Politics as a Delicate Matter - Essay Example

Politics is the process by which people determine whose views of the government will prevail. Government is the regulations of affairs of the public. Upbringing affects the assessment and decisions one is likely to take when it comes to political, economic and social issues. From my background, it has always been clear a leader must have outstanding attributes. Some of these include integrity and the fear of God. The concept of fearing God helps a political or social leader in knowing that, no matter how powerful his position, he is not absolute. It helps instill a sense of modesty which and accountability to both God and man. Indeed, to the best of my understanding, integrity and fear of God cannot be perceived to be different. Rather, they are complementary to each other. Politics is said to be a dirty game. This is a conclusion made after observing too many incidences of political foul play. Indeed, politicians acknowledge there is no true friendship when it comes to politics. I have grown hearing this word in news bulletins. Therefore, politicians and community leaders thrive by painting their opponents as enemies of their course and unacceptable to people, especially when elections are near. They do this through character assassination. However, there are certain positions I accepted, not because of experience or exposure. I grew up knowing that. For example, it was unacceptable to try to imagine a leader endorsing same sex relationships. We have lived to see gays running for political offices and claiming equal rights with others. As long as I can remember, the society treated such people as outcasts, and in some societies, they were killed. Through childhood training, I knew that people who subscribe to my value system as the best when it comes to politics and economy. This has caused communities to stick to the leaders to who come from their background. It becomes hard to accept people across the economic and political divide. Prejudices occur after years of training during the growing process of a child. I feel safe when I have a leader who can be fit into my community or convictions. This includes sharing the same faith and the same origin. After years of aggressive campaigns on government, political and society, the stand has softened. It is now possible to endorse a political leader who does not share the same roots with me. However, the mistrust still continues because politicians thrive by defining positions and power in terms of communities support and ethnicity. Extremely rich people prefer rich politicians with a hope that they understand the need to shield their wealth. The social status too is a vital factor when it comes to the economy and politics. Ordinary people prefer leaders who are not extremely wealthy. The concept is that the leaders shall create wealth for them because they understand them. My political socialization was marred by political assassinations. People who opposed powerful leaders and presidents were killed without a trace. Some of them were thrown into forests to be consumed by wild animals while others’ remains had been scorched with acids. I grew knowing that political leaders can kill for their survival and that they use political powers to consolidate their influence. I grew up experiencing the effect of the president’s men. These are people who are always surrounding the president and shielding him from access by others. Some of them became extremely rich within a remarkably short period, in mysterious ways. Nobody held them accountable because they were close to the top politicians. This is the root of ethnicity and communal biases. People fight for power with an aim of having their people in such positions and get a chance to fleece the economy. People also fight for power to propagate certain ideologies through political appointments e.g. judges. Therefore, ethnic conflicts were about control of resources. This brought the feeling that it is safe when our person occupies a position of power because he shall naturally take care of our interests. This feeling continues in many ways. When a person who shares a different religious faith occupies an office, there is a feeling of disquiet. To be specific, when a Muslim leader is in charge of a Christian community, there is a feeling of disquiet and vice versa. Religion teaches that the best leaders must come from the same religious background. Muslims feel their faith should be incorporated in governance since it is meant for good. Other religions feel the same. This approach has led to religious conflicts leading to loss of lives. I knew that, for politics to be done in the right way, religious values should be incorporated to reflect dignity and principle. Muslims have had trouble convincing others that radical Islam is not a part of their faith. Many have imagined that terrorists subscribe to the values of Muslim faith. This has attracted many prejudices and biases. It is been accepted that black people are inferior when it comes to governance. This is due to the levels of incompetence and corruption experienced in under some regimes especially in Africa. According to Chika, in his book, capitalist nigger, he argues that blacks in the United States are known to live substandard lives. He says that when a black buys a home in the neighborhood, the whites near him sell their homes because they fear the value their houses will go down. Stories of racial success and failure have been told for long. It is widely accepted that the west are providers while blacks are beggars. Socially speaking, it becomes hard to interact on the same pedestal. This deteriorated into a notion that some races are superior to others. I grew up thinking blacks were different from whites. The Caucasian communities are the real leaders in the world we live in was my sincere belief. However, this notion is changing fast. Prejudices of a racial nature have been discussed for years, and the results can show some slight improvements. There is evidence that corruption happens in both communities i.e. Caucasians and blacks. The desire for better lives is a shared thing, and there is no need for competition or suspicion. The same applies to different ethnic groups. Top tribal politicians create an impression that a tribe occupied a post. The aim is to use the tribal influence to rise to positions of power and influence. My experience is