What is politics? Maybe if you read this question you will respond with an academic phrase and with words that have been repeated for centuries, but perhaps you have never stopped to understand the meaning of the exercise of politics.
The dictionary of the Royal Academy of the Spanish Language, defines the word "politics" as follows: "activity of the citizen when he intervenes in public affairs with his opinion, with his vote, or in any other way." I like the last part of this definition "in any other way", because I believe in some way, we all intervene in the politics of our community, city or country. But not everyone believes the same.
The Political Culture Survey of 2007 made by DANE (National Administrative Department of Statistics), measured the degree of confidence of Colombians in the institutions, finding that the most trusted is in the Armed Forces and the National Police, with a 40% approximately, while the degree of distrust towards the political sectors of the country such as the Congress of the Republic, the electoral organization and the political parties, exceeds approximately 47%.
But I believe that a survey is not necessary to measure the low belief and the increase of the deception not only before the politicians, but also towards the institutions of the State. Corruption, lack of management, patronage, abuse of power, relationship with groups outside the law and others, are part of the list of the main reasons for apathy with respect to (traditional) politicians. And the fault of all this, is of those who see this profession as a springboard to get money through the public purse.
Doing politics nowadays is seen as a little honorable and not very credible work, and citizens are right. It is to see how some politicians enrich themselves with public resources and do not invest them in the main needs of society, see how school supplies rot in a winery and at the same time witness the poverty suffered by rural schools, see how citizens complain and no authority seems to hear them, that generates disappointment to anyone.
However complaining and staying still will not change the scenario. Of course, this must also have been heard more than once but there is some truth in that. Doing politics in a different way is possible. And that's when I say that politics is like love, we can be disappointed many times but we will believe in it once again, because it is the only way out.
The day we learn that politics is not a personal issue, that day we will know the true meaning of exercising it, because there is a great difference between those who do politics and those who politick. The seconds are to blame for everything.