Politicians should be inglorious bureauc

My article on politics and the behaviour of politicians and bureaucrats around the world.

Two nights ago I was lying in bed at 1 o’clock in the morning letting myself be the victim of a modern form of addiction. The increasingly commonplace fixation in society to social media. I was nearly unable to close YouTube, put my tablet away and close my tired eyes. Despite dropping the tablet on my face more than a few times.

The subject that had me so desperately enthralled was international politics and what every major political leader and personality had to say for themselves over the past few days. From our own Prime Minister here in New Zealand, right up to the big orange T dog himself.

In fact it was at the end of about three shorts which were the usual, various “zingers” delivered by Trump. They ranged of course, of him calling some reporters at a press conference, terrible and fake, to the traditional spiel of “I am a tremendous president, there’s never been a better president in the history of our country.” I finally realized I was like a deer in headlights. So I put the device down and staggered dazed into the bathroom.

Washing my hands I noticed I was stressed. It felt like a combination of anxiety and confusion fighting with anger and depression for dominance inside my head. The result of over an hour of clicking from one over dramatized thumbnail to another even more ridiculously hyped one. Putin, Zelensky, Trump with laser eyes and Keir Starmer looking terrorized, World War 3! Climate change! Inflation! Toilet Paper Shortage!

Ah, the last one of those maybe not so relevant anymore thank god.

Now as I said at the start, I know I’m letting YouTube’s algorithm string me along like a cat chasing a ball of yarn. Keeping my attention from one video to another. I admit too, that I am somewhat interested in what’s going on in the wider world, politically etc. Especially after the last few years. Though considering after the other night I might take a break for a while. But I realize its likely the design of apps like YouTube and the purpose of its algorithm to keep shoveling into my consciousness more and more of what it thinks I’ll watch. However the pro’s and con’s of the Social Media Apps like YouTube might be a topic for another day.

My focus in this article is the political characters the world over. In my opinion they have moved on from being the boring bureaucrats of the past, trying to interest us in their theories on tax and economics. These days I reckon that politicians are getting the hang of promoting themselves to us on our phones. Whereas before you might get a dry article in a newspaper once in a while about a world leaders opinion on a war or current event or a few words of a speech on the TV evening news, now its endless rivers of streaming videos. Filmed still by the main TV networks, but sliced up into shorts and dramatic viral releases by podcasters and other YouTuber style commentators. Its relentless if you let it, (which I realize now I did.) I think a good many of those in the political spotlight are trying to compete now with musicians, actors and the now social media derived influencers for stardom and celebrity fame.

I have seen our own Prime Minister, a man described now here in NZ as the man “with the face on a thumb” due to his large bald head, (if you see him you get it) making a complete dick of himself, dancing awkwardly for a cultural event of some sort. From that right up to doing the now obligatory stint at a MacDonald’s drive thru before the election. I believe Trump did that as well pre US election, so he basically copied Trump. I mean seriously do they think we citizens of the world are dumb enough to fall for publicity like that now. I find its an insult to your intelligence really, wanting you to swallow that their just an ordinary working class man by doing an hour serving a few cars in the drive-thru. To me their about as relatable as Mark Zuckerberg when I saw a reel of him claiming that his interests include quote; BBQing meats and racing cars.

What I’m trying to get at is, that maybe it would be good if the world’s politicians put the selfie stick down and stopped doing Facebook posts in their ministerial limousines to tell us what a wonderful job their doing and just concentrated on what their there to do. What their duty to their countries citizens is. You know the run of the mill stuff. Health, education, keeping the lights on, making sure that when I flush my toilet I don’t have to see last nights dinner again. Keeping it simple for a change.

I mean sure, before an election they have to communicate well and tell us all why we should vote for them, obviously. Give us some inkling if they will be remotely competent in whatever their role is.

On the subject of competency here in New Zealand, as I assume some other countries do as well, a lot what happens in our parliament is filmed to be live on TV. So if you can’t find anything better to watch in the middle of the daytime you can sit down and view the processes and debates inside our parliament building called the Beehive. Often mainly less exciting than watching paint try but occasionally quite revolting to be fair. Watching our countries well paid political representatives let their ego’s run roughshod and behave as if in a school cafeteria at lunch time with loud, rude shouting. Generally silly, time wasting behaviour that the speaker of the house is woefully useless at controlling, petulantly bellowing for members to knock it off. Much the same as my alcoholic English teacher during my classes at school.

This might sound like I’m a stuffy old bugger moaning about how things have gone down the crapper in the world these days and probably naïve too expecting the politicos to behave in any other way instead of their traditional stereotypes… but.

But perhaps it would be a refreshing change in the world, a refreshing change to jaded, weary every day people struggling to meet the next bill and the one after that. Time for politician’s to opt for a bit of hardworking dignity for once and let the results do the talking.

Imagine for a moment a miraculously different world. You woke up one morning to run down to the local supermarket and butter was the price it cost ten years ago. Rent was a couple of hundred dollars less a week. You got a doctors appointment in the same week as when you called for one. The evening news wasn’t a depressing, day ruining episode. Trump wasn’t coming up on your Facebook feed boasting that he’s great mates with Putin and the Ukraine war will be over with a phone call and he’s the best president in the history of…you know, his country.

Maybe he, and his counterparts around the earth could just let the voting public decide and leave it up to political historians sing their praises. Or not, in a few decades time. Leaving the Rockstar's and actors to have the public adulation and fame.

I admit however I have no idea how this better world would ever come to pass. The only thought I have is for the public to perhaps just ignore politicians after elections. Perhaps the less time talking to reporters and posting on their phones they will realize they have time to delve into the issues and concerns of the day maybe. We can hope at least.

Anyway I believe I’m going to use YouTube just to watch my old car Will it Start videos for a while and leave the lot of them in the various governments on the planet to get on with the job. Maybe you should too, what do you think? If enough people in the world just ignored them a lot more. Who knows what might happen? Stuff might get done.