For the last two months I’ve taken a strong interest in the US Presidential Election, and I’ve been hearing both Presidential nominees talking about changing the “psychology” of the voter. In Dominica politics is no different; Politicians continuously play this “psychology game” – making us feel better by manipulating the price of gas or reducing taxes or some other strategically hot issue.
It is not news that marketing/advertising firms and politicians use knowledge of psychology to further their ends and manipulate consumers and voters. However, I can’t help but feel offended by the fact that so many of our politicians are corrupt – when they should be the people who are supposed to be doing something to eradicate corruption.
If we all just think more positively towards our elected leaders, things will get better! What bull-sh*t! This just lets them off the hook, and hooks us and makes us responsible for the mismanagement of our hard earned tax dollars that they have so gratuitously spent towards their own personal agenda. While I do believe our attitude shapes our lives, and that we are empowered to act and change our world, I don’t want to hear about this from politicians who have pretty much robbed decent, hard-working people and ensured that they themselves have more…and who have unceremoniously destroyed lives and livelihoods to do so.
I would suggest, rather than acting our despair out on strangers and on one another that we give ourselves permission to be as angry as we are about the way our country is going. And let’s also look at what the real problems are, and stop blaming our neighbor, or the driver who happens to be in-front-of us, or our children…Perhaps the most effective thing we can do is speak our truth to power, speak up for what we need, and demand certain rights, such as equal health care, enough to eat, and housing for everyone. Excuse me for my bluntness, but I’ve grown tired of these corrupted politicians pissing down on us from above–I’m angry, and while I take responsibility for this anger, I want them to know about it. We need one another, and we need to talk about what is happening to us, and how politics are affecting our island.
If we continue to isolate ourselves in our individual despair, things are not going to get any better. This is the way we take responsibility–by feeling what we feel, and by opening up some real, heart-felt communication about what is happening to us, to our world, and to those around us.
Lastly: Wouldn’t this be nice if the government was really in our service? If they were there to make sure everyone had enough–that everyone was looked after and taken care of? 
