No!
Why should I leave the topic of politics lying there, left or right, untouched? After all, democracy was introduced into the marketplace of society precisely to ask about people’s needs and opinions. And to let them vote.
If we all leave politics to the experts — lawyers and other such people — what happens then? Politicians shape laws and rules. Or at least they have them shaped. And for whom do these laws apply? Oh yes, for the citizens, for people, for everyday life. Ergo I want to, and should be able to, at least have a say and possibly help shape things. Or not?
Since Canada started shaping my life, the word has taken on an extra layer for me. Because the first part of the word poli-tics contains the wonderful word “polite.” Politeness. The very essence of living alongside other beings shapes communication and behaviour. Canadians are still, by and large, “polite” — courteous and well-meaning. Not always. Not all of them. But politeness does seem to sit somewhere deep in the Maple Leaf soul.
Now suppose, just suppose, that politics held politeness as part of its very meaning? How pleasant would the cooperation be, the atmosphere, and above all the results, in the daily politicking of the professionals?
“Politicians are polite!”
That would be my demand, for a start.
Now back to the term politics itself, in the rear-view mirror of history. The view isn’t uniformly pleasant, because the notion of “I’ll get that!” has, in practice, too often led to a lust for war. Why war should have anything to do with lust is still a mystery to me. And yet human evolution has nonetheless brought improvement. Yes, through politicians and the systematics of democracies.
Democracy literally means: rule of the people. And a people who get a say tend less toward war — they have too much to lose. When a system lets its citizens weigh in and asks for their voice, that in itself is already an appealing version of politics.
For two years now I’ve been doubly privileged when it comes to politics. After all, two whole countries are interested in my opinion and my vote. Switzerland has been since my eighteenth birthday, and Canada since my naturalization. I don’t let a single chance go by to make my voice heard on paper. Even in Switzerland, even though I no longer live within its borders. My former home country, and its community of citizens, still interests me.
Canada is a bit more reserved when it comes to votes. The initiative system isn’t nearly as active here as it is in Switzerland’s direct-democratic setup. Still, my gut and I feel a ticklish little thrill whenever we’re asked for our opinion.
But tickling alone doesn’t elect a government. Politics only really begins when the little cross on the ballot becomes a law. After all, political means are meant to regulate people’s lives through laws. In theory, democracy runs like an old bike: it creaks, but it moves forward. Still, a democracy will rarely, if ever, satisfy the needs of everyone involved. The diversity is simply too vast. But on the fundamentals — rights and duties — quite a lot, and mostly good, has been achieved.
When I look back at my parents’ lives, especially my mother’s, and then look at their children and grandchildren, the progress in freedoms and possibilities is more than welcome.
This look back is uncomfortable — it forces me to see the present more soberly than my gut would like.
Because our felt sense of the state of the world is rarely objective. I know this opinion doesn’t sit well with feelings.
I live in a country, in a city, and within a network of people. Different people. How exciting is that? And with that comes responsibilities, whether I like it or not. I’m responsible for getting along with the people around me. No, it’s not just about compromise, or about giving in. Quite the opposite. Living together requires understanding, listening, and communicating. And it requires the community I live in and with.
All of that is highly political, my friends. Because it’s always about community, about people and their needs, rights, and duties.
No, I will not leave politics out of the game.
Otherwise I’ll be the one left out.
And wouldn’t that be a shame?
