Insincerity, Lies, Propaganda & Handouts – I Smell An Election.

The reality of our ‘great’ political system is that it is structurally created to ensure we have little in-built choice. Effectively you vote for one of two dominant parties everywhere in the world that claims to have a democratic system and your vote elects a local member in the lower house and a state or national member for the upper house. You do not elect the Prime Minister or country leader, with some minor notable exceptions in self-styled ‘republics’.

Between the agendas of the career public servants, the political parties and those of their major financial and powerbase supporters, what is logically needed for the majority of the population to prosper is subjugated to the vagueness of doctrine, bureaucratic linear thinking, political belief and the self interest of the few.

Elections become a game of seduction between the politicians and the media, both of whom forget who they owe their livelihoods to, in the quest to generate more airtime. Is it any wonder that the political stars of today resemble entertainers more than they do champions of the people?

Have you noticed the general level of obsequiousness rising? The weight of insincerity and propaganda increasing? The lies masquerading as (destined to be broken) promises beginning to flow? The tax-payer funds being doled out as bribes?

You can smell it too can’t you. It’s an election and it’s coming to a booth near you.

While this circus that visits town every few years may have little choice for the general public built into its model, it doesn’t mean there is no chance of affecting it. As every interest group will tell you, the game is about media coverage for influence and at election time there is never a better time to influence for gain.

Now is the moment for all retailers not to sit back and take what they are force fed by others but to agitate for what the industry needs and wants.

There is a growing list of capabilities and enablers that retailers require for sustainable growth. Everything from indirect aspects like transport infrastructure, development processes and financial services legislation to direct aspects like labour and employment laws, uniform national trading hours and legitimate protection for different areas of the supply chain and value chain of small, medium and large retailers.

As the most vital industry sector and the largest single contributor to GDP, retail has a powerful latent voice that needs to be heard. Every one of us needs to land on the key agenda items we want to influence now and then work a media strategy to ensure we create noise that influences direction.

The choices may be limited for whom to vote for. But the ability to influence is only limited by motivation and tenacity.