Politics Has Nothing to Do with Idealism

Politicians have not always been associated with diplomatic chicanery, amoral pragmatism and self-aggrandization, the way they tend to be now. There was a time when leaders like Abraham Lincoln sounded the clarion call for democracy, and pleaded as Woodrow Wilson did in his Fourteen Points for world peace and mutual respect. Since the twin horrors of World War I and World War II, as well as various crises like Vietnam, however, the masses have become increasingly disillusioned. Eurostat surveys found that when asked whose interests European governments were serving, an overwhelming majority replied they were serving their own. Voter turnout throughout the democratic world has reached an all-time low, reflecting a sense that politics is increasingly characterized by self-serving amorality. Indeed, the term "politics" can be discussed on many levels, including the domestic as well as international. To take an objective view with regards to the question of whether politics is about noble aspirations or pragmatic self-interest, we must bear in mind that it is not easy to generalize because of the plethora of situations that exist today. Furthermore, we have to question: has politics been burdened with an unfair responsibility too heavy to bear?…