From Generation X by Douglas Coupland:
Bread and CircuitsThe electronic era tendency to view party politics as corny no longer relevant or meaningful or useful to modern societal issues, and in many cases, dangerous. (p80)
I’ve got to admit, despite the really lively and active citizen-political community in my home town, I just can’t get excited.
First, party politics is bureaucracy, which is just plain-old-tragic. The first tragedy is that a bureaucracy can never, really truly be relevant. The wheels-of-the-machine turn too slowly to really keep up with technology and with the changing world, so there will always be tragedy on the edges of the system.
The second tragedy is that individual politicians (especially the sincere ones) are doomed. The accountability and motivation mechanisms of established bureaucracies become so entrenched and complex that incremental change is either meaningless or does more harm than good. Realistically, we need a new system, but that requires a revolutionary and not a politician.
Finally, party politics are like watching a football game that never ends. The ball moves back and forth on the field. Occasionally one of the players makes an amazing play. The teams sometimes work better as a unit, sometimes worse. The fans in the stands are all gamblers, always supporting the team that appears to be winning in the hopes of a big pay-off.
Yes, politicians can change my life in real ways: taxes, laws that restrict my freedom, and more. But, in the end, where’s the politician that’s really going to change the system? Is this person going to emerge from one of the two established bureaucracies? I don’t think so.
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