Here's the thing. We, as a nation, elect people to high office to represent us. To do what we want them to do. We understand that we're a bit busy with our lives, with work, bringing up our kids, the garden, etc. and so we're willing to pay people to do the work of governing which we haven't the time or, frankly, the will to do. We can't really be arsed to sort out the litter collection or the roads or the health service or the protection of our shores, or the legal arbitration of our wrongdoings. We know that we need these things to be sorted out in order for us to have a fair, just and equitable society in which to live, but we're not able to devote the necessary time to make it work.
We have other things to do. Lives to lead.
But we do realise that this is important stuff. It needs to happen if we are to provide for people who are vulnerable or needy. People who are sick or in need of care. People who need to eat but can't work to earn their 'daily bread'. That could easily be us but for the grace of God (whoever He is). So we're happy to pay an amount of our income in order to absolve ourselves of having to do this mundane shit. And by that I mean 'mundane shit' to us, but really important stuff to others, I'm not belittling it.
And joyfully there are people who are willing to do this stuff for us. Of course we have to pay them for their time - and that's only right - but these people will take care of all this shit that we don't have time for and do a good job and will, themselves earn a decent living out of that task.
They're not wealth creators. They don't grow food to feed us or make things that make our lives better, but they are, nonetheless, valuable members of our society. They are, in many ways, the people whose work allows us to get on with the job of creating wealth, feeding ourselves. Perhaps enjoying our lives a little, after we have provided for our families. We might enjoy other, slightly more trivial human endeavours like sport or the arts. Some of the things that make life worth living; that provide some joy and entertainment as a bonus and a fullfillment of our lives.
Something that takes us out of our drudgery and allows us some respite from the constant battle for survival.
This does not happen because of the people we employ to do this shit we haven't the time for, but they are part of the system that makes this possible. And we should, therefore, be grateful to them.
And we call them 'public servants' and that includes our elected representatives as well as 'professional' civil servants who actually do the work we want them to do for us.
So far so good?
The thing is, that when these people - who we have employed to take care of the shit that we can't be arsed to do - start to tell us how to live our lives. Start to be the ones making the decisions about how we are governed, start to pass laws that we're not involved in creating; start to dictate what we do and how we live, have the power to do things that we might not agree with. Spy on what we're doing: Then we seem to have created a bit of a monster. We have the tail wagging the dog.
We have the 'servants' we were willing to pay to do our messy shit, actually starting to run our lives. And whilst they continue to tell us that we are in control, that they are doing our bidding and they are working in our interests. Are they really?
Or have we actually acceded power to these people who were not good enough to be wealth ceators but are now running our lives?
Do we really want number crunchers, administrators, second-rate fuckwits running the thing?
I think it's time we took control back. That we, who employ these people to do stuff for us, actually have a say in what they do. It all seems a bit arse about face at the moment.
You may have other ideas of course.
It's a free country. Maybe.
Thanks for reading.
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