On Our Mad And Scary Politics

It looks like no one has been impressed by the Congress party’s manifesto.

Here is Mythili Bhusnurmath of the Economic Times likening it to the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. She concludes:

“On the face of it, this [manifesto] is the height of irresponsibility. At a time when fiscal mismanagement and the global slowdown have ruined our public finances, one would have expected some maturity from the two main political parties. Instead, what do we have? Outright, irresponsible behaviour! Fortunately, as the Hatter would say, nothing is manifest in our manifestos! Welcome to the Mad Tea Party!”

Rediff has this report on senior economists who have found the Congress manifesto “scary.”

Mad and scary?

Nothing is manifest is this manifesto?

Where is the country headed?

In the meantime, there is this report on the Election Commission seeking to appoint “poll ambassadors to woo young voters.” The story reads:

The Election Commission is keen to rope in film stars and popular sportspersons like cricketer M S Dhoni with "non-political background" as Poll Ambassadors to motivate young voters to exercise their right to franchise. "People should know that exercising their franchise is not only their right but also their duty so the Election Commission has mooted the idea to seek the help of stars to attract young voters," Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi said in Ranchi on Saturday.

Dhoni as Poll Ambassador? – asking the youth to vote, as their “duty.”

But vote for whom?

Oh, I forgot. We must “shut up and vote.”

And is this the constitutional role of the Election Commission? Are they supposed to conduct elections or also act as ideologues of India’s socialist democracy?

Let us not forget the ugly episode of Navin Chawla – which proved that the EC is highly politicized.

What I find astounding in all this is the fact that there is no candidate and the biggest party’s manifesto is “mad and scary.”

And the EC says voting is our “duty.”

My advice to our youth: Think!

And don’t go to the polling booth like dumb sheep.

This socialist democracy is a Race to the Bottom – with every party promising freebies to the poor, with money they do not have, with money they will need to print.

This is mad and scary alright.