What makes politicians speak out stupid things?
To win elections, they need to get the most votes. And for that they need to appeal to as many voters as possible
Prime Minister Modi’s admonishment to his political flock last week to zip it and button their mouths and not make irresponsible statements is salutary but insipid in that it is linked to these untoward statements becoming ‘masala (spice) for the media.’ That the advice goes unheeded by and large makes it all the more vital that the PM of India become a little more punitive when he issues these gag orders that don’t work.
Would it not have been more valid to censure these ‘commentators’ for being irresponsible, regardless of whether or not it is grist for the media mill. The way it is projected it would suggest it’s fine to drop bricks and suffer from foot in the mouth disease so far as the media is not picking it up. Therefore, Union minister and BJP leader Santosh Gangwar’s comment that a couple of rapes of little children are par for the course and there shouldn’t be such a brouhaha over them, it happens, should be accepted as a slice of sensitive and incandescent insightfulness.
Whether the media picks it up or not and runs with it is irrelevant. The fact is in recent times it is the most thoughtless and tactless and insulting observation made by a politician. Even on a global basis this one ranks right up there. It is a tragic fact that politicians once elected transform overnight into founts of wisdom and knowledge and they have this uncontrollable urge to display this newfound profundity. Since they now have captive listeners (read sycophants) the need to expound theories and give opinions is overwhelming.
It is not just an Indian thing though at present the subcontinent has the lead with Donald Trump a close second. The Duke of Edinburgh is famous for what he calls ‘foot in mouth’ disease. He once told an English visiting student in Japan, “Don’t stay here too long, you might go all slitty eyed.”
He once commented to a Filipino nurse in the UK. “Is your country empty? You’re all here running our doctor’s surgeries.”
US President Gerald Ford failed to identify Poland and other east European nations in a TV debate while George Bush Jr went on air pretending to look for WMDs in the White House thereby making a mockery of his basic reason for declaring war in the Middle East. Vice Prez Joe Biden called out to a democrat supporter Chuck Graham to ‘stand up pal’ during a campaign trail. Graham had been in a wheelchair most of his life.
At a meeting with the Queen, then PM David Cameron was recorded telling her about ‘fantastically corrupt
When Donald Trump said, “My IQ is one of the highest — and you all know it…” he was speaking for the vast majority of the world’s elected politicians
countries’ and then naming them as Britain prepared to host the anti-corruption summit. French President Nicholas Sarkozy at a G20 summit in 2010 was heard saying, “I cannot stand him – he’s a liar,” with reference to Benjamin Netanyahu. Jimmy Carter once talked about maintaining ‘ethnic purity’ in urban neighbourhoods.
South Africa’s former President Jacob Zuma made so many gaffes it would probably make for a book. In 2015 at a formal dinner he said: Africa is the biggest and all continents of the world put together would fit into it.” Later on, his concept of geography had to be officially corrected. Commenting on the democratic way he sent shock waves when he said, “Sorry, we have more rights here because we are a majority. You have fewer rights because you are a minority. Absolutely, that’s how democracy works.”
With the desire to blurt paramount in their psyche Indian luminaries mess up badly. Dozens of ministers have been guilty of tweeting ‘Happy Good Friday’ during Easter displaying a total lack of knowledge. Mamata Bannerjee wished singer Jagjit Singh a happy birthday even though he passed away in 2011. Mulayam Singh Yadav generated outrage when he said; “Boys do make mistakes; boys are boys, rapes happen!”
The list of faux pas is long and winding like the road. What is the psychology behind the need to open your mouth without being sure what you are saying makes sense? Ethicist Jason Brennan gives insight:
“Saying stupid things to would-be voters is a very smart thing to do. Politicians are trying to win elections. To win elections, they need to get the most votes. To do that, they need to appeal to as many voters as possible. In an election, what every smart politician is trying to do is behave in ways that he or she hopes will appeal to the typical voter. Politicians are like this because they respond rationally to the incentives democracy creates. If voters were well-informed, dispassionate policy-wonks, then political campaigns would resemble peer-reviewed economics journals. But few voters or potential voters are like that. As I’ll document at greater length in future blog posts here, most voters are poorly informed, passionate, biased, overconfident, and tribalistic. Most nonvoters are not dispassionate truthseekers; rather, they just don’t care much at all.”
The pomposity is certainly fed by the aura that surrounds them and the accoutrements of office. There is also a misguided belief that people want to hear their opinion. The desire for publicity is a constant. When Donald Trump said, ‘“My IQ is one of the highest — and you all know it! Please don’t feel so stupid or insecure; it’s not your fault,” he was speaking for the vast majority of the world’s elected politicians.
On this canvas rather than issue a genteel caution to his frontliner Mr Modi should have told him off in no uncertain terms and publicly distanced the BJP from this display of genius. Ministers have been dropped for less odorous comments. And Gangwar is an acknowledged BJP frontliner.
Blaming the media for marketing the gaffes is a convenient cop out. When there is blowback and trouble the person squarely on the mat falls back on this option: oh, the media misrepresented and misquoted me, this is not what I meant.
Yes, you did. You failed to think it through. Now pay the price.