What is politics about and why should we vote?

I know many people are very disenchanted and disengaged with politics and I  can understand why. There are many things which have a huge credibility gap between what they should be and what they actually are.
Politics is definitely one of these. I want to talk about what politics SHOULD BE.

Politics is about using resources, money and services in a way which benefits the greatest number of people. It is about protecting the rights of those who are weak and vulnerable. It should seek a global view of actions and consequences, so that a local plan can fit within the bigger picture. It tries to balance the needs and desires of individuals so that the happiness of one is not gained at the expense of others.

Politics isn't just a theory. It needs committed people on the ground. We call those people 'politicians' and put them in a different category. They are no longer ordinary citizens. They join a class of people like comedians, only they are less funny and more ridiculed. We talk as if politics is removed from everyday life and irrelevant. Many people can't be bothered to vote when it comes to polling day.

I think this is a great blindness, which will hurt us all.

No one would get on a ship and say, "Well it doesn't really matter who is in charge, I'm sure we will get there anyway."

No one, joining a company, would consider the managers irrelevant to the success of the venture.

Even within families, we recognise that good parenting is much better than weak or neglectful parenting, leading to better outcomes for the children.

Why then do so many people think that it doesn't matter who is making decisions about the country?

Politicians are not all the same and it really does matter who is deciding about resources and services, about rights and responsibilities, about our place in the global picture.

In my voting life, I have voted for almost every mainstream party. Some would say that I am crazy not to stick with one party. But I want someone with integrity, a commitment to service, humility and fairness to be making decisions on behalf of me, my family and my neighbours.

Just be glad you're not a politician!

I guess it is a lot easier to make popular decisions when there is money in the kitty to spend. There are a whole load of politicians caught between a rock and a hard place by the current economic conditions.
Unpopular decisions of the year so far include changing the way that welfare benefits rise each year. They have been tied to inflation thus far, but suddenly someone has realised that benefits have risen with inflation over the past 3 or so years, whilst wages have either been frozen or made very small gains, below the level of inflation. "It's not fair," someone cries- and maybe it isn't. We have all got used to a reasonable sized slice of the cake and now that the cake is smaller, we all want to argue that our slice should stay the same size. The only trouble is that that means that someone else's slice must get smaller!
If you were a politician, what would you do? If you please the education lobby, you will have to disappoint health, or roads, or funding for the arts........ 
It's not popular to feel sorry for politicians, but I do. They cannot win. If they give in to all the different special interest groups, the country will be bankrupt and everyone will lose. If they make tough choices, there will always be a significant chunk of the population who disagree with them and think they should have chosen differently!
Another tough choice has been the stance to take on those claiming benefit because they are unable to work. Many people are incensed because of stories publicised by the media of benefit cheats who take advantage of loopholes to claim benefit when they could work. This has led to an unpopular assessment system which has seen many vulnerable people being told that they are able to work and that their benefit is being stopped. Criticism of the heartless way in which the frail and ill are being treated is growing, especially as people see their own friends and relatives being targeted.

Can there be a way through this economic and moral maze? I am sure that economically we will emerge eventually in a more stable place than we are in at present. What seems inevitable is that there will be winners and losers as politicians make their decisions. Unless we, as individuals, are prepared to uphold the rights of others and not just look to our own self interest, poverty, abuse, cruelty and disease will strengthen their grip on our nation(s). 

A man shows his humanity when he sacrifices his own desires for the welfare of others.