Riding a tiger is a sign of ultimate power and control. To control the tiger requires great strength and leadership but what about getting off the tiger's back? What then?
The political tiger:
Fearsome, powerful and uncontrollable; the political tiger is however not an organized being. Masses of disgruntled people, united by a common cause and fired by frustration and anger, when united form the formidable tiger. Individuals within this organism control and help keep unity within the pack. Energies and tensions run high and the chances of them turning on each other is a possibility too.
Once united and armed, the political tiger is available for hire for any party willing to pay the required dues. And what pray tell are the dues? The greatest demands by these disgruntled people are often simple and easy to provide which makes them an attractive option for political parties seeking votes in good numbers.
What brings votes?
Democracy --> People --> Vote. What brings votes and popularity? A politically correct answer would be performance. Development of the region in terms of infrastructure, economic health, social security and overall maintenance of order and law. However, people being people and more so being the case not so educated people, this is gooblydook! The words democracy, infrastructure, social security wouldn't simply be understood by most people for reasons many (calls for a different topic by itself). What matters are immediate demands being met, and cash is understood by everyone except children but we're talking about adults here...
Administrator v/s Rabble Rouser:
For a country governed by red tapism and slow moving democratic machinery, administration is a difficult task and might take well over five years; the average allowed tenure for a political party to be in power. As mentioned before, administration requires hard work and application of intelligence. This requires coordinating a large body of people for work; and results are not available immediately. What's the quick fix for this? Support a "cause", and support it violently.
The rabble rouser doesn't care two hoots about the people or the place or just about anything to do with effective work. The rabble rouser wants public support and power to do just about what it can do. And where's the rabble available for the rabble rouser? The political tiger steps into the picture just about here.
The rats overrun the city:
The flaws in administrative technique make problem redressal a little slow, and this stokes emotions and tempers high. Couple this with problems of over-population, poor infrastructure and social inequality and you'll see a gory picture taking form...
The politician in charge of the rabble rousing party thunders on the public podium, "We have been betrayed by the State, there's no one to take care of us! We shall address your woes..." Sounds familiar...?
"We must crush this vermin, we must destroy this plague of our nation" - Adolf Hitler in a public speech directing the ire of the German people upon Jews.
Direct action is provided for and there's no need for thought, fore or after, just action for the moment. The tiger now roars, a collective roar that challenges the present day government, threatening to topple its fragile hold over the people. The individuals within the collective tiger are at work, busy directing and charging people.
The tiger's roar's such that even educated citizens otherwise thoughtful and calm are charged into action. "We have found the enemy, we must crush the enemy!" With a synchronized breakdown of law and order alongwith skulls and bones, the democratic machine comes to a grinding halt. Congratulations, you have just selected a mindless juggernaut as your ruler.
Is the ride over?
The tiger is discontent or is supposed to have the air of unease and ferocity. Hey, its supposed to look so even if its not so! The individuals now begin to demand action and rewards, most importantly, rewards. The party has now to appease the tiger and keep it satiated, and also present an air of diplomacy and legality as a ruler of the people; educated as well as not so educated.
The educated people demand results and pulling rabbits out of the hat doesn't divert its attention from the party's activities. Enter the needler.
The needler is a meddlesome mosquitoe who's educated more than required, in fact more than the political party's leaders thought to be existent. Some decisive pokes and jabs and the picture becomes clear. "Where the f... is my tax money going? Why don't i see any action happening on the administrative front? Are you making an ass of me and the people?"
The party now has to respond to this direct threat of questions and although stifling the questioner by way of a bullet's cheap, it can have severe repercussions on the future for the party. This does not mean the option is not exercised and the tiger does like fresh meat and blood from time to time.
Torn between the inability to administer the government and inability to maintain a tight grip on the tiger; the party begins to flounder and then founder. Slowly but certainly, the party faces an indecisive future.
Can the party survive on mere mindless action?
"There exists no black or white, only subtle shades of grey" -- Anon
Efficient administrators are found in every political outfit, be it the administrative elephant or the rabble rousing tiger rider. The people strike a chord with the local populace who cast their votes in favour of these people. These are the trump cards of the party and can change the future of the party if they choose. Very expensive trump cards.
"I care not who rules the state as long as my local governor's doing a good job"
If this be the public statement and thought, the trump card holds sway. What of the tiger? Do we dismantle the tiger? No no no, that's the core ideological driver of the party.
Discontent can be maintained only by deprival. And this deprival of the tiger is maintained by the individuals who charge and control the collective animal. Destruction of public property is an excellent exercise for the tiger, and provides for some much needed adrenaline rush. For what reason? In a country with a thousand customs and cultures, there's always some reason for anger and discontent. Topped with poverty and illiteracy, the tiger retains its teeth. This means the disgruntled poor, remain poor and disgruntled.
Moral of the story?
