HONESTY IN POLITICS
Australians went to
the
polls last weekend. Either the current Prime Minister would remain in
power or the opposition leader would be voted in. That was to be the
clearest outcome and one we had grown used to as a nation. One wins,
one loses.
Watching the circus they both created in the lead up to the election left many citizens totally unsurprised by the outcome. Their behaviour is not unlike that of other countries in recent times either.
In order to convince voters to lean their way, they put everything into bringing their opposition down. More energy was put into bagging the other party than it was in exposing any of their own policies and strengths.
A week on and the role of who will be Prime Minister of Australia for the next term remains undecided, the count was too close with no clearly defined winner.
What is clear though is that neither party will now rule outright. Included in the decision making for the country for the next term are now the minor party, The Greens, and some independents. Whoever 'wins' this election will not have sole power, but must negotiate and listen to the minor parties. The people have spoken through their votes.
This is a hugely significant change to politics in this country. But it is happening everywhere. The old tactics of power grabbing, lies and of policies based purely on economics are no longer working.
What is starting to work is honesty, integrity, compassion and unification. It is a slow change, definitely, but it is happening. We are evolving more and more at last. The values of society are shifting back to what is truly important. The heart is being heard again, not just the intellect.
It is a slow change yes. The major parties are still the major parties, with policies based on economics, power and little regard to the planet that sustains us. But they are not ruling as a total monopoly anymore. They must defer to the minor parties and independents to get changes approved these days. This is a huge and positive shift for the running of the country and a sign of consciousness amongst the voters.
Perhaps it is too idealist to imagine that before too long, honesty will work completely in politics. While I think that many people, and perhaps most, enter politics with good intentions, the temptation of power sees many good people lose their own vision. Too much ego and enjoyment of power often ends up driving them forward, rather than the heartfelt desire to do well.
There are others who enter politics with their heart totally in the right place, but are brought down by the system of power and lies. One such high profile musician entered politics a few years ago. He had had numerous musical hits, all politically based on justice and equality and was well loved by the people of his generation. We have since watched him slain by the people he tried to work with. Their combined values were just too different. Again, politicians have sought to destroy others in order to validate their own worth and power.
It takes an incredibly strong person and team to work from a place of honesty and integrity in politics and thankfully, it is these people who are now starting to hold the balance of power in Australia.
If politicians were truly honest with themselves, which is what they must be before they can ever be honest with their people, they would approach politics from a much better place, from their heart.
Every action we do, thought we have or word we speak is based on either love or fear. Other emotions may be involved too, but they are only sub-categories of either love or fear.
It is only fear that I have observed propelling the motives of the two major contenders, in this recent election. I followed it all, like many did, with curiosity. I also followed it with compassion. It certainly takes thick skin to work in politics, or in any public arena.
But rather than ignoring the slander from the other party and continuing to act from a place of integrity and truth, both major parties jumped into the ring and fought it out in the most desperate of ways, blindly swinging out at each other. That it was so fear driven is why I couldn't help but watch it with compassion.
And those who worked from a place of honesty and integrity, which are both versions of love, now hold more influence in the country than could have ever been predicted.
The final outcome of the country's leader is still being determined. But one thing is certain; with the balance of power now being held by non-major parties, honesty has at last infiltrated the Australian political system.
Perhaps the major parties were unable to draw on any compassion for their people throughout their race to the top. But watching them ruled by their fears alone, they have certainly ignited compassion in this writer.
Buddha said, "The mind knows no answers. The heart knows no questions". In time, the heart will always eventually win.
It is a slow change yes. There is no denying this. But there is certainly positive change afoot in politics the world over.
The people are no longer accepting the word of those in power but are questioning things more and more, thankfully having more influence in the eventual outcomes.
It may only be a tiny pilot light of hope, but it is burning and getting brighter every day, all around the world. Honesty is breaking through, honesty and hope.
And as a sage, Bob Dylan, once wisely observed, "The times they are a-changing". Indeed they are Bob and thank goodness for that.
