The Crazy Apes: A Satire of Human Society

Failed Political System

At school, we were taught about governments and political systems and how they're supposed to work. We learned about democracy, fairness, and the rule of law. We learned about government responsibility and accountability. We learned about meritocracy and so many other things. If they weren't outright lies, they were partial mistruths. Reality is a lot different than what's written in the textbooks and what's taught in schools.

Today's government is neither by the people, for the people, nor is it representative of all the people. That's to say, it is no longer a democracy. It's become a plutocracy: government by the rich, for the rich.

The following dialogue is between two chimpanzees named Abu and Mabu: I use A and M to distinguish the speaker.

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M: During my period of captivity with the human family, they always talked about the government. The government did this or the government did that; the government is corrupt; the government lied to us; the government helps the rich but not the poor; the government is broken; and on and on.

A: What is the government?

M: From what I could understand, the government is the group of people that makes the rules for how they live. Everything they do is governed by rules: you can't do this; you can't do that; you must do this; or you must do that.

A: Why do they need rules? We don't have any!

M: That's because we're not civilized: we're only forest dwellers. People that live in cities are civilized, which means that they must behave in certain predictable ways, as prescribed by rules. While the distance from the forest to the city is short, adapting to city life has taken them a long, long time. Some of the rules are thousands of years old, but as their cities change, so do their rules.

A: So, the government is a group of humans who tell other humans what they can and cannot do?

M: That's about the essence of it, but in practice it's a lot more complex.

A: And how is the governing group selected?

M: It's selected by the masses, but the process is controlled by the wealthy. Those who have the money have the power!

A: That's why all humans want to become wealthy! They want to tell others what they can and can't do.

M: And once they become rich they don't have to obey the rules, which means that they are free to exploit the others. The masses are there to create wealth for them.

A: Doesn't that create a dangerous situation?

M: What do you mean?

A: If the masses get pissed off at being mistreated and exploited, they can rebel against the government and their heads would roll.

M: I suppose you're right, but those in power are cunning people and they know how to manipulate them. They've been doing it for a long, long time. But one never knows!

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The government of Canada was elected a year ago on the promise that they were going to fix a broken political system. A few days ago, our government leaders nonchalantly announced that this is not going to happen. The reason is simple: the government works for the rich and powerful, not for the people that elect them; and the current system works quite well for the wealthy. Lies are simply one of the tools politicians use for getting elected. In today's world, integrity and politics are mutually exclusive.

I use Canada as an example of a corrupt government and broken political system, but in comparison with others, the American government included, it doesn't fare so bad.

How corrupt are governments?

According to a very recent OXFAM report, the two richest Canadians have as much wealth as the poorest 30%, and the world's eight richest people have as much wealth as the poorest 50%. Such inequalities are a reflection of corrupt governments. Period.

Are Canadians going to hold their government accountable for another broken promise? Don't hold your breath!