BALLOT BOX

What you are about to read is my own particular view and experience of life. It is neither a scientific, anthropological or political thesis. It might sound silly, maybe shocking. Either way, this discussion does not intent to convince anyone to agree with it. The only outcome hoped for from the audience reading is, reflection and maybe analysis or constructive criticism of the content. You may or may not identify yourself with the context and may or may not, gather some insights from it. Any response is a positive response, if only laughter.

BALLOT BOX

Since human beings realised they are social specimens and generally incapable of living alone, they have joined forces. They need reinforcement from other people to survive, something that for most would have been impossible on their own. Therefore, they have been organising themselves in clusters and have been defining themselves by the common ground they share with their peers. These clusters have nominated their own representatives to speak up on their behalf about their needs and aspirations. The outcome of these debates are agreements, decision making and often compromising actions. These aim to provide whatever is possible to fulfil people´s needs in their best interests whilst respecting the differences amongst their peers in a harmonious shared living environment. In life, almost everything has a political element. Collaboration is the key to managing a smooth process successfully.

Since the concept of community and society was established, the human race has been organising itself globally with various political systems: democracy, monarchy, republic, communism, dictatorship to name but a few. One purpose of politics is to make it possible for each individual to live in harmony with others; to respect their differences; to have shared rights irrespective of territory and ethnicity. The politicians, representatives of the clusters are in charge of proposals to deal with various issues and in theory aim to achieve beneficial results for all parties involved. Politics has however become more about those who are in power than the people they represent. We might not agree with many political systems, even with our own but they must all be taken into consideration so we can all learn from our mistakes and improve our own and others’ way of living. Surely that sounds the appropriate way of practising politics so why have so many societies behaved differently?

As mentioned before, collaboration is the key for success. Politics is not different, yet the interests of involved parties must be achieved with mutually beneficial results. However, the debating process involved does not necessarily guarantee any achievement at the end. Only a true altruist could believe that their political system really benefits the majority. In fact, the majority of these systems only truly benefit a few sectors of society: mainly, politicians and their sponsors. Many of the electorates who directly or indirectly nominate their representatives are still struggling to meet their most basic needs: shelter, food, education, healthcare, civil rights and so on. The right to vote or nominate is one powerful weapon every electorate has, but voters have been misled and underestimated for centuries. Even those without the right to vote or nominate still can make changes. If collaboration has been misused by politicians, why do the electorates not get more involved?

From primitive social organisations to contemporary political systems, the majority of people still do not recognise the power they have if they are united. From past generations until now, the workforce, the engines of the world and the fuel of its economies keep working with their heads down. For the main part, they “think small”, just about surviving from one day to the next, mostly, doomed due their lack of perspective. So, there is the problem! Meanwhile, politicians carry on playing their games but the general public must at least to an extent be blamed for electing them in the first place. They have also allowed themselves be treated like they are replaceable pieces or expiring goods of their economic and social structures. Structures they have helped to build themselves with the bare hands. It is hard to say whether the majority do not see clearly grasp the reality of their political scenarios, whether they have simply given up fighting, or worse that they never believed in their potential collective power as members of society.

Today, dictatorship still exists in a few countries. That means their citizens have no voice when it comes to their own political system but follow the authoritarian rules in place. This kind of system also exists in disguise within other political structures. Monarchical structures can also be used as part of political strategy, for lobbying business to boost their economies. The benefits are most likely disproportionally higher for the monarchs in comparison to their subjects. That said, republics and countries with democratic systems often delude their electorates that their right to vote that might change their reality for the better. Under communism, there is the promise of a better life for all under the leadership of a “superior wise mind”, one who supposedly ensures that wealth is shared fairly. So far, it seems we have not found a proper political system that is really beneficial for all. There is always something missing. So, what exactly has been missing?

Actually, humankind knows exactly what has been missing but the question is: will societies unite and fight in order to achieve wellbeing for all? There are many international organisations with shared responsibilities that have their ethos focused on the wellbeing of humankind. Through their collaborative efforts and resources, they focus on the needs of those in peril across the globe. Some of them have been organised by groups of countries, others by institutions or even by businesses. They are all united by a common cause: the wellbeing of all. What an irony it is when we look at our planet today and see the lack of commitment by some of these organisations towards achieving their targets. There are of course many genuine people involved who are working hard to do their jobs properly. However, their systems do not always allow them to do so. So much of the time, their hands are tied by sometimes discriminatory and influential political systems.