The image used in this story remains the property of BigStockPhoto or its content providers or other third parties and is protected by copyright. Furthermore, trademarks and copyrights of the subject matter depicted in the images are subject to protection by intellectual property laws.
Watching the circus they both created in the lead up to the election left many citizens totally unsurprised by the outcome. Their behaviour is not unlike that of other countries in recent times either.
In order to convince voters to lean their way, they put everything into bringing their opposition down. More energy was put into bagging the other party than it was in exposing any of their own policies and strengths.
A week on and the role of who will be Prime Minister of Australia for the next term remains undecided, the count was too close with no clearly defined winner.
What is clear though is that neither party will now rule outright. Included in the decision making for the country for the next term are now the minor party, The Greens, and some independents. Whoever 'wins' this election will not have sole power, but must negotiate and listen to the minor parties. The people have spoken through their votes.
This is a hugely significant change to politics in this country. But it is happening everywhere. The old tactics of power grabbing, lies and of policies based purely on economics are no longer working.
What is starting to work is honesty, integrity, compassion and unification. It is a slow change, definitely, but it is happening. We are evolving more and more at last. The values of society are shifting back to what is truly important. The heart is being heard again, not just the intellect.
It is a slow change yes. The major parties are still the major parties, with policies based on economics, power and little regard to the planet that sustains us. But they are not ruling as a total monopoly anymore. They must defer to the minor parties and independents to get changes approved these days. This is a huge and positive shift for the running of the country and a sign of consciousness amongst the voters.
Perhaps it is too idealist to imagine that before too long, honesty will work completely in politics. While I think that many people, and perhaps most, enter politics with good intentions, the temptation of power sees many good people lose their own vision. Too much ego and enjoyment of power often ends up driving them forward, rather than the heartfelt desire to do well.
There are others who enter politics with their heart totally in the right place, but are brought down by the system of power and lies. One such high profile musician entered politics a few years ago. He had had numerous musical hits, all politically based on justice and equality and was well loved by the people of his generation. We have since watched him slain by the people he tried to work with. Their combined values were just too different. Again, politicians have sought to destroy others in order to validate their own worth and power.
It takes an incredibly strong person and team to work from a place of honesty and integrity in politics and thankfully, it is these people who are now starting to hold the balance of power in Australia.
If politicians were truly honest with themselves, which is what they must be before they can ever be honest with their people, they would approach politics from a much better place, from their heart.
Every action we do, thought we have or word we speak is based on either love or fear. Other emotions may be involved too, but they are only sub-categories of either love or fear.
It is only fear that I have observed propelling the motives of the two major contenders, in this recent election. I followed it all, like many did, with curiosity. I also followed it with compassion. It certainly takes thick skin to work in politics, or in any public arena.
But rather than ignoring the slander from the other party and continuing to act from a place of integrity and truth, both major parties jumped into the ring and fought it out in the most desperate of ways, blindly swinging out at each other. That it was so fear driven is why I couldn't help but watch it with compassion.
And those who worked from a place of honesty and integrity, which are both versions of love, now hold more influence in the country than could have ever been predicted.
The final outcome of the country's leader is still being determined. But one thing is certain; with the balance of power now being held by non-major parties, honesty has at last infiltrated the Australian political system.
Perhaps the major parties were unable to draw on any compassion for their people throughout their race to the top. But watching them ruled by their fears alone, they have certainly ignited compassion in this writer.
Buddha said, "The mind knows no answers. The heart knows no questions". In time, the heart will always eventually win.
It is a slow change yes. There is no denying this. But there is certainly positive change afoot in politics the world over.
The people are no longer accepting the word of those in power but are questioning things more and more, thankfully having more influence in the eventual outcomes.
It may only be a tiny pilot light of hope, but it is burning and getting brighter every day, all around the world. Honesty is breaking through, honesty and hope.
And as a sage, Bob Dylan, once wisely observed, "The times they are a-changing". Indeed they are Bob and thank goodness for that.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The image used in this story remains the property of BigStockPhoto or its content providers or other third parties and is protected by copyright. Furthermore, trademarks and copyrights of the subject matter depicted in the images are subject to protection by intellectual property laws.
