CASISTICA OPERE

No President of the United States of America at the end of his first term however stressful that term may have been, is seen waving their hand whilst climbing the steps of the Presidential helicopter followed by his family and dog and saying: «Gentlemen, I have had enough, thanks for everything, I am returning to my ranch». Why don’t they do so?

Power consumes those that do not have it

Individuals are not necessarily stupid. People are though. Politicians are not concerned with the behaviour and needs of the individual. But with the average behaviour and needs of people.

Politicians cannot afford to become involved in losing battles: the masses would immediately and permanently label them among the “oddities”, or eccentric and counter-culture things that one jokes about in a bar; good for a small minority but in reality a loss maker.

After the 11th September the fear has remained with those more sensitive souls whose lives were more closely affected by the tragedy while people continued nonchalantly to buy, produce and work as before, munching popcorn whilst watching images of the collapsing towers: the system continued unaffected.

For a long time now in western countries religion has governed the minds of a multitude of men and women without the need for armies, tribunals and physical constraints. Church ministers have been wearing the same garments for centuries, ancient liturgical robes of obscure and esoteric significance with arcane and mysterious symbols and head garments.

Politicians must not refuse the symbols and the excesses of power, they cannot get close to the people, enjoy the same standard of living as the people. The status symbol of politicians, the air of wastage of public funds and of dubious business deals that surround them are together the very essence of their fascination. The rituals of office, state flights, privileges, engaging repartee, unjust stipends are part of the politicians sacred vestments.

Mystery generates fear and respect. It causes people to fantasise, since power is usually associated with rooms furnished with precious antiques and the velvet walls of secret corridors within inaccessible palaces. People dream of elegant politicians, sipping a Martini in the shadows whilst weaving sordid alliances whilst seated on a white baroc sofa in front of a fireplace adorned by a Thomas Birch painting of a battle between two ancient frigates.

All politicians defer to some higher office and are only granted a certain autonomy in decision making when the stakes are not high. Even the highest ranking politicians from the leading political parties are not autonomous, since decisions (or perhaps non-decisions) have to be taken collegiately often after lengthy and troublesome negotiations and bickering with different groups and factions within.

Politicians must give the impression of someone who can move with ease and purpose through the labyrinthine state bureaucracy and be able to a greater or lesser degree, influence the decisions of the public administration. In this way they will be able to quickly create for themselves a network of patrons ready to supply votes and favours in exchange for favourable patronage.

No one is naive enough to believe that a type of politics exists which is completely free from influence and corruption. We don’t live in a perfect world and flesh is weak; people have become used to living with white collar fraud, with “distinguished gentlemen”

A politician is someone who has coalesced the opinions of a certain number of fellow citizens around ideas, plans, intentions and more generally around a certain vision of life and of society. Or more simply they are influential people who have obtained the support of people by promises of practical, immediate and direct gains. In the majority of cases they are both things.