We get the politicians we deserve. There is a corrosive cynicism that says all politicians are corrupt, selfish and power hungry. The majority of politicians do sincerely want to make the world a better place. That doesn’t mean that they are perfect, they don’t want power or that they don’t have an ego. Politicians are ripped to shreds by the media, given little thanks for anything they achieve and have their private lives exposed to cruel scrutiny. They are often abused and are questioned aggressively with the intention of tripping them up and humiliating them, so they need a thick skin. Believe it or not, they are also paid comparatively little when you consider what they could earn elsewhere, and it is an insecure life. We have a ridiculous fantasy that everyone in a political party should think exactly the same and agree 100% with every policy. As a result, they have to act like robots, pretending that each of them thinks exactly the same, towing the party line. It is because we don’t have the patience or the time to let them share an inspiring vision or nuanced arguments that they have to summarise everything in a 10 second sound bite. How can you possibly reduce complex and important issues to a sound bite and expect to have a mature discussion about it?

If we want an intelligent democracy, we should treat politicians with respect. We should expect them to be individuals with integrity, have faults, have their own opinions, change their mind, disagree with colleagues, fumble their words and have a bad day at the office. Allow them some personality and individuality. They deserve the freedom to make jokes and make mistakes. Consider it normal when they disagree with one another, change their mind or express some doubts. Let’s not pretend that they have to be perfect, with no blemishes on their character.

http://www.amazon.com/New-Magna-Carta-Psychiatrists-Prescription/dp/1506191673