There is no game like the political game (CP Entry)
Day 506, 07:46
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Published in Canada 
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by
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by Alias Vision
"Politics, n. Strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles."
-Ambrose Bierce.
Politics is a two-faced coin. On the one side you have its attractive and noble face and on the other side you have a greedy and self-serving face. What nobody will openly acknowledge is that given time, both faces of the coin can be worn by the same politicians. The levers of politics grant power and power over time is a temptress even the most upstanding citizens can succumb to.
One can already hear the howls of outrage such a statement will engender. One is always selfless in service to the nation, at least in our statements for public consumption. The facts however suggest otherwise.
The behaviour of a segment of our elected elites has been particularly abhorrent this month. Canada has a passionate but relatively modest active population. As such it is rather easy for special interests, be they domestic or foreign, and personal ambition to be rewarded by our electorate. Our last elected Congress has lost a shocking amount of representatives. Some where quick to point out that many of the resignations were due to the failed Hungarian takeover. That is true, however a deeper look at the departures reveal an even larger number of respected Canadians whose names are well known to the public at large. This name recognition is probably what prompted some of them to run even though they had no intention of serving their country. In one particular case, a Canadian citizen’s last three elections to Congress saw him complete not a single term. With some notable exceptions, Congress debates often devolve to the point of lobbying for one sector or another. There is no full disclosure in Canadian politics, the public does not require it, and the results can hamstring government.
Blessedly, all is not dark. Debate is not curtailed at any level of our public administration. Some projects and policies have come from dynamic individuals for the betterment of our population as a whole (the comprehensive health care plan comes to mind, as does the Transparency Act) and where there is perceived abuse there are Canadians standing up and asking for accountability. The impetus must now lie with the citizen to demand and encourage the nobler elements present in our political culture and push out those instincts that are self-serving.
A strong Canada deserves dedication to public life and a positive political climate.
-Ambrose Bierce.
Politics is a two-faced coin. On the one side you have its attractive and noble face and on the other side you have a greedy and self-serving face. What nobody will openly acknowledge is that given time, both faces of the coin can be worn by the same politicians. The levers of politics grant power and power over time is a temptress even the most upstanding citizens can succumb to.
One can already hear the howls of outrage such a statement will engender. One is always selfless in service to the nation, at least in our statements for public consumption. The facts however suggest otherwise.
The behaviour of a segment of our elected elites has been particularly abhorrent this month. Canada has a passionate but relatively modest active population. As such it is rather easy for special interests, be they domestic or foreign, and personal ambition to be rewarded by our electorate. Our last elected Congress has lost a shocking amount of representatives. Some where quick to point out that many of the resignations were due to the failed Hungarian takeover. That is true, however a deeper look at the departures reveal an even larger number of respected Canadians whose names are well known to the public at large. This name recognition is probably what prompted some of them to run even though they had no intention of serving their country. In one particular case, a Canadian citizen’s last three elections to Congress saw him complete not a single term. With some notable exceptions, Congress debates often devolve to the point of lobbying for one sector or another. There is no full disclosure in Canadian politics, the public does not require it, and the results can hamstring government.
Blessedly, all is not dark. Debate is not curtailed at any level of our public administration. Some projects and policies have come from dynamic individuals for the betterment of our population as a whole (the comprehensive health care plan comes to mind, as does the Transparency Act) and where there is perceived abuse there are Canadians standing up and asking for accountability. The impetus must now lie with the citizen to demand and encourage the nobler elements present in our political culture and push out those instincts that are self-serving.
A strong Canada deserves dedication to public life and a positive political climate.
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Comments
Voted. I am hoping to put enough pressure on the government/congress to eventually accomplish full congressional transparency.
Very good. There is much truth to your opening statements.
Judge 1:
Wow.....another fantastic view of todays political outlook in eCanada. He took a much different approach to the topic than his competitor, which is nice. Every thought well portrayed and thought out, every point is valid and current. I think he is tapping into something that is known, but not often written about by the top writers in eCanada. More insight like this would be a fantastic addition to our media structure. I surely hope he indulges us with some more research into this.
All in all, absolutely fantastic article.
score - 44.5/50
Judge 2:
Grammar/Stylistics:
Flows really well, and grammar was virtually flawless ("Somewhere" was separated). The second paragraph should have been rephrased as it doesn't quite make sense.
Persuasiveness/Veracity:
The point was presented well but the evidence was too general. Give specifics.
Creativity/Originality:
Interesting and fresh are probably the best words for this article. This article brings to light both types of ePoliticians; those that are in it for their country and those in it for the GOLD
Total: 44/50
Total: 88.5/100
This is a really well done article. Good job.