Running in the Black

For those of you that live in a country other than Canada, we are having an election. The vote is in a week’s time and I am optimistic that the guy we have as Prime Minister and the party he heads up will be licking their wounds and wondering what happened and why no one loves them any longer. That is what I hope. What will more than likely happen is that we will have a minority government which will be toppled in a few months once again taking us on an expensive trip to the polls. Such is life.

I have often wondered why anyone would want to be a politician in this day and age of media scrutiny and dirty tricks. I understand what motivates someone to enter politics at a local level; they wish to effect a positive change in their community. Maybe they do a good thing and maybe they don’t for some reason. Perhaps they will be happy making lives better for their neighbours and friends. Too often however, they set their sights higher and higher, moving into provincial and then federal politics. To make a better world…

I am reading a book that involves the physical domination of one person over another. I find it disturbing, compelling but disturbing. The desire for power over another or group of others seems to be a driving force. We have all met people like this in various degrees during our lives. The bully at school, parents, older brothers, spouses and bosses at work. Most of the time we are being told what to do because something needs to be done and someone needs to tell us to do it. That is right and normal.

There seems to be a point where it is no longer helpful information that is being passed, but abuse of power. There are good bosses and bad bosses, the bad ones like to throw their power around and force the employees to their will. Sometime (often) they are wrong but end up blaming an underling for the error. Someone like that can cause a toxic atmosphere and make going to work an unpleasant experience.

The party in power here is causing that toxic atmosphere and have been for a number of years now. There seems to be a culture of lies or misinformation but it is always possible that I just don’t see their vision.

What bothers me and makes me wonder is why anyone would spend $1,000,000 to get a job that pays $175,000 per year. I will freely admit that I don’t understand high finance and my math skills leave a lot to be desired. However, I do understand pay cheques and basic addition and subtraction. Something just isn’t right. If you spend $1,000,000 then you expect to get at least $5,000,000 back. In politics that translates into selling influence and giving your “backers” lucrative government contracts. Of course when you have finished your political career you will be given a seat on a corporate board or ten as a reward for services rendered.

I could be wrong. Perhaps they just don’t get how money works, that would explain why governments are so bad at running in the black.