The Polite Politician: An Oxymoron?

I am, perhaps to the disappointment of some, "withdrawing" from the CBC contest Canada's Next Great Prime Minister. Call me a whimp or whatever you will but I cannot bring myself to criticize/debate/point fingers like a politician.

There are reasons that the House of Commons during Question Period is often referred to as more of a "playground" than a place of business or politics. Politics, that word brings to my mind visions of a stressed out thirty/forty-something party aide, Blackberry in one hand, third cup of Timmy's in the other, dark circles around his eyes.

That profession that makes good people do bad things.

Indeed as Rousseau argued, man (and woman) is most moral when in nature, acting not out of ambition, greed, etc. but rather out of pure and simple instinct: I'm hungry, I will eat. I'm tired, I will sleep.

This is not to say that man/woman was more "good" or "pure" in nature, but rather that when they did fight it was out of natural instinct and not done for political gain or some other selfish benefit.

For example, in The Count of Monte Cristo, crown prosecutor Villefort has Edmond Dantes arrested for treason. The real reason Dantes was placed in jail? Because he had knowledge of potentially damning information, information about Villefort's father that could ruin his career.

Rousseau argued that such things would not happen in nature. In other words, Villefort and Dantes would only have fought in the circumstance where Dantes was trying to go for the same rabbit for his supper as Villefort. But this conflict/fight would thus arise naturally.

Politics is a dirty business. Backroom dealings, arguing and throwing the blame at others, criticizing people. Sounds a lot like a bunch of teenagers to be quite honest.

This stuff has permeated the CBC contest NGPM. One need only look at the forum and some of the debates/criticism going on. One candidate seems to have it out for everybody and is attacking other candidates' policies left and right. (pun intended)

I can't bring myself to engage in debates with these people. One reason, because they are simply never-ending. Everyone knows a person or persons who are impossibly stubborn and would argue that water boils at -5 degrees C if they had to. (no doubt some smartass person out there is going to comment on this and say that indeed, yes, water does boil at -5 degrees C under the following circumstances:...)

Je m'en fout! I don't care. I'm too polite to be a politician.

And the sad thing is that these people don't often know how to do a good day's work on the farm or at the meat shop. They're the sort of people who are always talking, complaining or voicing some other concern. Can you see your MP mopping floors or doing dishes? Heck no.

Nope. I've decided that that's it. I'll work the next three years at the meat shop or in some other no-nonsense blue-collar job where apples are apples and oranges are oranges and then when I've obtained my education, I'll go teach those who ask questions instead of constantly throwing out accusations, who aren't whiny but often are very keen to learn and work, who listen when spoken to. Those who - stand no more than 4 and a half feet tall? Yes. Grade school kids.

The trials of a grade four classroom are nothing when compared to those I would find in the House of Commons. Working in a more mature, productive, and educated environment I'd find much more satisfaction. I'm too polite to be a politician.