In this General Election year, shouldn’t Establishment politicians, their sound bites, speeches, interviews, ‘debates’, party political broadcasts and printed materials come with suitably worded warnings to remind everyone that all is unlikely to be what it seems? This would be sensible since their words and ‘promises’ frequently turn out far different and worse than expected. Politics remains somewhat archaic since the voter really does need to beware; ultimately there are limited protections available and these days the Establishment parties have long track records of sophisticated manipulation and exploitation of good, honest, hardworking citizens.
The following are a few possible warnings, listed in categories for convenience starting with…
Warnings about the performance of professional politicians
Politics are known to often include intrigue, artificiality, evasion, concealment and dishonesty
Past performance is no guarantee that future results will be any better
By voting for us or remaining silent you agree to us doing anything
Only your vote and money are important to us
Laws, rules and burdens we mandate on you often do not apply directly to us
We retain a right to deceive, manipulate and abuse you, and betray your trust
Misrepresenting (smearing) a political opponent or other unethical tactics is common
Warnings about what “professional” politicians are saying or claiming
Politicians routinely overstate the benefits and understate the costs of their policies
‘Promises’ or commitments are not guaranteed
The following is only intended to appear true
Repetition (by a politician) does not guarantee truthfulness and may be intended to deceive
Politicians often conceal their true intentions and ‘grandstand’ to give solidity to pure wind
No effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of statements being made
The following ‘claims’ or ‘facts’ have not been independently verified
Statistics and facts have been used selectively and probably conceal the true picture
All information and ‘promises’ in this manifesto are liable to change at any time
‘Clear plans’ are not necessarily comprehensive, refined and workable
The politician making these ‘pledges’ has no experience or track record of successful delivery
Some specific warnings of things to watch out for
Politicians often make you poorer and waste your money
A vote for ….. could seriously damage your bank balance
Our new laws and regulations will be in addition to the burden of existing ones
We have ignored any additional burdens or undesirable consequences arising from our policies
We intend to meddle in your life in ways you cannot yet imagine
And when things go wrong
The consequences of our policy mistakes and follies are often irreversible
We never accept blame or to admit any failure or under-performance against ‘promises’
Deceit and secrecy may be used to cover up our failures, follies and ‘U’ turns on commitments
If our policies don’t work as intended they will not be abandoned
It is never our intention to govern in accordance with your wishes
Should you be dis-satisfied, we do not have a formal complaints process
Finally: Could warnings help change their behaviour?
