Is it Real or Just for Show?

I was reading in the Washington Post this morning about a new movement in India where many citizens are calling into question the true motivations of their government leaders who have continued to take advantage of their status as a "V-VIP" (or very very important person) by flying first class and staying in five-star resorts whenever they travel. What is raising some ire among citizens in India is the fact that while the economy is still doing relatively well, it is not at the level that it was several years ago when such behavior on the part of leaders began to grow. Now many find it to be inappropriate and an unnecessary drain on the economy. As a result, many in the Indian public have been calling upon their government leaders to curb extravagant expectations and demand and become a little more grounded so that they can relate (or at least seem to relate) to their constituents.

One of the results has been that many leaders are now making attempts to show the public that they truly do care about the people they serve has been to relate to them. What this has meant in several cases is eating at local places or spending time with the public in a place where television access will mean the public not in attendance will be able to see how publicly minded some of these leaders are. Some have even gone so far as to start wearing homespun cotton clothing similar to the style of Gandhi during the Independence movement. To me what it all boils down to is that I am now cynical to the point that I don't wish to believe it simply becuase the likelihood of it being genuine are next to nothing.

But why stop in India? Never having lived there, my knowledge of Indian politics is spotty at best but I can certainly find ample examples within our own government. How many times will you see a politician (or any party) trying to show how well they relate to the general public by serving up grits at a Texas diner or eating a burger at a local place while in both cases the press is watching on and taking notes hoping to spin the tale that this politician is truly a 'common man'. I don't believe it. Not for one second. I have lived my entire life in Washington and I can probably count the number of times I've seen a major politician roaming the streets doing something relatively normal without tons of press hanging around as well. Sure I may not run in the same social circles as these folks but being in such close proximity to the seat of our government, you would think that I would have seen a few by now don't you think?

The fact of the matter is that all politicians, here and abroad, liberal or conservative, all are fighting for job security. Most leaders these days make their decisions based on what the popular opinion says is popular. There may be the occasional few who do truly believe in what they say or do but they are probably rarer than seeing the Loch Ness Monster on a sunny day. So then the question becomes are they truly supporting the cause because they believe it or because they think that's what will help get them elected at the next election? It's a very difficult question to honestly answer but I feel that it's the latter. Politicians of all shapes and sizes have flip-flopped on issues ranging from the simple to the complex if it meant getting more people to side with them.

What this means to me is that we'll never be able to figure out if a politician is telling the truth about what they feel about a certain subject or not. If we see a politician eating at McDonalds with the press present, then you can likely say that this is for show. But if you see the same politician in McDonalds even when there's no one else around, then you start to get the sense that maybe they truly do like McDonalds. Maybe then you can also relate to the politician more and then make an informed decision as to whether or not they deserve your support.