politics and prostitution
Prostitution and politics are hard
to define and trace their roots
way back into history and in
fact, prostitution is just as old
as politics, if not slightly older.
One is as potent as the other, and both have come to re-
invent themselves over time and
a deeper look at the two reveal
a striking similarity in
characteristics and aims. How so
you ask? Well, indulge me in this interesting journey that will
arouse your understanding of
the two oldest “professions” in human history. Both politics and prostitution are
for pleasure and power, in
unequal proportions. The
prostitute, after her duties, has
a subduing effect on the patron
and is a constant threat to the stability of the family, social
status and finances of the
patron. Prostitution gives the
flesh-peddler infinite power over
the patron and also provides
pleasure, albeit momentary. Politics on the other hand is a
test of power and influence of
(wo)men over each other. It is
also a game of pleasures whose
effects are addictive and need
constant doses to replenish the highs and kill the lows. That is
why politicians are always calling
press conferences to seek to
maintain their relevance and
irrelevance as necessity calls. Politics, just as prostitution
involves a risk, especially if you
are a bare-knuckled fighter who
does not seek to insulate an
iron fist with a velvet (or latex)
glove. In this era of HIV and AIDS, prostitution is becoming
more and more risky and
hazardous, and so is politics.
Both are potential killers. With
the rise of the “African Big Man Syndrome”, politics is becoming a fatal game of death. With mud
slinging, witch-hunting,
grandstanding and chest
thumping, only the very brave
survive the torments of political
syndromes. The more natural one wants the pleasures of the
two, the riskier the game and
the more expensive the costs
incurred, if you know what I
mean. Prostitution and politics both
pay well, but only if you do
them right. How? I do not know,
but I know for a fact that
there are some rich politicians
and some very rich prostitutes out there, somewhere. Those
who know which cords to strike,
where to tickle and which people
to attach strings to get rich
very fast, while the others
simply die trying. How many politicians continue indulging in
lavish lifestyles when they are
thrown into the political cold?
Not so many. Most try to
maintain the lifestyles, albeit by
hook or crook. Prostititutes? Well, once the era of demand is
over, the era of blackmail sets
in. It is a harsh world out here
and to survive, we go to
unimaginable lengths. Prostitutes
and politicians, just like other humans must survive by any
means necessary! It is beautiful on the outside,
until you get in. Prostitutes go
to great lengths to look good.
They shave and weave, they
braid and wig themselves to be
attractive. They shave their eyebrows and use eyebrow
pencils to make them look more
attractive, instead, they look
surprised. And so do politicians
brand themselves as reformists
and revolutionaries when campaigning. They come in
shades of orange and blue and
promise to weave a dream
country out of nothing. But
what happens once they are in?
They surprise us with their talks of “Nus mkeka na choo” and “I swear I have only one wife” instead of doing what they
promised to do! And this comes
after years on end of trying to
re-invent themselves by
politically prostituting themselves
from party to party, all in the name of revolution and re-
invention. Lastly, like politics, prostitution,
is a game of pretence. (I agree
some people are pushed to the
wall, look around and realize
they only have their bodies left
to earn themselves a life. That much is true but unfortunate).
Politics like prostitution is a
substitute for the real thing.
Prostitution substitutes the
family unit as the basic
commonwealth of society as politics substitutes genuine
leadership and altruism for
tyranny, despotism and corrupt
leadership. This creates a void in
society, somehow. Proliferation
of disease and erosion of family values are effects of the sex
business. Politics? Its effects are
ubiquitous and have far and
wide reaching effects. All in all, prostitution is all about
cheap and fantasy sex. The
positions are ridiculous, the
pleasure momentary and the
expense damnable. Politics has
always been a game of seeking pleasurable guilt whose effects
are on the poor and voiceless.
While each of these professions
is quite volatile in its stability,
the aggregate of the two is
dangerous. Political prostitution I call it, and Kenyan politicians
masters at it. Changing parties, ideals and
values as they wish in order to
escape the real thing and seek
fantasy. They risk life and limb
and kill one another as they sell
their political bodies from party to party in the name of seeking
a brighter future for the
country. Kenyan political
prostitution over the years has
resulted in more heat than light,
and even more noise than light. Public bickering over posts and
power will one of these not-so-
fine days, kill us. In the name of
being a democracy, we are
simply misusing our rights. What
with 100 plus political parties in one small country of about 40
million? I still wonder what the
founder of the defunct “Ufagio Party” had in mind?
to define and trace their roots
way back into history and in
fact, prostitution is just as old
as politics, if not slightly older.