that the leadership of the world is being taken over by the youth. Through extreme socialization, youths have created a global community. They have created forums for peer to peer discussions of contemporary issues affecting their lives. Youths have also come to appreciate they can use their numbers to change regimes or force reforms. I witnessed university students demanding accountability from government and using their influence to reject certain educational polices that were about to be instituted. Age and politics are not inseparable. The youths want to elect their fellow youths with a hope they shall represent them accurately. Recent decades have experienced and escalation of youth programs and discussion forums in radio and television. During these programs, youths air their concerns and come up with joint approach to life. The use of music has been instrumental in this process. Youthful music is being played in radio and is effective in passing messages to the young generation. Through the music, youths demand political changes and endorse certainty leaders especially during political campaigns. Youths have developed a value system in the digital space like social media. The internet or virtual society has its own values. This caused the government to create of youths docket with an aim of making them feel represented. The latest technology had led to the creation of films that put youths in simulated atmospheres. Computer games and films are a form of entertainment that shapes the mindset and perception in political, economic and social level. Some of the programs cause the youths to take up their dream roles in a simulated atmosphere, and this motivates them to achieve their visions and aspirations. There has been alarm raised over the moral implications of youths watching some films or playing simulated games. However, in the overall, films have been educational and have given the younger generations’ new standards. Theater has moved from being a place of shows to being a place for training. People come out feeling what they saw is achievable. Therefore, some movies have encouraged people to reject tyranny and embrace democracy. When I watched both Sarafina and Idi Amin movies, I was able to understand the importance of democracy as a young person. It put me in a position to appreciate the fight for political space and ability to determine economic decisions. Indeed, the films industry has been revolutionary. Footages and video clips have been useful in instigating demands for freedom. Some of the reforms introduced through the voice of the youths demanded a reduction of the age of the presidency; in places where presidency was a preserve of the elderly. The presence of the internet has created a situation that blends all these innovations. Youths have access to online radio stations. Events are streamed live on websites and video clips are attached to social websites for all to view. The social websites have given room for political to be questioned directly on matters that concern they people they lead. The sites have created a social forum where anything can be discussed regardless of the geographical barriers. These developments are new and are not of much importance to the conservative societies. While conducting some government businesses, am required to use the internet, as opposed to the manual or traditional method. Some of the requirements include paying bills using the online transaction features or making applications for some government services. This has caused politicians to open face book and twitter accounts with an aim of remaining relevant to the electorate. Leaders are able to access the mood of nations by viewing the comments of the citizenry through the social media. Most cell phones are now internet enabled. The fact that people can send and receive emails using cell phones means politics must change. Politicians are being compelled to announce their activities and consider incorporating the views of those who put them in office. International newsrooms are forced to apologize through social media if people feel they gave an untrue account of an incident. Early this year cable news network was forced to remove a post and apologize through angry comments from disappointed internet users. After the movie-the innocence of Muslims-offended the Muslim community, Google and YouTube came under intense pressure to remove the movie. Political socialization has caused people to be considering divergent views while addressing sensitive matters. For many years, it was believed that women cannot lead. Gender discrimination is as old as mankind. This caused women to sit back and become inactive in the political process. Political socialization that is grounded on gender bias has been propagated on cultural and religious grounds. Some cultures believe that women should play a passive role in social affairs while some religions demand that women should let me lead. I grew up in an atmosphere of men and women having, equal changes and gender did not matter. The best person was picked to the job or was rewarded. I never experienced the notation that men should have opportunities while women were left out. However, sexual orientation was and still is a vital thing when it comes to social matters. I was born and raised in a society that teaches same sex relationships are ungodly and punishable. Indeed, they are stipulated as illegal behaviors in the constitution. The legitimacy of the same sex relationships is being pushed by many powerful countries. In most places, in the world, people are not ready to entrust the gay community with leadership. The argument is that, the act is against their religious convictions and attracts divine punishment from God. In extreme cases, same sex couples are lynched by mobs and openly humiliated. I was advised from my tender age that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Therefore, it would be wrong to endorse a person who substantially delights in doing something God has clearly outlawed. In conclusion, political socialization is subject of teachings and experiences. It is also influenced by the level of exposure and open-mindedness. Most people are socialized to accept the biases they learnt from their families, schools and religious experiences. However, as trivial as these experiences seem, they affect our ability to make decisions and interact with the rest of society. Read More