Love And Politics

Politicians’ love of public causes is often rhetorical. Even when such a love exists, it is mingled with the love of the exhibition and the love of empty words and false promises – a very ancient fact, intimately connected to the first steps of democracy.

In fact, the first steps of Greek and Roman democracy were highly rhetoric, with citizens - mostly illiterates - using gaudy speeches bought from the professionals of rhetoric (namely, the so called sophists, a mixture of philosophers and word cheaters).

History records some of these characters, such as Gorgias of Leontini, a distinguished sophist who made his wealth creating speeches and selling the texts to those who wanted to plead in court or in political assemblies. There are documents describing Gorgias wearing purple tunics, skipping on stages, surrounded by stunned audiences, exhibiting his oratorical gifts and his gold wristbands.

When we compare characters such as Gorgias with what is going on today, it is possible to conclude that there has been progress. Today’s politicians are much more discreet. Today, nobody would dare to dress or use the language of Gorgias, or to write a Praise of the Fly, as Luciano did.

And yet there is another standpoint: present politicians have just sophisticated the resources of their predecessors. They haven’t discarded their old love of lying and rhetoric. In other words: it’s a pity they haven’t kept their old vices and gaudy speeches: it would be much easier to denounce them.