Do politicians take us for granted?

[GideonGono]

Of course every unpopular running candidates would show that they are responsible and they can help for the country to show that they are the one who need to be voted. In the end we will know on how they work for us if we didn't know how they actually work.

Especially for some poor country do vote buying for they to be win so the country doesn't improve anything because of undeserving choose of votes.

[Sahyadri]

The story here in most African countries is weird. Its like the only time these politicians seem to care is when election is approaching. They visit us, give us empty promises and a whole lot. Funny enough, they are voted for massively. Then once they are in power, we are out of the picture. In my country for instance, apart from what I was taught back in school, I cant really pinpoint the essence of the Legislature. From my observation, this has become a cycle. Its like instead of them bringing up policies that will improve lives, they waste resources just like that and master how to make us vote for them when the time comes.
My worry is, are we naive or thats just how the game of politics is played?

This is the story of every country all across the world, it is just relatively worse or better. I have too come across false promises by politicians and once they get elected, it takes them whole term or even the next one to complete those promises or sometimes just forget about them. In my country, the authorities fight over petty issues but not addresses important challenges like hunger, education, employment etc.

[Artemis3]

The story here in most African countries is weird. Its like the only time these politicians seem to care is when election is approaching. They visit us, give us empty promises and a whole lot. Funny enough, they are voted for massively. Then once they are in power, we are out of the picture. In my country for instance, apart from what I was taught back in school, I cant really pinpoint the essence of the Legislature. From my observation, this has become a cycle. Its like instead of them bringing up policies that will improve lives, they waste resources just like that and master how to make us vote for them when the time comes.
My worry is, are we naive or thats just how the game of politics is played?

Why are you surprised?, Latin America is the same, my country is copying Zimbabwe in most things, especially the economy...

Maybe it has something to do that these lands were once colonies, maybe its the "too nice" weather of the tropics, i have no idea. The poorest countries unsurprisingly have the worst politicians and the most corruption.

And yes the politicians here do exactly as you describe, until they can mend things so they can remain in power regardless of elections...

If people protest they get killed. Who is going to defend the protesters, US? Russia? pff they are busy with their own matters. No one cares.

Sometimes there are internal disputes, mostly the military intervenes and a new gov is installed. Then things repeat all over again, never to improve. And you get people emigrating, which the "nice" countries complain about but do nothing of significance. People wouldn't be risking their lives emigrating if their country of origin conditions weren't so bad in the first place. But you know, sovereignty, allies, yadda, yadda, the UN is for decoration and endless speeches that amount to nothing. The Security council is a joke with the veto members, nothing ever gets done unless its some (no one cares) half island in the Caribbean no one bothers vetoing sending troops.

We all live in oppression by the State.

[KingScorpio]

The story here in most African countries is weird. Its like the only time these politicians seem to care is when election is approaching. They visit us, give us empty promises and a whole lot. Funny enough, they are voted for massively. Then once they are in power, we are out of the picture. In my country for instance, apart from what I was taught back in school, I cant really pinpoint the essence of the Legislature. From my observation, this has become a cycle. Its like instead of them bringing up policies that will improve lives, they waste resources just like that and master how to make us vote for them when the time comes.
My worry is, are we naive or thats just how the game of politics is played?

well there where once empires colonising africa (building infrastructure) but african's wanted rather those democrats.

enjoy.

[squatz1]

There's also a further point that politicians themselves dont just take us for granted. They know that they're able to get away with not truly helping us because the 'next best evil' (their opponent) is going to do the same exact thing to them in the next election.

If they're all bad, all we do is look for the best out of the worst and move on.

That's why they're able to get away with this. Once we move past the 2 party system in the US, we can at least hope for this sort of change. But that's the only thing the two parties agree on -- fucking the people into accepting the two party system.

