort in banning the burka, but mind you, the burka clad people are coming from its own erstwhile colonies.
But politicians are elected by the people. So does that mean that the rot is down below as well.
Look at what Mayawati is doing. The once most elite state of the country is in a shambles - non productive expenditure stupendously rising. She and her likes have presided on the decay of the state. Industry is shy of the state. She is building statues of Ambedkar at exorbitant costs, probably siphoning funds as well in the process, through trusted conduits and channels. The gain and game is incumbency, and the loss is state exchequer’s and what suffers is development for the future. Even though the statues don’t bring jobs to the Dalits, it does give their social being a sense of legitimacy.
Look at what Obama is doing. His country is wallowing in debt. Putting in simple terms, USA is so much in debt that the largest lender to them, that is China can buy them over or at least stake a claim to portion of their land. Or, if this were to happen in corporate world, China would have by now filed a winding up petition against USA. Curiously enough, even though the country is writhed in debt, growing unemployment, crashing real estate, collapsing banking system, and stock market that is moving sideways, Obama has doubled the aid to Pakistan, is leading the barrage against Gaddafi and perhaps will be the first to jump into the fray or Syria as well. So the American experimentalism with Pax Americana has not dwindled despite disastrous performance on social and economic parameters. Besides, all the wrangling and dirty politics over medicare, medicaid, social security and tax cuts is not hidden from the world.
Look at Japan, where for 24 hours post Tsunami, they could not reach meters to measure the radioactivity due to the leak from Fukoshima, and what the extent of leakage was only the best guess of the wise. Yet the ex-prime minister Hutoyama is busy conceiving a grand plot “Harmonious solidarity for the Grand Coalition to Tackle the Earthquake Disaster” to topple Mr Kan.
Look at Russia, corruption rife, mafia still ruling the commercial landscape, extreme poverty in segments still at large, and the geographical extremities like Chechnya and other republics still simmering, the kushti expert ok let me say Judo expert Putin is staging a grand comeback and this time for another 2 terms. His innovative scheme of demitting office and putting his protégé Medvedev whom he dandles on his knees, in his place keeping his seat warm for him to return in grand style is still the uber innovative way of perpetuating political power.
Let us look at the homunculus like French President Sarkozy, who struts around with a wife twice as tall and a confirmed exhibitionist. Instead of turning the country around he is focusing on populist issues like banning burka on public places. A predominantly catholic country will find comfort in banning the burka, but mind you, the burka clad people are coming from its own erstwhile colonies.
But politicians are elected by the people. So does that mean that the rot is down below as well.
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