Editor, The News:
The genesis of politics, like religion, was initiated with the most altruistic of motives by intelligent and well-intentioned individuals, determined to bring some sense of order to chaos.
But as is now the case with both politics and religion, the original ideals have been twisted round to become the very antitheses of what the creators had planned.
The original idea of politicians serving without thought of personal enrichment, without any thought of not acting in the best interests of those individuals whom they represent, has long been lost in the mire of corruption, scandal, self-interest and party dogma that is present day politics.
Politicians have become parasites, living on the public dole, lacking the will to create or innovate. They don’t want to innovate because politics is all about the business of towing the party line. Those who dare challenge the party line are cast out like lepers.
Politicians never change because the business of politics attracts the precise type of people who are resistant to change.
These people do not wish change, because they are quite happy with the status quo, to wit, the back room deals, the influence peddling and the catering to special interests to the detriment of the constituents whom they purport to represent.
Lest people think the days are over where a select few (so-called) power brokers gather in smoky back rooms of bars and restaurants, thinking of ways to carve up the town in which they live for personal enrichment, I’d advise you to think again.
The next time we go to the polls, whether that be in a municipal, provincial or federal election, we must ask ourselves one simple question: is there anyone one the ballot who will actually represent me in a principled and unbiased manner?
Given the state of our political system, the answer can only be ‘no.’
We must therefore hold our noses and vote for the least odious of the bunch.
This is what modern era politics has become and it is indeed a sad state of affairs. It seems that voters nowadays are affected by some kind of lethargy, perhaps because of their own individual resistance to change.
Are we really happy with the status quo, or have we just thrown up our hands in despair and resigned ourselves to be governed by incompetents?
The solution is simple.
The only way the ordinary citizen can affect change is by seeing through the posturing and spouting of political rhetoric and throwing out those, who for motives of their own, would threaten the public interest.
George Clarke
Maple Ridge