One is as potent as the other, and both have come to re-
invent themselves over time and
a deeper look at the two reveal
a striking similarity in
characteristics and aims. How so
you ask? Well, indulge me in this interesting journey that will
arouse your understanding of
the two oldest “professions” in human history. Both politics and prostitution are
for pleasure and power, in
unequal proportions. The
prostitute, after her duties, has
a subduing effect on the patron
and is a constant threat to the stability of the family, social
status and finances of the
patron. Prostitution gives the
flesh-peddler infinite power over
the patron and also provides
pleasure, albeit momentary. Politics on the other hand is a
test of power and influence of
(wo)men over each other. It is
also a game of pleasures whose
effects are addictive and need
constant doses to replenish the highs and kill the lows. That is
why politicians are always calling
press conferences to seek to
maintain their relevance and
irrelevance as necessity calls. Politics, just as prostitution
involves a risk, especially if you
are a bare-knuckled fighter who
does not seek to insulate an
iron fist with a velvet (or latex)
glove. In this era of HIV and AIDS, prostitution is becoming
more and more risky and
hazardous, and so is politics.
Both are potential killers. With
the rise of the “African Big Man Syndrome”, politics is becoming a fatal game of death. With mud
slinging, witch-hunting,
grandstanding and chest
thumping, only the very brave
survive the torments of political
syndromes. The more natural one wants the pleasures of the
two, the riskier the game and
the more expensive the costs
incurred, if you know what I
mean. Prostitution and politics both
pay well, but only if you do
them right. How? I do not know,
but I know for a fact that
there are some rich politicians
and some very rich prostitutes out there, somewhere. Those
who know which cords to strike,
where to tickle and which people
to attach strings to get rich
very fast, while the others
simply die trying. How many politicians continue indulging in
lavish lifestyles when they are
thrown into the political cold?
Not so many. Most try to
maintain the lifestyles, albeit by
hook or crook. Prostititutes? Well, once the era of demand is
over, the era of blackmail sets
in. It is a harsh world out here
and to survive, we go to
unimaginable lengths. Prostitutes
and politicians, just like other humans must survive by any
means necessary! It is beautiful on the outside,
until you get in. Prostitutes go
to great lengths to look good.
They shave and weave, they
braid and wig themselves to be
attractive. They shave their eyebrows and use eyebrow
pencils to make them look more
attractive, instead, they look
surprised. And so do politicians
brand themselves as reformists
and revolutionaries when campaigning. They come in
shades of orange and blue and
promise to weave a dream
country out of nothing. But
what happens once they are in?
They surprise us with their talks of “Nus mkeka na choo” and “I swear I have only one wife” instead of doing what they
promised to do! And this comes
after years on end of trying to
re-invent themselves by
politically prostituting themselves
from party to party, all in the name of revolution and re-
invention. Lastly, like politics, prostitution,
is a game of pretence. (I agree
some people are pushed to the
wall, look around and realize
they only have their bodies left
to earn themselves a life. That much is true but unfortunate).
Politics like prostitution is a
substitute for the real thing.
Prostitution substitutes the
family unit as the basic
commonwealth of society as politics substitutes genuine
leadership and altruism for
tyranny, despotism and corrupt
leadership. This creates a void in
society, somehow. Proliferation
of disease and erosion of family values are effects of the sex
business. Politics? Its effects are
ubiquitous and have far and
wide reaching effects. All in all, prostitution is all about
cheap and fantasy sex. The
positions are ridiculous, the
pleasure momentary and the
expense damnable. Politics has
always been a game of seeking pleasurable guilt whose effects
are on the poor and voiceless.
While each of these professions
is quite volatile in its stability,
the aggregate of the two is
dangerous. Political prostitution I call it, and Kenyan politicians
masters at it. Changing parties, ideals and
values as they wish in order to
escape the real thing and seek
fantasy. They risk life and limb
and kill one another as they sell
their political bodies from party to party in the name of seeking
a brighter future for the
country. Kenyan political
prostitution over the years has
resulted in more heat than light,
and even more noise than light. Public bickering over posts and
power will one of these not-so-
fine days, kill us. In the name of
being a democracy, we are
simply misusing our rights. What
with 100 plus political parties in one small country of about 40
million? I still wonder what the
founder of the defunct “Ufagio Party” had in mind?
Comments
Post a Comment