The fear factor in Politics

Today's political soil is lush with an integrity crippling force that empowers global disorder and if left unattended, will ultimately strangle the life out of Human Rights. As nations, we are inching ourselves into the yawning jowls of indifference, while we indulge a greed whose raison d'être can only lead to moral indolence. If we understood the bastardization of the values that support our humanity, we would understand why politics will never solve our problems. Actions that once elevated the human spirit out of the dark ages now appear to be reversing as the world is reunited with the darkness that terrorizes and oppresses so many lives of so many unfortunate people.

This real situation, like an airborne virus grows around us in the form of war, famine, pestilence, murder, and rape, which in some areas of the world occur as often as jay-walking occurs on some inner city streets.

Unfortunately, the force best able to confront this challenge, the individual character, is the main target for terror mongers and deceivers of all races and beliefs who understand how to maximize their use of our Achilles heel.

Every second of every day the universe witnesses our violence against the law, by well dressed, well groomed terrorists, society's inner and outer fringes, chipping away at its accountability, integrity, tolerance, all of which must exist if the decency that protects our Human Rights is to be preserved. Yet, few understand how this decency, lest it be contaminated, must remain separate and apart from the interpretations of politics.

But of course, talk of such serious nature - accountability and integrity becomes unnecessary verbiage for some agendas. This is considered too rigid, too outdated for the age of "fast foods", and attention deficit disorders, we cannot wait. We want an instant answer where "I" don't need to be concerned with the violation of someone's rights in Darfur, in Afghanistan or anywhere else.

We refuse to understand that our decency is being ravaged, and it seems not to matter that the ravaging is taking place in my building, on my street or on my continent, because we have become well versed in how to intellectually disconnect "myself" from all those ties that bind me to other human beings, enabling me to walk away from any tragedy. This is called conquering the challenge brought on by my conscience.

We look for immediate and instant solutions to justice ignoring two important facts at times … individual responsibility, as well as the hard work involved in maintaining law and order. Anything that requires sacrifice or diligence seems not to be popular; it is considered too outdated. Politicians talk about change, and yes we need change, but I still haven't heard how "this" change is supposed to take place. Instead, we are fed a placebo called diversity that has at its base a deceptive confusion which we believe is change. We are diverse. We know this. But for some strange reason, diversity is now taking away from the importance of our humanity. There is one rule whose heart beats to the rhythm of common sense, the umbrella that covers humanity, that cannot be broken down to custom fit individually, but which protects all our human rights with dignity … the much forgotten simple, yet golden rule. This fertile ground can give life to the much talked about change, especially for the sake of our diversities. We need a plan to change, and repeating the word will not do it. We need a detailed map for change.

Unfortunately for most of us, any thought outside our routine causes acute cerebral fuzziness. We don't have time to focus on the fact that we the people of the world are the fabric that brings this whole enchilada together, possibly because we the people of the world are too comfortable in our individual indifference.

In governance, the fear factor runs through the veins of the greatest promoter of aggression, diplomacy. This does not mean that diplomacy in governance does not have its place; the only problem right now is that serious confrontation is handled with so much "diplomacy" that the words are not only flat, but weak with indecision. This leads to the problem behind reining in global lawlessness - this weakness of character projected by most of our politicians does nothing to change the minds of international criminals, especially in diplomatic circles.

Wanting to be fair, I must say that part of the problem with diplomacy is that it feels good. Actually diplomacy feels very good … In the world of politics, diplomacy is a luxurious sable coat made to protect and defend the user from the political chills while its essence gives off that regal feeling of accomplishment. In these circles, where enunciations of all kinds are whispered while holding flukes of champagne, and glances are exchanged while eyeing the freshest of Russian caviar, it is impossible for diplomacy not to be equated with accomplishment.

But, I have seen the remains of a suicide bomber, I have seen children abused and beaten by the hands of this indifference, I have seen old people abandoned and terrified. Segments of our world suffer unheard abuses at the hands of criminals who use the name of a deity to give credence to their criminality with fear … Too many world leaders tip toe around the lawless as if they've earned the right to this courtesy and respect for the good works they've performed.

Without a strong moral fiber, politics is nothing more than an assortment of cowardly strategies available to help save the moment or maintain a political momentum without upsetting the criminal element too much. The obsession with sounding honorable when honor now means lying to save face points to the serious decay in this fiber.

Life is not one big rock concert, yet governments more concerned with being popular govern as if they were just that … rock stars, with a lot of glitter, a lot of well rehearsed phrases, a lot of popular faces, a lot of music, all a well rehearsed theater of fear. But once the show is over and the microphones are shut down, and the amplifiers are turned off, the universe still hears the cries of children, and the sobbing of tortured souls … too much of this misery due to the weakness of our political character on all sides of the globe.

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The fear factor in Politics

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