[clickerz]

The story here in most African countries is weird. Its like the only time these politicians seem to care is when election is approaching. They visit us, give us empty promises and a whole lot. Funny enough, they are voted for massively. Then once they are in power, we are out of the picture. In my country for instance, apart from what I was taught back in school, I can't really pinpoint the essence of the Legislature. From my observation, this has become a cycle. Its like instead of them bringing up policies that will improve lives, they waste resources just like that and master how to make us vote for them when the time comes.
My worry is, are we naive or thats just how the game of politics is played?

Politics kills the essence of public service. We hope that after the election, those elected officials must serve earnestly, by setting aside the political differences. It is happening mostly in the democratic country especially on popular vote.

This is the story of every country all across the world, it is just relatively worse or better. I have too come across false promises by politicians and once they get elected, it takes the whole term or even the next one to complete those promises or sometimes just forget about them. In my country, the authorities fight over petty issues but not addresses important challenges like hunger, education, employment etc.

Every country has its own corruption story, nothing new. There are few / rare politicians who are honest to their post, that serve their constituent as to their capacity until their term ends.

[Makka]

The story here in most African countries is weird. Its like the only time these politicians seem to care is when election is approaching. They visit us, give us empty promises and a whole lot. Funny enough, they are voted for massively. Then once they are in power, we are out of the picture. In my country for instance, apart from what I was taught back in school, I can't really pinpoint the essence of the Legislature. From my observation, this has become a cycle. Its like instead of them bringing up policies that will improve lives, they waste resources just like that and master how to make us vote for them when the time comes.
My worry is, are we naive or thats just how the game of politics is played?

Politics kills the essence of public service. We hope that after the election, those elected officials must serve earnestly, by setting aside the political differences. It is happening mostly in the democratic country especially on popular vote.

This is the story of every country all across the world, it is just relatively worse or better. I have too come across false promises by politicians and once they get elected, it takes the whole term or even the next one to complete those promises or sometimes just forget about them. In my country, the authorities fight over petty issues but not addresses important challenges like hunger, education, employment etc.

Every country has its own corruption story, nothing new. There are few / rare politicians who are honest to their post, that serve their constituent as to their capacity until their term ends.

You guys are all correct. I can think that there is only a small percentage of politicians that actually care for its people. Politicians work for the rich people because they reap good benefits when doing it. Rich people are only a small percentage of the populace. I know there are very rich countries in some part of the world, maybe corruption there is not that high.

[Inkdatar]

Of course every unpopular running candidates would show that they are responsible and they can help for the country to show that they are the one who need to be voted. In the end we will know on how they work for us if we didn't know how they actually work.

Especially for some poor country do vote buying for they to be win so the country doesn't improve anything because of undeserving choose of votes.

These happen actually in other country politicians are doing good when the election is almost near. Some people are in favor also of these vote buying since they are in need of money to sustain their cost of living. Corruption happen for some countries this is why we have to be responsible to excercise our rights to vote to choose the riht person and responsible when being elected.

[inanilujimi]

politics is cruel that friends can become opponents and opponents can become friends.
politicians in my country are the same as you they make promises but will never be kept, even the policies they make are not for the welfare of the people but instead, for example they promise to provide hospitals free of charge for those who cannot afford hospital fees, but in reality every treatment is always complicated.

[styca]

More than taking us for granted, politicians take us for idiots. Unfortunately sufficient numbers of people are idiots, so the politicans get re-elected.

It's election time in the UK, and this tw*t is already out and about doing his 'man of the people' bit.

[gabmen]

More than taking us for granted, politicians take us for idiots. Unfortunately sufficient numbers of people are idiots, so the politicans get re-elected.

It's election time in the UK, and this tw*t is already out and about doing his 'man of the people' bit.

Well i don't really think they think of us as idiot. They know that a lot of people are smart. We just don't have the power to go against what they want to do. That's ll there is to it. You the smug faces of these old politicians and they're like "I'm doing anything i need to stay in power and you can stay in misery and poverty. And you can't do anything about it."

