Over the years political pundits have emphasized the importance of not only being corruption free but also the appearance of being corruption free. In politics we are told how perception is not something but everything.
That was a long time ago, and as they say in fairy stories, long, long, ago. In Goa today some of the political parties - thank god not all - but some have openly shown that corruption is not a problem at all. With major political heavyweights jumping frog-like from one party to another it is entertainment time in the political chamber of horrors in Goa. If prior to an election, political parties are not at all ashamed to support corruption and the appearance of corruption then the age-old political theory is going for a sixer or is it the politicians who are going to loose their wickets? Is it a case of fools rushing in where wise men fear to enter? Do politicians think they will be able to get away with it? Is it okay to insult the voter and the voter's intelligence by acting in the way some of the politicians are acting lately? Is the assumption simply a matter of fact: there is no problem as the Goan voter is a 100% idiot! Not since the first Goa Legislative election has the public witnessed this level of contempt for the Goan voter. On election day we will soon find out if the unsaid political assumption is true or false. The ball is now in the court of the voter to prove if he is an idiot or not! S/ he has the power to bury the political future of some politicians who have, to put it mildly, gone beyond all shame!
