POLITICS AS A FACT OF OUR EXISTENCE ON EARTH:
Posted by Onyembi, Emenike Vincent | 8 years ago | 2,760 times
Clearly politics may be conceptualized as a balloon and man finds himself within it not purely as a matter of choice but as a FACT of his existence. He floats in the air within and is in
constant interaction with the walls of this balloon. There are several individuals within this balloon who are in competition with each other, for the limited space and whatever resources the balloon environment harbours -within it. These resources which are necessary for man's existence and enjoyment of the good life; are scarce and limited. Therefore, if many would share in them, then, some order, regulation or rule should be put in place.
In this regard, Rostow(1960) sees politics as "the exercise of power, within a defined territory, through, a constituted, government". This defined territory would be our balloon here and the idea of government, finds relevance in our requirement for order, regulation or rule, above.
However many have different notions of politics ranging from bad, dirty and good. Benn(1975) has opined that it is an "art of looking for trouble, finding it where it exists or not, diagnosing it wrongly, and applying wrong remedy". This is a negative notion of politics which has painted politics as a dirty game, or at best, a clean game with dirty rules.
It should be noted that politics is not only about controversies and the mere discussion of issues. Politics is more positive and concrete than this.
However, when politics is seen as a process, it becomes easier to appreciate its importance since it is through such process that values; material or symbolics, are aggregated, allocated and ultimately acquired. Everyone, or every group therefore, strives to maximize the acquisition of these values which as have been pointed out, are relatively fewer in comparison with a great many competitors.
Why study Politics?
It's obviously clear at this point, that politics, whether we see it as a clean or dirty game, an evil or goal or a necessity; it all around us and we cannot despite our protestation avoid it. In fact, our protests could suggest, not only could self, also has suggest a political form or behavior that make us participants in politics. Rather than run away from politics, one should try as well as persist to understand well, emphatically, every bit of the Central point or characteristics of what politics is all about and analyze the options the system presents him with. It requires therefore, interest, and proper knowledge of available, alternatives and their relative degree and or the ability to satisfy the needs for which values are required to be authoritatively allocated. Below are some reasons why it has become necessary that the study of politics and its careful analysis should be given primary attention.They include:
*It helps an individual irrespective of his place in society to be able to make the best possible choices among several attractive alternatives.*It affords an individual also come to better grips of politics and several political issues of the day, and so may not be easily tricked into doing what he would ordinarily not have done.
*A proper understanding of politics encourages the cultivation of a critical mind which is necessary in dealing with the many complexities of politics.
*Since politics is indeed inescapable, it becomes necessary, if not imperative, to devote time to study and analyze it.
This I believe will make one make sense out the world around him. We are all politicians by nature, nothing can change that.
... It's time to pause and reflected!
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