Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Politicians and Philanthropy

When a politician announces they will donate all or part of their salary, it's usually a publicity stunt. Don't fall for it. Do your research. They merely want to get 6m Likes on FB. If they are so much of a social philanthropist, why even stand for a political post? In any case, their real competition is all those millions of selfless workers and volunteers who are giving their lives for the poor, and the country, and asking for nothing in return. Not definitely a place on the Time magazine cover. And by politicians trying to wear the hat of a social worker, they are helping shadow the contributions of the volunteer force, and making them insignificant over time. Why would that be? Because a political post has one thing that a volunteer doesn't. And that is power.

They (the politicians) are not willing to give up their power, are they? After all, why would they? Because that is the first thing that has attracted them on front stage in front of the CNN camera. Now anything noble they say on camera goes into history as waves of philanthropic wisdom. Indelibly branded in letters of fire on the hearts of the ill-informed. Having said that, I don't mean to diminish anyone's contributions, even if they are just words. But I instead challenge them to live up to their promise of selfless service for the people. Because, it's the people who have helped formed this government, and other democratic governments. The people are "higher" than any individual with power or a mic, more so, money.

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