For the sake of delivering my point, metaphorically, let’s start with some artistic visualization of something we’re looking at; a green drape lying peacefully all over the extent of the plain (how’s that for an artistic start, God help the one who continues reading). Colored flowers, 18 colors to be exact (I hope you know what I mean by the number 18), breach the uniformity of the green landscape. Some colors are more abundant than others, but each in their appropriate place forming a brilliant mosaic (yeah yeah the cliché that should apply on those 18). Moreover, some mountains are surgically positioned to show the magnificence of the image itself. Now that’s too peaceful and artistic, so to add thrill to this post there’s a volcano (now that’s one multi-purpose metaphor) just on the edge of this landscape. You're free to choose the volcano's severity; a level 8 perhaps? A level 14 might suit it better? A level X?
Such a landscape needs to be taken care of. We’re too busy with our everyday lives, we delegate, let’s get someone to take "care" of it!
The person(s) we made responsible of it (the image) doesn’t lack taste neither. Since they call the SHOTS now and we’re too busy with our own lives (especially the multi-colored flowers thing, it can be so distracting), they decide to add stuff there, just to get a SHARE of the overall work. They started to shuffle the colors (damn, now we’re even more distracted with this thing), add some trees (nice touch), a bridge maybe... But something jumps out… They’re adding a lot why not start their changes by REMOVING that volcano lying there?
Now IF they were doing the adding, it would be somehow easy to forget about that volcano but knowing the sarcasm of life, instead of adding, they're removing (everything except that volcano)… They suck the life out of it! But we’re too busy with the flowers thingy so let’s just hire them again. It takes time finding replacements, it’s scary to have to change...There’s this flower colors thing we’re too busy with for now!!
Let’s just blame them and make them give us promises that they’re going to change … Yeah this would be much more suitable if we don’t want to blame ourselves!!
Now… Do you get the BIG picture?
2 comments:
Interesting use of a metaphor, you made it look so beautiful, especially with this weather!
I think some complex things are best explained by metaphors. I don't have too much knowledge of current or past political events. But I am familiar with the 'dynamics' aspect of it. Representation is at the core of democracy. Of course, with one vote = one value.
Some argued that only the most educated should be able to represent, since the mass is usually not as knowledgeable. However, others claimed that this strengthens 'elites' and that those who are chosen do not represent a microcosm of the society.
In addition, there are different models of representation - these were brought forth by Heywood - that 'most' agree on, namely trusteeship; when you elect a person to make choices for you, delegation; when you elect a person to act on your behalf following a set of rules, mandate; basically when votes go to a political party based on their mandate - and program, and resemblance; when you elect someone based on how much they are culturally / socially like you. All of these have limitations and Lebanon is a country where one can point out so many different principles and definitions overlapping.
I believe all types of representations have limitations. Much like what you said, we are 'too busy' or 'think those things don't directly affect us', and so we relay. I totally agree that if we would all take more responsibility - given that it is for the general good - we would be helping those we put forth - as an extension - as well as establishing a proper system of checks and balances. I think we do have a somewhat high level of responsiveness, especially in the young who have not decided to become numb yet.
While all this is all fine and dandy, a different problem resides in what makes for our political socialization. Politics is a loaded term, and much more so in a rather small territory, where so many colors, at different points, are either tempting, or tainting.
Thank you for a rich and fruitful comment. You simplified the way people choose their representatives... I wish any of the above do apply on the people here in a country where as u stated is full of colors. We walk in the streets where people curse those we "delegate" (coz we dnt mandate in my opinion in this country) but still when it's time to decide, we re-elect the same people. I guess Winston Churchill was right when he said "Democracy is the worst form of governments except all the others that have been tried", looking at the Lebanese political model got me to understand that Democracy is bad coz when someone knows which buttons to push, they will definitely succeed in preserving their self interest rather than their people/country's interest!
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