Well very busy with work and politics but took some time out to go to the Tate Modern (with my long suffering beautiful partner Sarah Farrow 'a goddess I am not worthy of' ((she dictates most of these blogs...well all the bits about communism and drug taking), great fun because we saw Gilbert and George being interviewed for TV. Art is essential political stimulation (well this sounds narrow and instrumental..but thinking about a different way of being to save the planet and liberate us, needs a bit of art).
Impressed by 'United Enemies', from Thomas Schütte, (details here)some nasty waxy looking heads representing the corrupt politicians of the different political parties in Italy in the post war period. Socialist, Christian Democrats and Liberals were all on the take, party politics provided the rent, the pension and the rest.
Sadly politics is 99% about egos, personal advance and a bit of spare cash....Robert Michels called it the 'iron law of oligarchy...this is what the wiki oracle says:
Leaders also have control over very powerful negative and positive sanctions to promote the behavior that they desire. They have the power to grant or deny raises, assign workloadMost important, they tend to promote junior officials who share their opinions, with the result that the oligarchy becomes self-perpetuating. Therefore the very nature of large-scale organization makes oligarchy within these organizations inevitable. Bureaucracy, by design, promotes the centralization of power in the hands of those at the top of the organization. [4]s, fire, demote and — that most gratifying of all sanctions — the power to promote.
More from wiki here on the iron law.
Leaders and elected officials work for pay and power because they feel they are worth it!
Corruption follows....the law may not be absolutely absolute but unless it is acknowledged any institution is likely to be sucked in, these things start small but end up all too visible.
Great fun to update, watching Newsnight with reports on MPs travel expenses...chris Huhne Lib dem envi guy described on channel 4 politics awards, last week, as an 'eco warrior' by Lembit Opik (checky fame) has clocked up £1,000s on his car travel.
Shocking but let us as greens beware the same slide...a bit of pension help, a bit of justification for our good works but where will it stop.
Modesty, please! Especially all those who aspire to lead.
This entry took me 20 minutes...now how much do I get an hour?
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