Vote for the effective administrator who does not rely on violent tactics and promise quick fix solutions. Rome was not built in a day...
The political tiger:
Fearsome, powerful and uncontrollable; the political tiger is however not an organized being. Masses of disgruntled people, united by a common cause and fired by frustration and anger, when united form the formidable tiger. Individuals within this organism control and help keep unity within the pack. Energies and tensions run high and the chances of them turning on each other is a possibility too.
Once united and armed, the political tiger is available for hire for any party willing to pay the required dues. And what pray tell are the dues? The greatest demands by these disgruntled people are often simple and easy to provide which makes them an attractive option for political parties seeking votes in good numbers.
What brings votes?
Democracy --> People --> Vote. What brings votes and popularity? A politically correct answer would be performance. Development of the region in terms of infrastructure, economic health, social security and overall maintenance of order and law. However, people being people and more so being the case not so educated people, this is gooblydook! The words democracy, infrastructure, social security wouldn't simply be understood by most people for reasons many (calls for a different topic by itself). What matters are immediate demands being met, and cash is understood by everyone except children but we're talking about adults here...
Administrator v/s Rabble Rouser:
For a country governed by red tapism and slow moving democratic machinery, administration is a difficult task and might take well over five years; the average allowed tenure for a political party to be in power. As mentioned before, administration requires hard work and application of intelligence. This requires coordinating a large body of people for work; and results are not available immediately. What's the quick fix for this? Support a "cause", and support it violently.
The rabble rouser doesn't care two hoots about the people or the place or just about anything to do with effective work. The rabble rouser wants public support and power to do just about what it can do. And where's the rabble available for the rabble rouser? The political tiger steps into the picture just about here.
The rats overrun the city:
The flaws in administrative technique make problem redressal a little slow, and this stokes emotions and tempers high. Couple this with problems of over-population, poor infrastructure and social inequality and you'll see a gory picture taking form...
The politician in charge of the rabble rousing party thunders on the public podium, "We have been betrayed by the State, there's no one to take care of us! We shall address your woes..." Sounds familiar...?
"We must crush this vermin, we must destroy this plague of our nation" - Adolf Hitler in a public speech directing the ire of the German people upon Jews.
Direct action is provided for and there's no need for thought, fore or after, just action for the moment. The tiger now roars, a collective roar that challenges the present day government, threatening to topple its fragile hold over the people. The individuals within the collective tiger are at work, busy directing and charging people.
The tiger's roar's such that even educated citizens otherwise thoughtful and calm are charged into action. "We have found the enemy, we must crush the enemy!" With a synchronized breakdown of law and order alongwith skulls and bones, the democratic machine comes to a grinding halt. Congratulations, you have just selected a mindless juggernaut as your ruler.
Is the ride over?
The tiger is discontent or is supposed to have the air of unease and ferocity. Hey, its supposed to look so even if its not so! The individuals now begin to demand action and rewards, most importantly, rewards. The party has now to appease the tiger and keep it satiated, and also present an air of diplomacy and legality as a ruler of the people; educated as well as not so educated.
The educated people demand results and pulling rabbits out of the hat doesn't divert its attention from the party's activities. Enter the needler.
The needler is a meddlesome mosquitoe who's educated more than required, in fact more than the political party's leaders thought to be existent. Some decisive pokes and jabs and the picture becomes clear. "Where the f... is my tax money going? Why don't i see any action happening on the administrative front? Are you making an ass of me and the people?"
The party now has to respond to this direct threat of questions and although stifling the questioner by way of a bullet's cheap, it can have severe repercussions on the future for the party. This does not mean the option is not exercised and the tiger does like fresh meat and blood from time to time.
Torn between the inability to administer the government and inability to maintain a tight grip on the tiger; the party begins to flounder and then founder. Slowly but certainly, the party faces an indecisive future.
Can the party survive on mere mindless action?
"There exists no black or white, only subtle shades of grey" -- Anon
Efficient administrators are found in every political outfit, be it the administrative elephant or the rabble rousing tiger rider. The people strike a chord with the local populace who cast their votes in favour of these people. These are the trump cards of the party and can change the future of the party if they choose. Very expensive trump cards.
"I care not who rules the state as long as my local governor's doing a good job"
If this be the public statement and thought, the trump card holds sway. What of the tiger? Do we dismantle the tiger? No no no, that's the core ideological driver of the party.
Discontent can be maintained only by deprival. And this deprival of the tiger is maintained by the individuals who charge and control the collective animal. Destruction of public property is an excellent exercise for the tiger, and provides for some much needed adrenaline rush. For what reason? In a country with a thousand customs and cultures, there's always some reason for anger and discontent. Topped with poverty and illiteracy, the tiger retains its teeth. This means the disgruntled poor, remain poor and disgruntled.
Moral of the story?
Vote for the effective administrator who does not rely on violent tactics and promise quick fix solutions. Rome was not built in a day...
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