'An honest politician is an oxymoron'
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By: Khalid A-H Ansari
ww1.mid-day.com
May 2, 2006
The plunging nosedives in popularity ratings of US President George W Bush, and Tony Blair and John Howard, his partners in grime, in their respective countries are of a piece with the rapidly increasing near-universal perception of career politicians as Tricky Dicks, men of overvaulting ambition but low integrity, people generally from whom one should buy a used car only at one’s peril.
The monumental Iraqi misadventure apart, the three leading lights of the coalition of the willing find themselves neck-deep in trouble in their own countries, their credibility considerably eroded, their political futures under an ominous cloud.
Whereas Bush, the shoot-from-the-hip don of the alliance, is mired in controversy over his alleged leak of classified intelligence to the media with perfidious intent, Blair is in the eye of a storm over dishing out peerages in grateful thanks for donations.
The wily John Howard, the longest serving Australian prime minister suffering from convenient amnesia (and dementia) conditions, is now neck-deep in trouble over the Australian Wheat Board UN food-for-oil scandal that has rocked countries worldwide, India included.
Their credibility severely savaged, their reputations tarnished, the coalition leaders are hard put to salvage their reputations, even as the image of politicians universally reaches its nadir.
Respondents to a poll conducted in New Delhi by market research agency TNS some time back showed most politicians losing their ‘deposits’ in the ballot of perceptions.
As high a proportion as 66 per cent of those surveyed felt only one per cent in 10 politicians was honest.
In New Delhi, 13 per cent of the respondents felt an ‘honest politician’ was an oxymoron, a contradiction in terms, with not a single politician perceived as clean.
Be that as it may, I would like to take up cudgels on behalf of the exceptions — the very many honest, sincere, and committed politicians in our system, especially the bright young Turks now on the cusp of taking their places in the sun.
According to the Australian Financial Review, a study of 1,502 Australians last year found politicians last in a list of 30 occupations in order of trust. Car salesmen, real estate agents, psychics and — hold your breath — journalists finished bottom to top among the last five.
Top 20 on the table were (in order): ambulance officers, firefighters, mothers, nurses, pilots, doctors, pharmacists, fathers, police officers, teachers, child-care providers, bus/train drivers, chiropractors, judges, accountants, priests/ministers, domestic cleaners, bartenders, builders and life coaches.
The above were followed in the 25 by taxi drivers, lawyers, stockbrokers, CEOs and mortgage brokers.
Whereas, occupation-wise perceptions in India will certainly differ vastly from those in Australia, a similar survey here at home would be edifying.
The recent remarks of US personality Bill Maher on his highly popular television show bear repetition.
“Mr President, this job can’t be fun for you any more. There’s no more money to spend — you used up all of that.
“You can’t start another war because you used up the army. And now, darn the luck, the rest of your term has become the Bush nightmare — helping poor people. It’s time. Time to move on.
“Now, I know what you are saying: there’s so many things that you, as President, could involve yourself in. Please don’t. Why? Because you govern like Billy Joel drives. You’ve performed so poorly I’m surprised that you haven’t given yourself a medal. You’re a catastrophe that walks like a man.
“Herbert Hoover was a shitty president, but even he never conceded an entire city to rising waters and snakes. On your watch, we’ve lost almost all our allies, the surplus, four airlines, two trade centres, a piece of the Pentagon and the city of New Orleans.
“Maybe you’re just not lucky. I’m not saying you don’t love this country. I’m just wondering how much worse it could be if you were on the other side. So, yes, God does speak to you. What he is saying is: “Take a hint.”
Republicans will probably dismiss Maher’s damning indictment as just ideological gobbledygook. However, there’s no doubting there’s a big morsel of food for thought in what he says.
As, indeed, without painting all of them with the same brush, in what surveys invariably reveal about people’s perception of politicians by and large. |
