A Look At The G-20 Summit
This week, London has been full of very important politicians, here for the G20 summit. I remember when it used to be the G8, but I guess that's inflation for you.
Your President and First Lady have met the Queen, the protestors have broken a few windows, the French threatened to walk out before they'd even arrived, and we are told that the economic future of the world depends on a successful outcome. Standard stuff really.
It is mostly nonsense, of course, all showboating, all political gestures for TV audiences at home. The real debates had already taken place. The diplomats had agreed the script. The one thing they are desperate to avoid is an outbreak of genuine democratic discussion; of politicians who actually try to change things after a chat over dinner.
And seriously, what chance of 20 countries actually agreeing on a concerted economic plan after just a couple of days in London? You couldn't even get two to agree on the dinner menu.
Most of the voters around the world don't seriously expect this get together to make any difference, because they don't seriously believe in politics or politicians any more.
And here in Britain, that general disillusion has been growing with every day -- not just because of the recession, but because someone has been leaking details of expenses claims submitted by our parliamentarians over the last five years.
As a result we know that Jacqui Smith, the very senior Minister in charge of Homeland Security, at one stage submitted a claim which included a charge for watching a couple of pornographic films on cable. They were apparently for her husband, so that's OK then.
In recent days, we have been bombarded with details of the weird and wonderful ways the taxpayer has been relieved of his money by our legislators, in particular for housing costs -- and of family members paid handsomely from state funds for jobs which are difficult to define.
I give you one other small item charged by Ms. Smith to the public purse. A bath plug, less than a dollar-fifty for a new bath plug. I fear it has left the British voter with the impression that they are being taken for a ride.
Politicians here were already held in low esteem -- even lower than journalists in some cases -- which is tough on the ones who are genuinely fighting the good fight. But voters have given up. They have started to believe that from the big politics of the G20 to the little politics of a bath plug, the whole thing is just an expensive joke. The essential bond of trust which exists between Britain's politicians and those who elect them seems to have simply disappeared. And that is a dangerous thing for democracy.
By Erin Petrun