Political fiction not based on real-life politicians
The Psychopath
A psychopath inherited his father’s business. He enjoyed manipulating employees, suppliers, and customers, taking them to the edge of negotiation without having them quit. The extra profits were nice, but the bigger satisfaction was being able to win in this game.
Despite having a lot of “control,” the psychopath wants more.
The Alzheimer’s
A celebrity was loved by millions of people. He too is looking for a bigger life challenge. But he was losing neurons. Some people can see the change; ardent fans cannot.
The Kleptocrat
A minor politician has taken advantage that our legal systems treat white-collar and blue-collar crime much differently. The trick is to exchange favors without leaving much of a paper trail. He has an offshore company in Bermuda that owns another offshore company in Isle of Mann that owns another offshore company in Malta. He has become a wealthy man, even though his political salary is $175,000 a year.
He would like to get more money. His political skills have been honed.
The Ideologue
Another minor politician has a certain ideology. He wants to implement that ideology on the rest of us. He has not had much success, but he too has also honed his political skills.
So a psychopath, an Alzheimer’s, a kleptocrat, and an ideologue walk into a bar
And they form a new political party!
The political deal made in the bar
Politics is about making compromises. These four politicians make compromises to present a common, unified front to the voters.
Both the psychopath and the Alzheimer’s want to be the leader. The kleptocrat and ideologue think that the popularity of the Alzheimer’s would make a better image for the public. Besides, the Alzheimer’s can probably hold things together until the election.
The Alzheimer’s would get most of the attention. At least for the near future.
To placate the psychopath, the other three would give him three ministries to manage and a promise to not to interfere how he manages them. That’s a lot of government employees walking on tiptoes! The psychopath would bring his own compliant people in — and give them big salaries with taxpayer money! What a way to reward loyal employees who really don’t like him!
The kleptocrat would be given one ministry. He would direct that ministry to pay “management fees” to his offshore company in Malta. In exchange, the party would use his political skills to win the next election.
The idealogue would be given control of all the other ministries, implementing his ideology here and there. In exchange, the party would use his political skills to win the next election.
Now that’s a political deal made in heaven, right?
Political Satire?
Maybe. But we all know that psychopaths, Alzheimer’s, kleptocrats, and idealogues do find their way into powerful positions in society. Somehow this fictitious story resonates a little too much truth, doesn’t it?
Rather than just complain about this corruption or encourage other people to do something about it, I have a solution.
Let’s build a new democracy. It’s all in my book “Tiered Democratic Governance.”
I have laid out the blueprints for that democracy (Chapter 3, 4, & 5) and a construction manual (Chapter 6). The essay below gives a brief description of this new way:
Tiered Democratic Governance
So how does this TDG handle these four political bar patrons?
First, we must realize that the current system allows these four individuals to hide their flaws behind the party banner. The parties manipulate the discourse such that voters base their vote mostly on party affiliation. And the voters really don’t know much about these four people. And the voters don’t have that much choice. The other parties have their issues.
Second, a TDG election is more about previous service than ambition. I will write an article about this feature of the TDG later.
If a psychopath wants a high position in the TDG, he will have to start at the bottom of the TDG. That start means getting the approval of his neighbors. Most of his neighbors would know something is off with this fellow — and cast their vote to someone else. Even if the psychopath wins the first-tier election, his traits will be better displayed to voters who didn’t know much about him. He would likely not win in the next annual election. It is more unlikely his psychopathic antics in the first tier would earn him votes to move into the second tier.
An ambitious person with cognitive decline would find it hard to rise in the TDG. For a long-serving TDG representative moving into cognitive decline, he or she will get fewer and fewer votes as the decline continues. Eventually the TDG will gracefully retire that representative.
A kleptocrat who seem to have too much “funny business” in his personal and government affairs, will find a much lower limit to skim the TDG system. When that limit is reached, the kleptocrat will be voted off the TDG. The TDG does not need to prove guilt, just vote for someone else.
A few ideologues are likely to resonate with their neighbors and gain first-tier positions. However, there is not a liberal way to fix potholes and a conservative way to re-paint a crosswalk. Yet, most ideologues will still insist they have the only right way in these small matters. They will not show much skill for consultation, collaboration, and consensus. It is unlikely they will be voted into the second tier.
Conclusion
I’m sure the TDG won’t shut the bar down. These four former politicians will need a place to commiserate.
And it is better they stay in this bar than be in governance!
Any resemblance to real-life politicians is only a coincidence.
Published on Medium 2024
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