[TheCoinGrabber]

Individually, yes. They don't give a bat shit about you nor me. They only care that they get back into office. Which is where interest groups come in. Groups that can give them votes and campaign funds (which can be the same group) are groups they listen to. It counts to be able to organize so we can give them a piece of our mind.

[franky1]

i feel politicians need to set a mission statement, with clear targets and a progress report
that way we can see how far they are actually achieving the goals they 'promise'

EG if a government vote on certain things each week. there needs to be a summary report that people can see that shows that politicians voted 90% of the time (not hundred percent because even politicians ned a few weeks vacation

EG where thee votes show 100% sway in the direction that benefits their main mission
for instance a vote on a bill that can lead to more unemployment by halting production/manufacturing. would b a no vote for someones political mission of improving employment
that way the bill would not pass unless it was altered to also include retraining and new enterprises to start up in its place.
EG retrain coal miners into being solar panel installers and ensuring all employees got a job

we cant just have a system of empty promise one day and 1459 days of twiddling thumbs doing nothing every 4 years

[styca]

I wonder if we'd do better without politial parties at all. Every representative an independent, accountable to their constituents. Of course they'd need to agree a leader amongst themselves once they got elected, but it seems a better option than the current arrangement.

[yoseph]

As an African I will say that OPs statement is totally accurate and this thing persist because people don't seem to learn, there are lots of people who vote mainly on tribal lines and that's the reason why most politicians are very confident because they know that once they win the primaries in their constituency they are going to end up winning the elections. Some tribes and locations are strictly for one political party and they sure aren't going to change now.

[BonfireBob]

Hmm that's extremely difficult question to answer. I do believe it depends how big the politician is and how much people he directly has to represent. Contact with people is really important, and when you have good relation with them you can do lots of things. But at the most cases, politicians starts to see themselves as someone incredible big and important.

[iluvbitcoins]

Any discussion is mute.

Politicians distribute public money stolen from the countries residents.
Why would someone use someone elses money on someone elses benefit?
Any group calling controlling public funds will always try to use the money for their own benefit.
That's how it is and how it will always be with public funds.

[styca]

Any group calling controlling public funds will always try to use the money for their own benefit.
That's how it is and how it will always be with public funds.

I agree that some corruption is inevitable. The ideal system of government is whatever reduces the possibility for this corruption. It's part of why capitalism triumphed over communism. The excesses of capitalism may be distasteful, but less so than some of the excesses of communism.

[styca]

What I think really is that we deserve the kind of politicians we get. I mean, they all came from us, they are a true reflection of who we are.

Yes. The annoying thing for me is so many people aren't remotely interested in politics, and just vote according to whatever the manipulative tabloid headlines tell them to do.
I wish people could only vote if they genuinely understood what they were voting for.

[bananacue]

The story here in most African countries is weird. Its like the only time these politicians seem to care is when election is approaching. They visit us, give us empty promises and a whole lot. Funny enough, they are voted for massively. Then once they are in power, we are out of the picture. In my country for instance, apart from what I was taught back in school, I cant really pinpoint the essence of the Legislature. From my observation, this has become a cycle. Its like instead of them bringing up policies that will improve lives, they waste resources just like that and master how to make us vote for them when the time comes.
My worry is, are we naive or thats just how the game of politics is played?

While there are few politicians who are egoistic and money-centered who seek only for one's own advantage and pleasure while disregarding others, there are some politicians who are sincere in devoting themselves in the service for the general welfare of their people. But having more self-centered politicians other than good public servants made  us believe that they are all the same. We often generalized them as one who are good only from the start who corrupt the minds of their people using flowery words just to convince to vote for them and to get what they want, but in truth their true intention is to enrich themselves at the expense of the others, amassing money, betraying their people trust again and again. Devoured by their ambitions and selfishness. But luckily in these days, people are getting smarter in choosing their leaders. They carefully look for someone who is competent enough to represent them, having the ability and skills enough to meet their standards and having concerns with the others without ill motives. They say that a person is inherently good but money is the root of all evil.