Of people, the choices we make, and our ability to affect the future.

 

We read and hear news everyday of rallies, protests, riots, and wars and conflicts all over the world. We are told that we may be targets of terrorists who must be destroyed at all cost and hear the leaders and politicians who tells us that they go to war on humanitarian grounds, to bring democracy to the people who are being oppressed.

They spend millions in military spending, go into war frequently and all the while, the economy is in dire straits, needing infusions, and the stock markets and banks are having multiple crisis one after another, in a race to the bottom and decimating the savings and living standards of ordinary people all over the world.

We may live in different countries, with different cultures. But doesn’t everyone wants a better living standards, to enjoy life and hopes for a bright future for our family and friends? We can all learn lessons in the happenings around the world because we live in a connected world. What happens in another country and place can happen right here in front of our eyes and at our doorsteps. 

Many in the society thinks that it does not matter. As long as it does not affect their earning and spending power, many would happily leave the politicians and leaders to their antics and treat them as mere theatrics. The majority of the people couldn’t care less. “It’s politics! I don’t want anything to do with it”. We can practically smell the fear, disgusts and indifference in the reply.

But when hardship falls upon the people, it is natural that everything is government’s fault. It is they who steers the country, we say.

Wait a minute. Who gave them the mandate? Yes. It is you. Me. Every single eligible voter (yes, it includes each and everyone that did not vote, you were given a say in the future and you chose to ignore it. By letting others make a choice for you, you made your choice too. So if things go wrong, blame yourself). 

It is politics. And it matters. It matters because the government we elect will set economic policies, pass laws, design the education systems for our children, and provide public services for us while we, in turn pay taxes to the government. As the government is appointed and paid for by the people, it is thus, accountable to the people in all it’s actions.

Everything the government touches affects us. The economic policy will determine whether we are resilient and can withstand economic crises, whether our laws will encourage business friendly environment to encourage entrepreneurship and investors to come and invest here to create a vibrant economy and improve the earnings and living standards of the people. Bad policy will results in our being left behind as the world progress, brain drain as our people seeks greener pastures elsewhere and lower living standards as our purchasing power erodes. 

‘But i did not vote for the government!’ we say. Well, majority wins. Try harder the next round. 

‘It is unfair! They cheat! They lie! We are being oppressed! We will never win!’. Yes, it may be so. We read the details being exposed by concerned and responsible citizens with evidence to boot. We get angry. We get upset. We vent our frustration and anger in the blogsphere. And we try every election to vote in our representative of choice. Our passion and fervour in pursuing accountability, justice, and our constitutional rights are misconstrued as being extreme by the main stream media and a majority of people who has yet to hear both sides of the story to make an opinion.