With his legendary panache and scathing humor, George Bernard Shaw said, “Politicians are like diapers to babies. They need to be changed frequently, for the same reasons.”
Overall, if you analyze the downside of the political arena, such advice is imbued with great wisdom.
democracy
We are tempted to believe that political decisions are the product of the democratic system we hold so dear. It’s partly true. It is also necessary to consider the influence of lobbies centered around politicians, who parasitize and abuse the democratic process for their benefit.
There are many lobbyists. Of these, 13,594 held at least one active mandate in the past financial year. The National Assembly, with just 125 seats, equates to 108 lobbyists for every elected member.
The lobbyist royally makes fun of the general interest. The well-being of the citizen or the taxpayer is irrelevant. He is paid, usually by a large corporation, to infiltrate the political apparatus and forge connections with those in power in order to influence their decisions and thus advance his client’s agenda.
Through these influential professionals, special interests gain political privileges that escape the radar of democracy. This is an offensive practice against the public interest that, in some cases, can create fertile ground for backyard deals, back-and-forths, and triangle swaps. No government, of any race or era, is immune to such vultures.
Social injustice
However, time is the best ally of the art of deception. The longer elected officials hold office, the more effective lobbyists are. They thus become the great architects of social injustice. On the other hand, they lose their footing with regularly changing conversation partners because the manipulation work has to be repeated over and over again. George Bernard Shaw was absolutely right!
