My “friends” the politicians.

My “friends” the politicians.

Again it is the season of elections and charismatic individuals stand before me calling me their friend. If I have anything to say to those “friends” I have to wait since they don’t have time to listen. They are too busy this time of the year, securing votes. I understand. It is difficult to figure out which promises will convince me and other “friends” to hand them power over us. It is burdensome to persuade so many people to vote when they know that you will lord over them for four years looking important but have no capacity to improve their lives even slightly. At best you have one vote. My “friends” in the halls of power will be entitled to use a fancy wooden bench and vote as they are told, or they can be replaced. Even the most influential amongst them must remember not to stand in the way of the party leaders at all times.

Party leaders are more powerful “friends” but only one of them has the ability to make a difference in my life. It is the leader of the ruling party. By virtue of controlling the majority of wooden seats occupied by well-spoken individuals who obey their wishes, he or she rules. 

Each chair is a vote dedicated to a “leader” who owes his power to those who give him money to rent airplanes, big busses with lots of beautiful stickers and to finance brochures, ads, billboards, and payments to sympathetic popular media outlets. The big media corporations influence a large number of voters and the little ones play nice to representatives hoping for crumbs. The whole “machine” is feeding upon itself giving me the illusion that I have an influence. After all the candidates call us their “friends” before elections. I always vote and never tell others how to vote.

I would like any and all Albertans in Ottawa to actively promote selling our oil east and possibly they are trying.

I replay in my mind the important items from the first week of the political campaign. There is a lot of talk about the Prime Minister masquerading eighteen years ago as the cartoon character Aladdin. To me he looks more like a coal miner before a shower but apparently, he insulted minority groups. I welcome the discussion about racial discrimination in our society. I suffered from it. I remember graffiti on an old building in Calgary saying “keep Canada clean, paint a Pa- - i.” Many of my friends have been prejudiced towards French people, Muslims, and native people, it is a good time to get rid of the behavior, but we are not doing that.

The people who abhor the prime minister’s insult to minorities also want to cut transfer payments from Canadian oil revenues to the French and demand that we should force the First Nations to accept oil pipelines through the land, which we “graciously” allowed them to keep as Reserves. I guess wearing a costume is more insulting than forcing people to obey our wishes. I fear that I am becoming cynical.

I take a pamphlet that came in the mail advocating to “re-elect” someone who’s been representing me in the halls of government. He doesn’t give an example of anything serious that was achieved. I don’t blame him. The benefits usually go to swing areas that the party in power hope to win in the next elections. My representative can promise but can’t grant money. If his party wins, my riding may receive some benefit but probably not. We are what they call a “safe seat.”

I may as well look at what the parties offer all of us if elected. All of them promise whatever surveys show that Canadians want. I want what will help my community which is not being offered. Here are miners, farmers, ranchers, and many seniors. We are being baited with a promise to scrap a Carbon Tax. I see on the news millions of kids demonstrating all over the world wanting governments to cut carbon emissions.

I investigate on Google and the picture is clear. The majority is demanding taking action to protect the environment with my province being somewhat an exception. Our vote may be a protest vote. The party in power may end up being a minority government but there are smaller parties who most likely will support them. What should I do? Should I vote for the most friendly candidate in my area? I have done that before.

Being a writer I sit down and try to come up with a statement that I could ask all the candidates who are on my ballot. They all claim to be my “friends” and they all promise nice things. There is a possibility to improve. Here it is:

“Will you promise to propose and pass a law that will allow voters to file a complaint about false promises or false statements by politicians and government officials, with high fines as penalties for misleading the voters?”

I don’t know anyone who likes to be held accountable for the promises they make. On the other hand, I know most people like to know that a deal is a deal and all sides will live up to their word. Life could be so simple.  

The leader’s job is to give a good example and improve the lives of those they lead. Their vote may not count for much but their commitment is valuable and can restore people’s faith in our democratic system.

If we had a law forcing honesty in the halls of power, it would affect all those who we pay to lead, from backbenchers to party leaders, including the Prime Minister. I don’t have enough money to buy elections but I would love to know that I invest my vote in people who will keep their word.

At least that’s the way I see it.

 

Here is a link to my blog: https://thesimpleravenspost.blogspot.ca/  Feel free to check other articles and comment.

 https://thedcontinuum.wordpress.com/2014/04/06/disney-without-magic-aladdin/