In fact, blame for this whole worldwide political mess can be laid at the feet of each society. They have elected, directly or indirectly, those who are supposed to represent their collective interests. Instead, their representatives have for the main part been looking after their own interests. Politicians are getting paid by taxpayers. They are not doing society any favour or are part of charitable organisations. All to often, they neglect their duties and treat their electorates with obliviousness. It is farcical how these minorities have had such power over the majority who possess the potential to wield real power. Elections come every few years, sometimes more regularly. A few new parties emerge and few old ones may join forces. The same politics is heard at every debate, discussion, interview and so on, year after year. At the ballot box, the voters still make the same mistakes, putting their trust in repetitive empty pledges, made by the same devious political characters. This behaviour is the reason that old politics is still stirring the sterile loop.

The above behaviours are a result of fragmented societies that have lost a sense of the social collective over a long period of time. There is no way to fight for any cause alone, people must support each other. That is what has been missing to make changes in political systems, to create real unity. It is impossible to please everyone, but it is possible to compromise in order to safeguard your electorate. We too have our role in achieving this and must look beyond filling our bellies, feel our surroundings and embrace them as part of us. Perhaps, because some social causes relate directly to a small minority, many choose not to be involved. But here’s the thing: all social causes are related directly or indirectly to every single one of us. The concept of society has become so ill defined that the concept of community has become almost non-existent. The journalist Chuck Plunkett has spoken about the dangers of local new disappearing. This illustrates how local communities may lose their identity and become obsolete within a national context. Once their importance has been overwhelmed by national and international affairs, it creates a huge risk for the extinction of democracy. (“When local news dies, so does democracy”, Ted.com).

Information has been spread faster than we can keep up with. Without worldwide online regulations, trustworthy information often gets mixed up with so called “fake news”. The majority of people in society seem to lack a filter, just randomly absorb information and this in turn influences how society develops. Everything is delivered with such speed nowadays and does not allow people time to reflect. In the beginning, orally delivered news was all we had then written news, often hand delivered. Then radio and television arrived and brought more of a sense of immediacy. Now, with the internet, we have information available through multi media platforms 24/7. The internet also provides access to worldwide information, be it written, podcasted, image posted, performed or delivered through many other forms. However, people can be lazy to read or listen properly. They tend not to first review, question or understand the information given before absorbing it. Everything is now immediate.

A pervading obliviousness has interfered directly in how society has dealt with international, national and local affairs. Although with globalisation we are now all connected, we all still have our own particularities. These are what help to inform the evolution of society. The success we all seek in the world depends on how these particularities are interconnected with who are as individuals. Once a sense of community has been lost, our identities can also go missing. Without cultural representation, people try to get closer to references that bring them a sense of belonging, even if they are ephemeral. The danger is that society is constantly bombarded by external information and concerns. People do not seem to realise that change starts within their own local communities. To change the world, we only need to improve ourselves a little bit every day. In time, we will benefit from exponential improvement and will take others with us on this collective social endeavour.

It seems these days that every time society has to nominate its representatives, its collective behaviours become increasingly ugly. More and more, people behave like they have been brainwashed. To compound this, their self-centred motives inform the election of representative that will benefit only their own interests rather than electing a representative for society as a whole. Social affairs are no longer inclusive or egalitarian, but clustered and discriminatory. The struggle to achieve wellbeing for all does not concern everyone, but just a minority, making it segmented, fragile and weak. Although people constantly say “there are two sides to the story”, they are often only prepared to see one. Tolerance, compromise and respect, seem to have no value whatsoever. Debates and discussions are often no longer welcome or even current within peers, unless the subjects are frivolous with no significant outcomes. These days, a substantial or political issue can turn a conversation into an arena filled with verbal aggression.

An example of the above is when we are about to face the ballot box and all we can see and hear is political parties seeking members and their subscriptions, sponsors and their contributions, not just citizens and their votes. Other parties fighting for the same, are delusional in “promising to responsibly provide services for the general public.” Some voters opt for politicians who may actually give them individual benefits, others may genuine believe in benefits for all. Some voters form business agreements, others are incredulous and their votes are wasted as blank or null. Some votes not count within corrupt systems, others are over counted. Some votes are bought or misled, others are sold or are just ghosts miscounted by machines. Voters and votes are not all the same as they should be. Some are in double ballots, are cheap or have no real weight, whereas others do have weight or are costly expensive. A few votes are just votes…

So often these days, we see members of the general public arguing with each other about to their political differences. Sadly, these exchanges are rarely insightful, just offensive disagreements. Such disagreements are harmful to everyone as real trust does not lay on surface, but is kept hidden. And yet, when the truth does occasionally rise to the surface, people still do not recognise or accept it. Meanwhile, we all know that their future representatives are closing deals amongst their peers for their own benefit. Gambling their chances of success on these ugly public exchanges and shallow arguments seems to boost their chances of winning. The oblivious audience feel they have been entertained. The same audience insists that corruption only exists on the opposite side to their preferred candidate and ignores its presence virtually all candidates; within the vicious and failed systems.

