Aristotle argued that all able citizens should participate in politics at the polis (city-state), and the mundane matters of life like cooking, doing the dishes, digging the ponds, milking the cows, etc, should be left to the slaves and women. It should be the civic duty of all the right-thinking and freeborn men to contribute in discussing and formulating policies that concern the governance of the State. Though it sounds sexist and retrogressive now, ancient sentiments are still valid: Politics matters above all human collective endeavours and determines the growth or decline of civilisations.
Cut to the present. Politics attracts all sorts of people–from the well-heeled to the well-educated. This recognises that there are limits to what money or intellectual prowess can do in the real world. Politics begets power, and power can get your wishes executed, regardless of their acceptability to the people. Money and gray matter can give you a comfortable life but politics can take you to the apex of human potential.
By its very nature, politics attracts aggressive, ruthless, and shady characters. Narcissists too. But many a time, good people jump into the political cesspool because they want to transform and make it better. The effect betrays the good intentions. Well-meaning and high-minded people who join politics often morph into mirror images of the very leaders they want to reform.
Here are some probable reasons why politics has this contradictory effect on men and women who start with a lot of promises and idealism but falter at the end.
· PARTY RULES: Unless a politician can float her own party and assemble her team of like-minded comrades, she must first join an established political party. The ideology, the dos and don’ts and the party’s policy usually supersede a politician’s individual objectives. Defy the party framework and one risks disqualification and isolation from the party.
· GROUPTHINK: An idealistic upstart must conform to the prevailing views of their party or group or remain quiet. Repeated exposure to the party line eventually converts a newbie politician’s original thoughts– their pet ideas are either overshadowed or rejected. Toeing the party’s diktat is the norm.
· MORAL RELATIVISM: Achieving a position of power can lead to a sense of moral superiority and entitlement. Once the Lakshman Rekha of the first moral compunction is broken, politicians become less fussy about unethical actions, which are then glossed over because politicians believe their good intentions and the big picture transcend their missteps.
· POLARISATION: Politics is about taking a stand on controversial issues that have no clear-cut solutions. Once a position is taken, there is no turning back, thereby creating a compulsion to dismiss any opposing viewpoints. Politicians thus play the game of competitive intolerance, partisanship, and hostility.
· PUBLIC SCRUTINY: A politician’s every step is watched like reality TV. Her positive actions will be acknowledged but quickly underwritten as normal duties of a politician. But, the public will be unkind and nasty in criticising the politician if her behaviour, choices, and posturing fumble due to a decision made in good faith or as expediency. This intense scrutiny of public life can lead to stress and defensive behaviours, potentially prompting actions that are out of character or ethically questionable.
· COMPETITION OF AMBITIONS: Once inside the arena of politics, surrendering is not an option for a politician. Fighting and mudslinging become a way of life at all waking hours. The personal becomes political and vice versa. The alternative is quitting, shame and depression.
· UNREASONABLE DEMANDS: The pressure from the constituency is one of the most powerful factors that turns an ideal person into a pucca neta. A politician must resort to unethical tactics because the demands on her from her voters are perennially ludicrous, unethical, or illegal. Active workers’ nagging for political spoils is the beginning of a politician’s moral and electoral downfall. A politician needs to mint cash to get votes.
WHAT POLITICIANS CAN DO: As we have seen, hell is paved with good intentions. I can only suggest one solution for the political class. It is a simple and practical solution: please serve for only one term and don’t seek re-election. All the factors mentioned above will lose their relevance if a politician doesn’t eye the next election. Roar like a lion and work like there’s no tomorrow to create a legacy during the first and the final term. The above disadvantages will be manageable like inconvenient mosquito bites. Remember, a politician’s self-imposed condition to keep contesting elections and win forever is her undoing, depriving her of the power of intrepidity and ability to deliver which compels her to play reflexively. Frankly speaking, a career in politics should be banned. Politics should not be bureaucracy. Politics should be a highly focused special project.