Question of the Day
2005 February 22
Can one who truly desires to serve the public become a politician, or can one only be elected if said person has a strong predisposition towards self-aggrandizement?
This, I think, is the main flaw with our system (and perhaps most systems) of government. It seems that you are almost required to be a shameless self-promoter in order to be elected. But that is not a trait I want in my elected official. I want a person who puts her constituency ahead of her own personal desires for fame/fortune/re-election/what-have-you. A person that truly wants to make things better for people. Is that too much to ask?
I can’t recall the title but I once read a short story based on the premise that after understanding the corrupting nature of politics, officials were chosen to serve randomly. The kicker was that to be qualified to serve, your psych analysis had to prove that you DIDN’T WANT to serve. The idea was that anyone who wanted elected office was bound to have ulterior motives.
The term was familiar, but I couldn’t come up with a definition for Haiduc. Fortunately we have the web! Now I know what it means…or at least one meaning…