Years ago a friend, who I'll call "they", asked if they should run for politics, ostensibly because they wanted to make the world better.
This person is actually, truly a very good, smart, well-meaning person who I have always had a tremendous amount of respect for.
In response to the question from they, I laughed, very jadedly.
I said something along the lines of: "You don't get anything done in politics. You thanklessly do as your told, and probably won't accomplish a whole lot. It'll be an uphill battle, and very few will respect anything you do get done, but lots of people will scold you - even just for trying."
"If you want to really affect change, join a non-profit or start an NGO."
Frankly, I'm not sure if that's everything I said, and exactly how I said it - but that's how I'm going to remember it.
They ran anyway. They ran hard. They fought hard. And, almost a little to my surprise - they won. And they deserved the victory.
They had all the right intentions, motivation, energy, and enthusiasm. They were full of ideas - some of which sounded really great to me, and some of which I disagreed with.
I tacitly supported my friend, because they was a long-time friend, and I wanted they to succeed.
They is not running again this time.
My last conversation with they went like this...
"Was I right about what I said about politics back when you told me you were interested in running ... or is this just a lull in your global domination plans?"
They responded...
"I can't remember what you said."
"If it was something to do with the general population being bitchy, ungrateful shits and not deserving of my blood, sweat and tears, then yes."
Because It's 2018
This is the world we live in today. Good people try to do good things, and this toxic soup we've made grinds them down and spits them out.
But... "If you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen?" Right? Right?!
Free Speech vs. Threats and Slander
Make no mistake, you are entitled to your opinions, and to vehemently argue them. Free speech is being threatened today like never before, and we must ardently defend it.
What you are not entitled to do is make threats or slander. Yet, this routinely happens online. All. The. Time.
And we all know that the social networks cannot police it very well - and, when they do police it, they don't do it very consistently. (That's another article.)
Abuse and Bad Behaviour
There’s an in-between zone as well - somewhere between rude and abusive. You can be this way - it's not illegal. But there was a time when this sort of behaviour was at least collectively frowned upon.
People would recognize you as an asshole. And most people don't want to be known as an asshole.
It seems like not nearly enough people frown upon bad behaviour any more.
Toxic, abusive behaviour has gone from being bad to being celebrated, and outright encouraged not just by the digital mob, but by people we might have previous expected better behaviour from - like other politicians, community leaders, and - worst of all - your otherwise nice seeming neighbour that you added to Facebook a few years ago after chatting about the beautiful plants you grew in your garden.
The keyboard has shielded people from the social impact there used to be for being an asshole, so now everyone is an asshole.
Public Service?
This uncivil behaviour, along with the unrepudiated threats and slander, all amplified by the unfiltered and semi-anonymous Internet, leads decent, well-meaning people to make a very sensible choice - to NOT enter public life.
This leaves the public service as free, open and welcoming territory for cruel, corrupt and heartless egomaniacs. (See if you can think of any specific examples.)
There's another phenomenon too, which I've witnessed a number of times in 30 years of politics ... that is that person that starts out as a well-meaning visionary leader, and ends up corrupt, power-hungry, egomaniacal, and sociopathic.
In politics, you might call those people the survivors.
Think about it ... If you were working your ass off at a job that you got into to “make the world a better place”, then realized the world isn't becoming that much of a better place because of you (as evidenced by the digital mob), and you took daily shit and abuse from strangers (again, the digital mob) simply because you exist - I think that could change you.
Even the most well-meaning, well-adjusted person would certainly feel far less inspired to “change the world” after putting up with that bullshit for awhile.
Stop Being An Asshole
So, please... Think about this next time you write some nasty comment online - even to a politician. They are also people, with lives, families, etc.
You don't like it when "they" do it to your people, so stop doing it to their people.
Or keep being an asshole ... if you like soulless, heartless sociopaths running your country.