Guidance for Government - Intro
Part 1 of 4 - Introduction
For many years I strove to be a good citizen in this participant democracy of ours. I felt I had an obligation to the brave men and woman who throughout history have made enormous sacrifices in order to improve my chances of living in a truly democratic society – an egalitariian and just society which would emerge and prevail against tyranny. Dutifully, I joined a political party with supposed functioning grassroots and a trade union with more of the same. I earnestly did the footwork that comes with the territory, giving up large chunks of my life to assist others to achieve high office. Even more earnestly I crafted policy and resolutions so that when these people achieved high office they would know what we, the lumpen footsoldiers, expected of them.
However, with the passage of time, I began to notice a curious tendency on the parts of these people we promoted to high office. Suddenly, they became "leaders". Suddenly they knew more about everything than we did. Suddenly they were smarter. Suddenly they knew better than us. And successions of them began to take the liberty of telling entire branches, entire constituencies, entire regions, even entire conferences that they, the "leaders", knew best and that they would be disregarding our guidance despite its democratic origins.
To old hands, this was apparently not surprising. To novices and initiates like myself, this was a profound insult to my intelligence, to my commitment, and to the large portions of my life devoted to the cause.
When, eventually, on the backs of a famous victory (1997) of monumental proportions, the "leaders" proved to be such a bunch of rootless kiss-asses (yes Blair, I mean you) that I could no longer bear to be associated with them, I felt an enormous weight lift from my shoulders. Suddenly, I had all this free time. Suddenly substantial elements of my social life came back into being. Suddenly I was laughing more and worrying less.
This couldn’t be right. I still held a nagging feeling that I had abandoned the brave men and women of history who had been tortured and killed in the cause of people like me having my say in a free and open society. Whilst I had plain, firsthand evidence that our current political processes simply throw up the donkeys most likely to abandon principle and kiss-ass, and that in any event none of these processes were ever intended to impinge on the real power forces at play – the underlying economics, I felt I must do something other than be a simple passive observer to the ruination of the dreams of the historically brave men and women.
So, here posted, in three following articles, is my advice on government if any of those donkey kiss-asses should ever take the trouble to read it. In writing this, my job is done. I shan’t be toiling for any of your betrayed grassroots. I shan’t be voting for you in tosspot elections. I shall simply be leaving this where, if you have any luck, you may find it and, if you have any brains, you may heed it. If you have neither luck nor brains, then carry on "leading" this democratic society to oblivion, you bunch of sickening putzes.
ps: Note for citizens. ALWAYS VOTE, even if only to spoil your ballot paper. Too many men and women suffered and died to bring you this limited but rare and special privilege.
© 2010 Deacon Martin
