Fallacies of political discourse: Nothing has changed

On October 4, 2002, I wrote the following: “Much of the political discourse before Panamanian people it is presented or gestured as speech from the words of those who fail to interpret the right ones problems of our people and country.

worst of arguments presented by those who try, at all costs and with great efforts, to justify the status quo, consists in inserting an alleged analysis within an apparent logic that conquers many naive or unsuspecting people who believe or think that the gesticulators of this discourse are somewhat right and therefore they are easy to convince.

What these followers do not know or do not know, supporters of false and superficial discourseis that behind all these paraphernalia or ball of words hides a world of lies and very clever expressions with which one wants to elaborate a defense for the holders of political power”.

That’s how, often, We see, hear and read individual “analysts” of Panamanian politics who boldly speculate on crazy theses or theories, but they do not fool anyone with this juggling of cheap politics or for a pittance.

A long time ago, one of these analysts emphasized on television that the problem of corruption is general and that the whole society is involved in it. How I longed to be there to argue against him. I would answer by waving what Ortega y Gasset In his work Themes of Our Time he pointed out: “The idea that everything affects everything, that everything depends on everything, is a vague mystical consideration that should be repulsive to one who resolutely wants to see clearly.”

We cannot use this type of argument under the pretext of justifying the incompetence of our rulers, since the evident illogicality it contains suggests a great disrespect for the intellectual caste of the nation, as well as those who, without being the same dignity which the tallest mortal on earth can hold.

The cheap discourse that corruption exists everywhere and that there have been outbreaks of corruption in all societies is equivalent to equating the fact that murder is so normal and social that from the beginning Eden Cain killed Abel. These poor arguments, almost always characterized by the use of the past or history, reflect the extreme and dangerous incompetence of the person using them, which prevents insight into the problem and be able to provide concrete and effective solutions.

After the folly of bad defenses, we daily observe that these speeches are the subject of the fiercest mockery and sarcasm from the community, which is the one suffering from hunger and the afflictions of misery. Recently, it has been claimed that the State cannot solve everything and that promoting one’s own initiative requires a certain amount of citizen participation. However, it is kept silent that the state does not contribute in any way to the creation and flourishing of this initiative.

This is how he is Panamanian people operator censorship speech hypocrisy explicitly and it is not difficult to notice those who claim to be in solidarity with the needs of the Panamanian people, but accumulate wealth and fill their coffers with wealth, in many cases ill-gotten and achieved with the law of least effort, but less than the product of honest and careful work.

These discourse operators are unable even to give alms to the needy who have eyes anxiety and necessity demand them. But, we insist, these defenders of the system are characterized by a special syndrome of political mimicry that adapts to all situations, so we hear from them that they all knew what poverty was, the enormous efforts they made to “be somebody in life”, that they were transparent and honest , that no one can reproach them for anything, that they are the defenders of morality and good customs. However, the actions of many of them say otherwise and thus they become liars and hypocrites.

These are the ones who play cymbals and trumpets when they do a “good deed” and, through paid advertising, present the needs of our people in front of society. He will, without a doubt, have to account for that the creator, since there seems to be no power or judge on earth to answer for the crimes they commit and which remain unpunished.

Res non verba – actions not words – said the Romans, and we must demand the same from them interlocutors of political discoursewhich, apart from being deficient in content and substance, errs on the side of being false, in the Popperian sense.

The so-called leaders or political leaders, above all, must be convinced that superficial discourse must be overcome by one that corresponds to true transparency and honesty, that contains words full of personal experiences of facing the problems of our people and, fundamentally, that they are imbued with authentic human warmth as they enter Christ: You will love your neighbor as yourself.”

Without a doubt, I am of the opinion that the political discourse, both of our politicians and of Latin American politicians in general, has remained in the past, fallen into such filth that the content is no longer convincing. Today, the new political discourse must be characterized by the legitimate defense of the rights, freedoms and fundamental guarantees of citizens, without questioning the social rights of our citizens. people recommended in the constitutional text. Either they will respect our rights or we citizens will not be useful.

Today, September 7, 2023, more than twenty-one (21) years after it was first published, I hold the same thought. By the month of December 2013, he also replicated it. God bless the country!