What drives today’s politicians?
Indeed, what are the drivers for many who aspire to top positions in Public Service?
If current media coverage (and speculation) around the Miliband brothers, and their ‘fight’ for the Labour Party leadership is to be believed, I am worried but not surprised…
BBC News: David Miliband is expected to make a statement later about his future, amid growing speculation he will quit front-line politics. (Read more)
Don’t you think it strange how someone, who is (apparently) so committed to his beliefs and causes can, suddenly take the juvenile approach of throwing his ‘teddy out of the cot’ route to his political future? Did he really have the inherent social interests he professed to have in the first place?
BBC News: New Labour leader Ed Miliband has said he will get married, but political events have so far “got in the way”. (Read more)
Is the sudden development surrounding the importance of ‘family values‘ and social moral issues a genuine change in personal belief or, simply action taken to court popularity in the wake of public condemnation? After all, popularity wins prizes, doesn’t it?
I am one of those people who is far more likely to respect and believe in someone who is able to maintain their personal values (irrespective of their politics). Someone who affords those values the same level of importance, irrespective of whatever life may throw at them.
How can you be expected to believe and trust in anyone who is prepared to adjust or bury their professed beliefs at the drop of a hat, often simply to court public popularity identified by opinion polls?
Does our society develop this level of cynicism or, is it naturally inherent?
Related Articles
- Miliband to announce future plans (bbc.co.uk)
- Ed Miliband tells Labour conference: We are the optimists (guardian.co.uk)
- Miliband Backs Need To Cut U.K. Deficit (online.wsj.com)
- Labour Party Conference: David Miliband ‘criticises’ Ed’s Iraq War comment (telegraph.co.uk)
- Ed MIliband buries New Labour (telegraph.co.uk)
- David Miliband: Will he stay in politics? (bbc.co.uk)
- Ten facts about Ed Miliband (telegraph.co.uk)
Dave's Bankside Babble 
The question at the end is very interesting MrG. Politicians seem to subscribe to ‘born again’ religion in some way. We may make very deep mistakes indeed in trying to judge ‘internal virtue’, as we are no better than a tossed coin in spotting liars. Statistical methods could help but instead we lie with them – and actually understand so little about them we can’t see how bad the work in most published police stats and so on is in terms of methods used. It is perhaps less that politicians re-invent themselves, and more that we can’t remember enough to work out what they are doing to us through the promises they make.
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I suppose in many ways, we can all be guilty of courting approval from or family, our peers and our freinds at some point in our life. After all, isn’t it actually the fundamental nature of the human beast? Much is dependant on our personal levels of self belief and self confidence, coupled with the importance we place on the actual impact our actions/omissions have on others.
I like many prefer it when people like me (or at least accept me) however, if they don’t, it as actually just as much their loss as it is mine!
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