"trust me" Kaa (Jungle Book)

Image of a politician? Think Jungle Book. Think Kaa. Wide mesmerising eyes, hypnotic sway, hissing promises and constant sibilant echo "truuuust me". So who are we supposed to trust? Bush backed Blair contingent with pointy shiny shoes? Or the other trumpeted election calls? Do they actually care about the country and the world, and are their motives genuine and unselfish?

Frankly I don't trust politicians. (that's probably obvious!). In today's context a "politician" is synonymous with "smooth walker sweet talker". Election politics has changed over the years into a media constructed debacle where one sees politicians and their polished manifestos generally through the filter of the media. Election campaigns are as carefully planned and sophisticated as blockbuster movies in terms of effect and success. This no doubt means we see the politicians "made up" in more ways than one. What we get are smoothened, refined, planned delivery, with many takes, cuts and edits. We rarely get politicians "live".

So what do we do with the edited politics of today? Our suave smiling polite politicians? Genuine politics can only come out of an altruistic desire to serve people but one wonders if there is such a thing as altruism in the heart of a politician. An ancient example still shines vividly. Standing at the height of his success and popularity in public, John the Baptist says with humility (of Christ) "He must increase and I must decrease". Perhaps the analogy might appear odd. But here is humility and altruism that modern politicians know nothing about; a leadership without self seeking moitves and sans any desire for glory and recognition, without any desire except to serve people and God. I hope there comes a day when we might see raised up, a man, of principles and humility, with a heart for people and the world.

But on a final note...Machiavelli's The Prince presents such a difficult dilemma. An altruistic honest politician, according to him, is nothing but a suicidal bid for extinction