83. Because you need educating. Political essay 3. Why politics matters.

So you may be asking yourself, 'why are you still talking about this shit? There is nothing you can do now.'


I've got some news for you, so pay attention.

1. There is still plenty we can do; legally the referendum isn't binding. Due to the acute nature of the win it actually means about 70% of the population didn't vote for Brexit.

2. In the case of a snap election, people need to know the facts... because they sure as fuck didn't know them before!
They also need to be shown that promises from Leave were broken, or rather, never had the intention of being delivered, or just simply could not be delivered.
To quote IDS 'we never made commitments, just promises that were possibilities.'
Go fuck yourself.

3. We can stand up against prejudice and intolerance. Racism, Xenophobia and Homophobia (and all other types or prejudice) are not acceptable.
We do this and we rob the 'legitimacy' of hate crimes, violence, abuse and fascist tendencies.
Not only do people need to know that this type of behavior is right wing extremism, fascist in nature... but also, that it is actually happening. Right now.
Awareness is key.

So I will keep posting, simply because 'The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing' - Edmund Burke

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. Edmund Burke
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/e/edmundburk377528.html

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. Edmund Burke
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/e/edmundburk377528.html

Also, I've seen a general complaint about 'well your only a politician for a day... go back to liking X, Y and Z and shut up.'

No!
Go fuck yourself.

Politics matters.
Don't like politics? Tough shit.
It is probably one of the most important activities you take part in outside of eating, breathing and sleeping.
Even then it, governs some of those things too!

So, education lesson number 3.

Why politics matters.

Does Politics Matter? Why?

      Politics and the impact and influence it has is a frequently debated subject. Some political theorists

argue that Politics does not matter, stating that if everyone followed a singular ideology or set of rules of

how to live; such as a specific religion for example, Politics would cease to exist. Similarly Marxists believe

that if class differences ceased to exist, politics would be rendered useless. However other theorists argue

that Politics is an important part of human life; it is as a result of human nature's self interest and need for

cooperation that Politics exists. To make an informed decision on the weather Politics matters or not, it is

important to have a general understanding of a variety of theories of what Politics is and under what

circumstances Politics takes place.

           Adrian Leftwich is one theorist that attempts to define Politics. Leftwich draws upon the ideas of

Marxism, the rational choice model and the idea of governance to help define what Politics is. The rational

choice model suggests that everyone acts out of self interest. Politics exists as a result of agents perusing

"their interests in such a way to maximize their benefits and minimize their costs." (Leftwich, A., ‘Thinking

politically’, in Leftwich, A. (Ed). What is Politics? Polity Press: Cambridge, 2008; p.7), and at points it

can become more beneficial to cooperate with other agents, this in relation to the rational choice model is

Politics in essence. Marxism views Politics as a result of the power of respective classes trying to

advance their position in the class divide; weather it is the rich asserting their dominance or the poor trying

to close the gap. The idea of Governance for Leftwich "refers to general patterns of interlocking systems of

governing across both public and private spheres by which the overall social, economic and political life of a

society are organized and managed." (Leftwich, A., ‘Thinking politically’, in Leftwich, A. (Ed). What is

Politics? Polity Press: Cambridge, 2008; p.10) For Leftwich 'Governance' is not just the formal institutions of

government, but is a broader concept incorporating other institutions and agents; "I argue that politics

consists of all the activities of conflict (peaceful or not), negotiation and co-operation over the use and

distribution of resources, wherever they may be found, within or beyond formal institutions, on a global

level or within a family, involving two or more people." (Leftwich, A., ‘Thinking politically’, in Leftwich, A.

(Ed). What is Politics? Polity Press: Cambridge, 2008; p.15). For Leftwich Politics is extensive; it is about the

process of decision making and maintain society and is not limited to the public arena of institutions, but

can reach into the private sphere of corporate and even family life. This definition sees Politics as a

fundamental part of society. Politics matters because without it decisions do not happen, society is not

maintained and "tensions would emerge between different institutional spheres and goals, thereby

severely affecting the governing of the country." (Leftwich, A., ‘Thinking politically’, in Leftwich, A. (Ed).

What is Politics? Polity Press: Cambridge, 2008; p.12).

     Guy Peters also takes up the mantle of defining politics, suggesting that "Politics...refers fundamentally

to the relations of power and influence between states and their societies (and a more or less wide range

of interests within them), and in particular to that complex set of processes whereby governments come to

choose between a variety of collective goals for society and seek to implement them." (B. Guy Peters,

‘Politics is about governing’, in Leftwich, A. (Ed). What is Politics? Polity Press: Cambridge, 2008; p.25).

Peters implies that Politics is about Government; it takes place in Government institutions, where they

make decision that effect the whole of society This for Peteres sets these 'public' decisions apart from

those made in the 'private' sphere of thought such as families, companies and so on. The "defining feature

of Politics" for Peters is that "it is inextricably bound up in the relations of states and their citizens or

subjects, in making and implementing public policy, and how the two parties in this relationship affect each

other in the course of doing so." (B. Guy Peters, ‘Politics is about governing’, in Leftwich, A. (Ed). What is

Politics? Polity Press: Cambridge, 2008; p.25). Peters seems to suggest that where Government is absent,

there is no authority and no goals for society. This is why for Peters; politics is governing and governing

matters, as without it society ceases to exist. This ties into the idea that Politics is about power; "What

makes the government’s actions political … is not that they are general and public and may or do affect

everyone in society; after all, so are a manufacturer’s decisions when he fixes the prices of his products. 

