Going into politics is just another way of being (well) paid while doing nothing

IHAVE a sneaking feeling the world started to slide downhill the moment we decided politics was a

career. In Britain members of parliament were unpaid pubic servants until 1911, when the British Parliament granted MPs an annual stipend of £400 – even then this was not considered a great salary.

Up to that date members of parliament were successful businessmen, miners, shipowners, landowners, bankers and farmers. They had independent means and stood for election because they felt an obligation to help guide the country wisely. They had proved they could manage their own finances, now they felt qualified to manage those of the country.

The good thing about this was that MPs had actually experienced life in the real world. They knew first-hand about finances and labour relations and the costs of manufacturing goods or rising cattle. It wasn’t just theory to them.

Today many young people decide to “go into politics”, sign up to work for a political party straight from school or a tertiary education, become active in campaigning and go on to play various important party roles until they end up in Parliament, never having done a stroke of real, handson work. They claim to be representing “the workers”, but have never known what it’s like to be a worker.

Maybe it would be a good thing for everybody if countries around the world introduced a policy that says nobody is entitled to stand for political office until they have completed five years of real work. You don’t have to be a politician to do good things for your country. You can volunteer as a hospital assistant or a police reservist or voluntary firefighter while you do your day job as a carpenter or bank teller or waiter in a restaurant. You could even volunteer to work (unpaid) for a political party until you’ve completed your five years of real life.

Sometimes I think politicians are rather like the car guards at some shopping malls. They wave their arms frantically, trying to direct you, but they have never been behind the wheel of a car.

Last Laugh

A salesman called at a suburban house and said he wanted to demonstrate a revolutionary new vacuum cleaner.

Before the housewife could stop him, he emptied a bucket of trash all over the hallway carpet.

“Now, madam,” he announced, “I’ll show you how efficient my machine is. Give me three minutes and if there’s a single speck of dirt left on your carpet , I’ll eat it.”

The woman turned and started walking away. “Hey, madam,” called the salesman, “where are going?”

“I’m going to fetch you a spoon,” she said. “Eskom has just turned off our power.”