Why are Israeli politicians so bad?
Candidates in the existing political atmosphere are elected because of negative concepts. They beg for your vote by explaining that their alternative would be even worse. In most cases, both sides can make that claim.
Any politician is fully aware that he is about to be dragged through a smear campaign. The opposition would love to have him thrown into jail for a malfeasance or misdeed - and sometimes they are successful.
This does not give much of an incentive for a qualified individual. His only gain will be a reasonable salary, the privilege of having some streets named after him when he dies, and the dubious honor of appearing regularly in newspapers and textbooks.
In short, it�s just not worth it.
Good people would not be willing to destroy their future for politics. They would do better running a private business, leading a quiet life, and staying clean. Thus, the only incentive for going into the government is the potential for power, greed, and publicity. Better people will look elsewhere.
Revered political scientists and analysts can undoubtedly present well-considered reasons for the poor quality and level of Israel politicians. Their presentations may be filled with long, pompous-sounding words, and their audience will react in awe to their seemingly sagacious but complex and unlikely remarks.
This page will present a more likely scenario.
Any politician will need to have his personal life scrutinized, and possibly endangered. He will be offered a relatively large salary, but certainly not enough to get rich. If his opposition is successful, he will be removed from office in shame, after facing at least one investigation during his term of office.
For these reasons, politics does not attract the best people. Those who do go into politics are usually not of the caliber that is required to run a country.
Therefore, only those who can't make it in the corporate world or in private industry turn to politics. They do want to make something of their lives, nebbich, but they can't produce anything that is more worthwhile to the world than a series of empty promises. They turn to politics - the only avenue that offers them some potential. Their brief glow of fame also helps.
Does that mean that Israel could be compared to a speeding train with a drugged engineer?
Perhaps.
Any seriously qualified or skillful person would take a different route - as president of a bank or corporation, or as the founder of an enterprise. He would then have a greater potential for money, success, and an extended tenure in office.
Under the present political reality, anybody who is really good or successful would not think of going into politics. What would it offer him?
That's right. Bupkes.
Yes, there are exceptions. The Lubavitcher Rebbe told Ariel Sharon to remain in the army, where he was serving his country well, rather than to go into politics. Sharon ignored that advice. Unfortunately, as a senior politician, he was no better than many of his predecessors. Perhaps the office destroys the individual. Similarly, Dayan, Rabin, and Narkis were all excellent soldiers, and they should have remained in the military.
What can we understand from this situation?
An ambitious person who is not good enough to run a corporation of 100 people, will try the next best thing. He will try to run an entire country of Jews.
Oy.
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