The distinctive mark of a political action is that it can be enforced, because the government can coerce

people into obedience by the threat of physical force, and ultimately by using it." (Nicholson, P., ‘Politics

and the exercise of force’, in Leftwich, A. (Ed), What is Politics? Polity Press: Cambridge, 2008; p.45). This

idea suggests it's not what a government does, it's how it does is it, which Nicholson believes is through the

states use of legitimate violence. This idea is modified from the work of Max Weber; "A state is a human

community that (successfully) claims the monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force within a given

territory. Note that 'territory' is one of the characteristics of the state. Specifically, at the present time, the

right to use physical force is ascribed to other institutions or to individuals only to the extent to which the

state permits it. The state is considered the sole source of the 'right' to use violence. Hence, 'politics' for us

means striving to share power or striving to influence the distribution of power, either among states or

among groups within a state." (Weber, M., "Politics as Vocation, speech" -

http://www.ne.jp/asahi/moriyuki/abukuma/weber/lecture/politics_vocation.html). Here Politics is an

activity by a society or between societies; the groups of people within a said society do not 'do' politics, but

can become involved with it. Theorists such as Leftwich would argue that the problem with this definition is

that it is a far too 'narrow' conception of Politics.

      These definitions have certain preconditions for the circumstances under which politics takes place.

Primarily they both share the idea of disagreement. This idea of disagreement stems from the theory

developed between the 16th and 18th century referred to as the 'state of nature'; the human condition

without Politics/Government. The 'state of nature' sets down some fundamental assumptions about

human nature as a whole, one of which is that human beings or human societies are not perfectible. Gerry

Stoker puts this idea into perspective; "It is equally difficult always to be sure what is in someone's best

interests, so it seems impossible to establish a society where some interests do not clash....people will

make their own judgments about what is right for themselves..." (Stoker, G., 'Why Politics Matters, making

democracy work.' Palgrave Macmillan, 2006; p.4). The idea Stoker puts forward here is that it is in a human

beings nature to look out for their own best interest, however, it is also evident that as humans we have to

learn to live with each other, which means making compromises. This is what Stoker believes Politics

is; "Politics is constructed in order to express conflicts and allow different interests to shape our

collective endeavors...Politics is about trying to get what you want yourself, or alongside others, for a

common cause." (Stoker, G., 'Why Politics Matters, making democracy work.' Palgrave Macmillan, 2006;

p.4). Some theorists state there is a difference between public or 'Big P' politics and private or 'little p'

politics, Stoker admits that there are different sites or locations for politics, however in his eyes there is no

escape for politics as a whole; "we are human, we disagree and seek different things and we need politics

not only to express but also to manage those disagreements and if possible find ways to cooperate"

(Stoker, G., 'Why Politics Matters, making democracy work.' Palgrave Macmillan, 2006; p.5), which is why

on such a basic level is why politics is needed; "Politics matters because collective decisions matter."

(Stoker, G., 'Why Politics Matters, making democracy work.' Palgrave Macmillan, 2006; p.5).

              Whilst some theorists may say that politics can be seen as irrelevant in the long run; basing their

arguments on the utopian ideas of religion and the end of class based conflict in the ideals of Marxism, it is

fair to say that these ideas are, in reality, unconvincing. Whilst  human nature exists to fulfill its own

aspirations these inevitably clash with other members of society, or indeed societies as a whole; "...from

almost everyone...what happens in the wider society makes a huge difference to their ability to get a job,

access education or receive health care. What happens in the wider society matters to us all- and that

means politics matters too, because it is through politics that we can influence what happens in that wider

world." (Stoker, G., 'Why Politics Matters, making democracy work.' Palgrave Macmillan, 2006; p.5).

Politics; it's institutions at public and private level, through uses of debate or force, exists because human

 society needs it to achieve collective goals greater than the individual. Thomas Hobbes sums up a world

without Politics in Leviathan; "in such condition, there is no place for industry; because the fruit thereof is

uncertain; and consequently no culture of the earth; no navigation, nor use of the commodities that may

be imported by sea; no commodious building; no instruments of moving, and removing, such things as

require much force; no knowledge of the face of the earth; no account of time; no arts; no letters; no

society; and which is worst of all, continual fear, and danger of violent death; and the life of man, solitary,

poor, nasty, brutish, and short." (Hobbes, T., 'Leviathan' (1651). Without the guidance of cooperation, of

governance and government, an existence without collective goals for a 'greater good', human society

could not achieve anything greater than individual goals, and that selfishness would tear humanity apart.

"The moral precondition is that people need to recognize that it is normally better to conciliate differing

interests than to coerce and oppress them perpetually." (Crick, B., ‘Politics as a form of rule’, in Leftwich, A.

(Ed), What is Politics? Polity Press: Cambridge, 2008; p.70) Which, in short, is why Politics matters.

Bibliography

·         Andrew Heywood., 'Politics', Macmillan Press, 1997.

·         Adrian Leftwich., 'What is Politics?', Polity press, 2004.

·         Gerry Stoker., 'Why Politics Matters, making democracy work', Palgrave Macmillan, 2006

·         John Hoffman and Paul Graham., 'Introduction to Political Theory', Pearson Education Limited, 2009

·         Leo Strauss., 'What is Political Philosophy? and other studies', The free press, a corporation, 1959.

·         Max Weber., 'Politics as a vocation - speech', http://www.ne.jp/asahi/moriyuki/abukuma/weber/lecture/politics_vocation.html

·         Roger D. Masters., 'The Nature of Politics', Yale University Press, 1989.