Despite all the deceptive strategies politicians have used to reach their goals, trust is out there for those who are interested in it. The main obstacles nowadays are how information is delivered and where its sources originate from. It cannot be denied that social media is effective in reaching their target audiences. That said, people no longer spend time reading or listening to information that may take more than few seconds to absorb. Also, they no longer bother about their surroundings, unless there is an obstacle in their way that interrupts their flow. We observe people going about their lives in a self-centred way and even if we decide to walk around them with no clothes on, it would make no difference whatsoever. People have their own individualised invisible space where information is only valid if it complies with their style of life. It’s more about “self” now than sharing physical space.

In many political systems, the voters do not always vote for those who they believe would really make a difference. They vote tactically as a damage limitation measure. Other systems do not even allow votes to make a difference at all, as the number of votes required to effect real change may be higher than the current electorate would provide. Some systems allow voters to choose from their own perspective, no matter what that may be. In this case, “perspective” can vary through the process. Where there is no respect or tolerance, there is no space for development. This is a universal truth that can be seen in so many settings and to name but a few randomly: movies, TV series, classes about parenting, friends or co-workers’ meetings. Disrespect is generally considered unacceptable. However, in real life, the concept of respect also varies depending on what sort of environment people may be inserted in and on their own particular goals and focus.

“The government you elect is the government you deserve.” (Thomas Jefferson)

The above is a quote that may seem extreme but when an election runs according to the law, the elected party wins by getting the majority of votes. So, the quote is really not so extreme at all, but accurate. We have witnessed so many atrocities throughout history against human beings made by their own kind. The motives have included power, money, prestige, territory. These are all things that should contribute towards providing wellbeing for all. Instead, some people feel entitled to have more than others just because the can or simply because they feel like it. This is exactly how society has behaved for centuries. Only in recent years have worldwide events brought the consequences of these social movements to a global audience.

In 2016, the United Kingdom had a referendum and asked its electorate how they would like their future to be. The choice was staying in the European Community or leaving it to become “independent” again. Even though many say that an information conspiracy really did happen through social media, politicians’ and third parties´ actions and words, not all information was totally disguised by lies. There was also some trust out there. Some people didn’t think this was a real referendum, but a “rehearsal”. Others took the opportunity for granted and some thought that leaving the EU would also leave the country free of immigrants. How utterly foolish! The point was not so much whether the United Kingdom should or shouldn´t have left the EU, but what motivated more than half of the population to vote. Many realised after the referendum that millions of these so called “immigrants” were third, fourth or even fifth generation of legal immigrants from countries previously colonised by the United Kingdom and that they would not leave. The referendum was not a rehearsal and there was no conspiracy. Many regretted their vote but it was too late to go back.

In the 2016 US presidential election, a majority of voters elected a business man who from the beginning of his campaign was openly racist, xenophobic, homophobic, antisemitic, Islamophobic, sexist, misogynist and white supremacy orientated. Even though his character was transparent, people still voted for him including: women, black communities, immigrants, LGBTQ+ community members, Muslims, Jewish and indigenous people. There was no denial about himself: his behaviour was exactly what he said it would be. And yet, people ignored all that and elected him anyway. A similar situation happened in Brazil during those the last presidential elections in 2018 and 2022. The winning candidate in 2018 has a similar transparent character to the last American president. He enjoyed the same voter support even though his public speeches, inhumane behaviour and actions, were directed against a discriminated group of people, who actually voted for him. This president behaved in the same way in the 2022 election, was defeated this time but still had support from groups that he despises.

All this only shows how people have become even more self-absorbed these days and only pay attention to someone who may directly and negatively impact on their personal space. A sense of community fades away every day along with a combined sense of social and self-identity. Democracy has been challenged by those who see only one side of the system, always alleging that corruption only exists on the other side. Male co-workers often still do not accept women receiving the same salaries for the same job as them. People who profess to be religious do not respect differences with other religions, even though their doctrine preaches love. People feel superior towards others for being Caucasians, abstracting their own human race origins. There is intolerance towards people who left their motherlands to find better lives. Society has gone backwards allowing the crimes and errors of history to subtly return, gain strength and pervade society. Thus, the powerful minorities feed their conscious greed at the expense of others.

