Would the world be a better place without politics or vice versa?

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   cuttlerposted 12 years ago

   Would the world be a better place without politics or vice versa?
   
   In my opinion, Politics is such a dirty game...it is plagued with corruption, impunity, abuse of office, injustice, nepotism, tribalism, racism...and so on. So would the world be a better place without it?

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   duffsmomposted 12 years ago

   Life would be much brighter without the conflict and dishonesty of politics.  But human nature will find something to argue and fight about.  So if not politics then it will be something else.

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      cuttlerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      That is a very interesting angle there.

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   Beyond-Politicsposted 12 years ago

   I think the world would be a better place if people (1) weren't so opportunistic in trying to use politics for their personal benefit (e.g., politicians belonging to a particular political party), and (2) if people weren't so stupid as to take political ideology as having the weight of gospel!

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   secularist10posted 12 years ago

   It is not "politics" in the abstract that is plagued with these evils, it is the politics of a specific country or countries. For instance, there is very little corruption or injustice or abuse in the politics of Denmark. But there is probably a significant amount in the politics of India.
   
   So politics per se is not the problem. As long as one human being says something, and someone else says "I disagree," there will be politics. I don't think that's a bad thing. In fact I think it is quite healthy and essential to human prosperity and growth.
   
   A world without politics, or without any policy disagreement at all, would probably look something like the world of the novel "1984."
   
   It sounds like what you are really referring to with your question is the rule of law, and established institutions of civil society and government. Injustices and corruption occur where the rule of law is weak and civil society and institutions are not respected by people.

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      cuttlerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      This is a good insight. It is true that politicians overlook the rule of law leading to impunity. But in cases where the rule of law prevails, all is well. Thank you for sharing and for the insight.

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   Fastianposted 12 years ago

   You can blame democracy for such problems but whatever system you've, be it dictatorship or tribalism, it'll be based upon politics. It distinguishes humans from other animals. It's so sacred yet powerful that it can be used to achieve almost any goal and here comes the dirty game. So without ethics politics is brute but you can't live without it.

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      cuttlerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I agree...with ethics politics can be beneficial to a country. Tanks for sharing

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   d.williamposted 12 years ago

   "politics" is simply defined as being 'characterized by shrewdness in managing, contriving, or dealing'.  The characteristics of politics is not a bad thing, and they cannot be eliminated from any society that wants to take care of itself in a beneficial manner.
   Where the problem lies, is when those ministering to the public, serve themselves and their personal agendas before the common good of the people.
   Good politics (and good politicians) are not self serving, greedy, or looking out for their interests alone - but rather the good of all people.   These traits are almost non existent in U.S. politics any more. 
   A ''free'' society cannot be totally free from regulations that protect everyone, and must include restraints on those who take more than their fair share. 
   So, no, the world would never be better off with politics as they were meant to exist. 
   But, yes, the world would be better off without politics as they exist today.

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      cuttlerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Very true...hate the player, not the game, right?

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      d.williamposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      No not right. Hate is 2 negative & does not belong in our vocabulary. That is the same mentality as religion saying: 'tolerate the sinner, but hate their sin".  No-one has the right to 'hate' anyone for any reason.

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   Norine Williamsposted 10 years ago

   The whole "judicial system" needs a complete "make-over!"  Shouldn't the government be "For the people, by the people?"  We need to eliminate "all" and let the "people" decide!  "The People" should be afforded the opportunity to vote on issues directly, not through "elected officials!"   The "elected officials" are our problem! There in lies "corruption, impunity, abuse of office, injustice, nepotism, tribalism, racism...and so on!"

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   veggiechickposted 9 years ago

   I would have to agree with d.william. The response was accurate to a t. I do additionally believe that speaking specifically about the US, that this country would be better without a two party system. While that may not be the specific answer to this question, I believe it may be a way to create or more versatile, and less corrupt way of practicing politics.
   Nothing can prevent abuse of office, however I do believe that if the people who occupy said country worried more about the end result of what occurs in the Government, instead of abusing each other, we could really start to improve on the way our Government sees its citizens. Right now they pander to those who know the least about what is going on, and abuse their authority before they even have it, in hopes of gaining popularity. This in itself is a disgusting way to behave, and leaves a lot to be desired when attempting  to create a better country at the same time we behave like animals, and have the rest of the world look at us as a country without a whole lot of sense. As far as racism goes, I put that one in a category of its own. It does seem like we are seeing more of it on the news lately, however I believe it's really more the fact that we have more smart phones, and young people trained to turn the camera on quickly.

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