I'm alright Jack!

On Political opportunism

I have recently been doing a bit of research on world voting trends; still looking for that mighty pendulum sweep which will rid us of the current war crazed, greedy bunch of bastards we call world leaders.

A few ‘off Broadway’ ballot box forays a showing a worrying trend; while our ‘radical’ conservatives are definitely on a downward trend, progressive ideals are still not breaking through to voters.

Mexico is a fairly dramatic example, with a knife edged win to the conservatives. Although the result was so close and clouded in controversy, the outcome is far from clear.

That follows some recent Eastern European efforts which ended in long, drawn out negotiations to cobble coalitions which are destined to fail.

Even though Italy eventually tipped left after their election result was settled, it was down to the wire, with Berlusconi creating enough doubt to be able to hang onto power for some weeks.

The frantic maneuvering, to form governments in so many unclear outcomes, has another odd facet whereby groupings show an increasing ideological mismatch. It would seem that the chance for power far outweighs any underlying belief system.

Canada’s Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, gave the clue during last years election campaign. An election, I might add, which resulted in a minority conservative government – minority being the key word.

Harper said something along the lines of; I am not passionate about anything. He might have added anything except becoming Prime Minister.

The fire of self enrichment

I’m not sure that this is a new trend in the US, which by world standards has a fairly consistent, right of centre leaning. The major parties are generally extremely blurred at the edges, with any major diversion to the right.

For the rest of the ‘democratic’ world there has been a more marked divide between conservatives and progressives, the right and the left. It has been, in days past, a clear and distinct ideological divide.

On both sides politicians stood out because they had a fire in their bellies, they had a strong belief and they ran and fought on that belief. Then, sometime in the 80s, politicians became more cautious, became technocrats who represented another layer of the public service rather than passionate voices of a belief.

It can be argued that an additional, albeit elected, layer of public service, is as desirable as an ashtray on a motorbike. But even that was more desirable than the present situation where opportunity and self interest rules.

The American expression, ‘government of the people, for the people, by the people’, if ever it was true, is now reduced to a hollow chant, just so many words. It is government by the self serving and every man or woman, for themselves.

As Margaret Thatcher put it, “there is no society, only individuals”. When Britain’s Tony Blair saw the opportunity to push the country’s leftist party, Labour, into a dominant position, he fell back on the lessons learned from Thatcher’s radical conservatives. Leftist ideals were quickly dropped in favour of power.

A lever and a place to stand

This is not to argue that rigid ideology is desirable, but a stated set of beliefs, a policy starting point is preferable to the simple politics of personal opportunity which is the current paradigm.

The electoral divide we a seeing, the tendency to knife edge polling results, reflects the fact that very little of substance divides political parties or players. The electorate sees, overwhelmingly, that politicians are simply there for what they can get out of it.

The trend, around the world, to independents and smaller parties, might be ideologically driven, but quickly degrades to self interest.

No doubt the lack of fire in the belly, the lack of belief in anything but personal enrichment reflects the wider community.

It is only that wider community who can force politicians back to a more ‘clear cut’ position of service to all rather than service to self.

According to research, voters are simply not engaged beyond the effect on their hip pocket nerve. Yet they are the only ones who can force change, demand a better, more accountable body politic.

If only we could find that lever, and that place to stand, enough of us with the fire. It is a weary hope, but our only real hope.