This is a time when we need to reflect on how our behaviour and choices affect others, be it directly or indirectly, positively or negatively. When our choices may affect a whole group, we need to take responsibility for their consequences. It is a voter’s duty to choose a candidate who can be impartial, secular, ethical, humble, patient, tolerant and worthy even though they may not share everyone’s interests. In reality, most politicians have been doing the exact opposite. This kind of behaviour is then mirrored by the electorate. How can we choose from a few candidates who are utterly corrupt, leaving us with the choice to go with the one we think may cause the least damage? Corruption is chronically part of political systems worldwide and people may openly say: “they are corrupt, but they do some good”. This is their way of showing support for the corrupt candidates. Every vote is a choice for how we are represented and there is always the option to spoil the ballot paper and say: “I am exercising my right to vote and saying I am not prepared to make a choice from the candidates available.”

Social representativity is important in society so we can feel a sense of belonging, self-identity, ownership of our rights and duties, so we can cherish our individual and collective cultures. Politics must embrace this. That said, every voter must choose their future representatives accordingly to their own principles and values but not follow contradictory paths. Sometimes it feels like people have forgotten their own origins and backgrounds when they face the ballot box. If a person cannot recognise and accept themselves for who they are, their own individuality, cultural and social identity, principles and values become fluid. This fluidity is then affected by external interferences and the consequences become a collective responsibility.

The contradiction between a voter’s point of view and their own identity often gets confused in political processes. When candidates are openly racist, misogynistic, antisemitic, anti-Islamic, homophobic, xenophobic or pro white supremacy, it is almost impossible to understand why people in these minority groups actually vote for them. Over the centuries, intolerance has become an inevitable consequence leading to a continuous struggle within society to eradicate these clichéd paradigms. Whether it be a candidate, representative, political party or even a social peer that mentions something that may make someone feel uncomfortable or unsafe, it will bring reflection about how we see others beyond ourselves. Attitudes, behaviours and speech that lead to disrespectful actions are not an individual concern, but a public one.

You do not need to be part of a group that has suffered discrimination to feel offended when an inappropriate comment or action is made. As human beings we should feel outraged. And yet, surprisingly, some people from these groups who have suffered discrimination still accept representatives who attack their peers. And so, we return to the discussion about cultural and social representation and self-identity. Some people live in denial and may not accept or recognise their own backgrounds, turning them into easy targets by those who have the influential ability to control the masses. The masses are not necessarily ignorant and also include those who might be seen as intellectuals: doctors (medical and academic), philosophers, teachers etc. Many of them may pretentiously think they are holders of the ultimate trust. Words are powerful, especially when they turn into actions and some do still recognise that we do not necessarily need to be in a minority group to empathise with their battles. So why do we continue to support those who have made the political systems so sick?

We may not agree with everything and everyone out there, but surely, we must all agree that it is an unconditional right to be at peace within society. If you decide that the representative you have in mind may harm others, you should consider them not suitable for the job. Surely, if someone treats another unfairly with your support, you have their blood on your hands. Society needs its representatives to be thoughtful and humane, to look after its people fairly, to keep social balance in place. They should provide rights and ensure the health and safety for all through fair and accommodating laws. Many of the rights that have been granted to society by law might clash with some people´s beliefs but it is of paramount importance that we are all protected. Rights and duties shall not be designed to benefit one or another, but society as whole for we never know what dangers may lie ahead.

Time, one of the most precious commodities of all only moves forwards and with exponentially increasing speed. The earth may continue to rotate about its axis but the most influential element influencing our futures continues to be people´s priorities. The majority of people do not create the time to reflect on what direction their lives are going in. The self-centred energy that society has been driven by has limited individual visions of their context in life on our planet. Without broader thinking, society faces a doomed future if people do not act soon. Some people are living inside their own bubbles but the majority live amongst others so are interconnected and co-dependent for their survival. Whatever happens in society affects everyone, including those living in bubbles. Unless you are a sadomasochist, surely you would not do anything to harm yourself. So why would you harm others?

“Treat people the way you want to be treated. Talk to people the way you want to be talked to. Respect is earned not given.” Shah Hussein, Sufi poet (1539 - 1599)

Leandro Bernardes, 2022.