Dispatches from the North: A View on Politics

I don’t like politics and I don’t like talking about them and to be honest I don’t follow them enough to write an informed post about politics. However, politicians are a completely different ball of wax and in this day and age are every bit as much part of the tabloid and celebrity gossip scene so I am forced to deal with them. Politicians are the reason I don’t like politics and its my opinion that by and large it takes a person with compromised morals to make it in politics. It’s the nature of the beast, sadly those people we expect to make a difference all have just a little bit of dark and twisty going on.

I have come to the conclusion though that politicians often dictate some of the stereotypes we all subscribe to, even though they tend to exist on the fringes of normal society. Consider when you think of certain cultures often your only frame of reference are the political figures we are exposed to. When you think of Russia you might get images of Vladamir Putin or Boris Yeltsin or maybe even Stalin. When you think of South Africa, you probably think of Nelson Mandela or Tibet you think of the Dalai Lama.  I think this is why so many Americans have a view of the British as being extremely uptight and pompous. British politicians are one of the worst bunches, full to the gills with entitlement, self importance and frivolity. A lifestyle that is so far removed from what life is like for everyday British people.

The ongoing expenses scandal is a prime example. In the midst of a financial crisis these politicians have multiple luxurious homes which they claim through the expense system but also they take it a step further and hire high priced accountants to help them avoid paying taxes and then send the bill for the accountant to the taxpayers. They have also protected themselves and their banker cronies from the fallout of the British banks. The terms of the bank bailouts were set by Parliament and surprise surprise all of these white collar criminals have walked away with millions of pounds in severance and pensions as a big thank you for running the country’s finances into the ground.

I can’t talk about despicable politicians without mentioning the British National Party. This Neo-Nazi group is gaining steam in the UK as the economy has taken a dive and the people are looking for someone to blame. Instead of blaming the aforementioned white collar criminals, the BNP has exploited the economic crisis  by twisting together a stance that it is caused by immigrants taking British jobs. There are some groups in the US like the Minutemen who share this stance on immigration with equally racist views but they keep these motivations well hidden to avoid being labeled white supremicists. The BNP has no problem declaring themselves as the racists they are. By their own volition, the BNP is “committed to stemming and reversing the tide of non-white immigration and to restoring, by legal changes, negotiation and consent the overwhelmingly white makeup of the British population that existed in Britain prior to 1948″. Its a disgusting movement but what troubles me the most is that they are a legitimate political party and they were victorious in securing a seat in the European Parliament during the elections a few weeks ago.

I find the politics of most countries difficult to stomach, but British politicians are the cream of the crop when it comes to pompous politics. I think they would get on like a house on fire with Kwame Kilpatrick and Rod Blagojevich.