I JUST LOVE POLITICS !!
- 21/ 8/ 2012 <--Prev : Next-->
I love politics, especially when I am not involved in them. With offspring the world over, resulting in frequent visits to them to keep sane, we have learned to encompass politics in the strangest places.
We gave up Zim politics at the last election in 2008, having been enthusiastic supporters for many years for the good of the country, but then we found out the hard way that its a lot safer to dabble in other countries' politics!!
Politics are so amazingly diverse from country to country, but no matter which country you are in, politics stink, it's just the depth that varies!!
With a daughter currently residing in Kenya, we are quite used to endless political commentary from every single local taxi driver, and trust me in Nairobi you spend a lot of time in taxis!! The Kenyans are all zealously political animals. There are so many different factions or tribes, 52 to be exact and so political contenders for the forth-coming election are many and varied, while electioneering is in full swing with all party contenders.
Its really awfully exciting listening to the current taxi driver, extolling the virtues of his favorite presidential candidate, they are so convincing and so eloquent in their devotion to their candidate, I almost wish I could vote in Kenya !!
USA politics are just as invigorating; here they have really only two main parties to my simple mind. It would appear in the USA you are either a Democrat or a Republican. If you are a republican apparently you watch Fox and you listen to the Michael Savage and Glen Beck talk shows. If you are a democrat you follow Michael Moore and Al Gore and watch CNN !!
I love the cut and thrust of American politics, you can say what you like about whomever you like (or dislike). You can derogate, denigrate, slate and verbally slap anyone, even the president; it is totally anathema to us who are unused to any form of civil liberty.
We listen to the different USA parties absolutely crucifying the opposition verbally. We cringe in horror and look behind us, where one would expect a government spy to be listening, but thanks to the Fifth Amendment, freedom of speech in the USA is absolutely phenomenal.
South African politics of course are thrust down our throats interminably as we scan ENEWS looking for sight and sounds of one of our offspring. eNewsAfrica (or eNCA as it is now known in the UK !!) is not scared of politicians and goes for the political jugular often.
They are not quite as brazen as their USA counterparts but there is, I am pleased to say, still a fair modicum of free speech in SA. Long may it last but sadly as we speak, the media in SA are fighting for their libertarian lives with the Protection of State Information Bill or the Secrecy Bill as it is commonly known.
Somehow South African politics is more, well colorful than other nations, as their politicians shimmy and shake with gay and rhythmic abandon, shout and sing louder than the rest of the world, and make one shake ones heads in amazement at their ululations and gyrations, while their imaginary machine guns flail about menacingly !!
Anyhow back to Zim politics, who cares who is in power, as long as they create jobs for our 98% unemployed folk and let us live in peace and harmony in the land of our birth that we all love so much.
