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RedDeerGuy1's avatar

What are some good, and bad reasons to go into politics?

Asked by RedDeerGuy1 (24987points) 4 hours ago

From city council, to head of state?

Humor welcome.

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8 Answers

elbanditoroso's avatar

If you’re an idealist, you go into politics because you think you can improve the world.

If you’re like most politicians, you go into politics for power, or money, or prestige, or all three.

The problem is that once you’re elected, you are beholden to others (fund raisers, people who made promises to you, people who you promised things to) and so you end up prostituting yourself to be reelected and continue having power, money, and prestige.

Two central tenets:

1) All politicians are liars. You have to be in order to be elected.

2) All politicians are corrupt in their own way.

Once you get past those central points, some of them are nice people.

zenvelo's avatar

Many people get in to politics at the most basic level because they think they can effect change. But even the most magnanimous change is still for the benefit of the person initiating it.

seawulf575's avatar

I went into supervision because I was tired of them putting the exact wrong people in as supervisors. I figured I knew what the problems were, how the systems worked and could be a better supervisor than the dregs they had used. I would imagine a decision to go into politics would a similar thing.

flutherother's avatar

Anyone who believes that “the conclusions of ethics are the premises of politics” is getting off to a good start.

Anyone who loves power should never be a politician.

RedDeerGuy1's avatar

@flutherother I don’t understand your first quote, but It sounds profound and cool. Can you dum it down a tic?

flutherother's avatar

It’s a quote so it loses a bit if dumbed down too much. Let’s just say that politicians should keep in mind what is moral especially when they are dealing with high explosives.

RedDeerGuy1's avatar

@flutherother
How about:

“The road to Hell is paved with good intentions?”
Or:

“We are here from the government to help?”

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