Aardvark Daily

Please visit the sponsor!

Politics: this time we all lose

My apologies, we're going political in today's column.

New Zealand has a general election in a few weeks and all the parties are out promising the earth to those voters who'll trust them with the management of the nation for the next three years.

Being someone who isn't particularly politically aligned, I've been weighing up all the options and have come to a disappointing conclusion.

None of them have a clue what they're doing or would do if elected.

It's a sad indictment on the way Western governments have lost the plot that all those vying for our vote seem to be more focused on controlling voters rather than serving them.

There was a time when the government was an army of public servants who were focused on delivering the best results for the nation and its people.

Some of today's candidates for government want to start nationalising some industry players in the expectation that this will lower prices and improve efficiencies.

Some parties are writing cheques that their revenues just can't cash. They're promising crazy levels of expenditure but can't seem to explain where all the money will be coming from to pay the bills.

Then we have a former government promising they'll build a swathe of new houses for the poor -- despite the fact they promised this last time they were in power and totally failed. What is it they say? "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me".

Then there's the blatantly socialist outlook of those who would introduce wealth taxes so as to ensure that those amongst the poor who chose deliberately not to go out and get a job would not be disadvantaged by their laziness.

Let's not forget the race-based parties who claim to have been disadvantaged because of the colour of their skin. Their solution is to simply to commit another wrong by engaging in their own form of race-based privilege.

There is even one seasoned politician who is incredibly adept at telling people exactly what he thinks they want to hear so as to secure their votes. This guy is also the one who point-blank refuses to answer any question that he might find inconvenient or embarrassing -- truly the quintessential politician.

Sadly, all but the most intellectually challenged amongst voters must realise by now that none of these people should be elected to positions of power. We know from experience that the moment they get into the Beehive, they'll forget all about their obligation to voters and instead, they'll get down to the business of looking after the most important people in the country: themselves.

I'm pretty sure there are many reading this who will write me off as just an old cynic but my beliefs are based on 73 years of life on the planet. There was a time (a long while ago) when politicians were just regular folk who decided to go to parliament to look after their fellow citizens. Today, sadly, we have far too many people in power who have done nothing except play politician for their entire working career. These people have little understanding, epathy or connection with the average Kiwi who's struggling to put food on the table.

Right across the political spectrum, we have MPs and wannabe MPs who are really only in it for themselves.

Looking at all the options I have come to the conclusion that this election is like nuclear war, no matter who is elected we all lose.

Carpe Diem folks!

Please visit the sponsor!

Here is a PERMANENT link to this column

Rank This Aardvark Page

Change Font