Are Colombia’s voters insane?

Is Colombia doomed continually to repeat the errors of her past?

Albert Einstein argues insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. The recent wave of protests against neoliberal agricultural and healthcare policy carried out by medicine students and farmers, and supported by the general population, certainly reflect widespread clamor for “different results” regarding the way Colombia is being governed. Paradoxically, the same people who protest and demand “different results” seem intent on voting for the same people and parties that got us into this mess.

Any Colombian intent on voting for the likes of Partido de la U, Uribe Centro Democrático, Partido Liberal, Partido Conservador, Cambio Radical, PIN and the likes of these pro-global capitalism, clientelist and nepotist parties, who somehow expects a better becoming for Colombia because of this electoral choice, should be sent to the psychiatrist – according to Einstein, of course. The progressive concentration of resources and power which the members of these parties have shamelessly, and in a corrupt manner, assured themselves, supplemented by their alignment with global-capitalism, have left Colombia in its actual state of extreme inequality, crisis and general nonconformity.  Paradoxically, somehow, people still consider these parties as viable options.

Are Colombians who vote for these parties truly insane? Perhaps, but before we pass sentence on those citizens who continuously vote for the same corrupt idiots and yet complain about the shameful state of our country, we should revise the concept of the ruling ideology in our times. According to philosopher Slavoj Zizek, ideology today works through the following mental exercise; “(“I know very well…”) and the subject of the enunciation (“…nevertheless I act as if I didn’t”)”.

A theoretical example of today’s ruling ideology would be “I know very well that all ethnic cultures are equal in value, yet, nevertheless, I will act as if mine is superior”. A latent, everyday example of today’s ruling ideology in Colombia is “I know very well that parties like Partido de la U, Uribe Centro Democrático, Partido Liberal, Partido Conservador, Cambio Radical, PIN have governed Colombia is the worst possible manner only catering to their member’s personal interests at the expense of the general population, yet, nevertheless, I will act as if my vote for these parties implies a better future.” This is ideology at its purest.

In other words, those Colombians who choose to vote for the before mentioned parties might not be insane, but the ideology which they practice certainly leads them to vote as if they were truly, genuinely insane. Of course, this comes as no surprise, the only way in which the sort of people who govern us can reach the posts they reach through popular vote (despite evident and brave exceptions of good politicians) is by being elected through the ideology of insanity.

Sadly, the ideology of insanity works in two directions. Not only does it perpetuate bad politicians in power, it also might keep good politicians from reaching power. Here, Antonio Navarro Wolff comes to mind. Even though Navarro-Wolff was declared as the best mayor in Colombia (over Antanas Mockus) while he was Mayor of Pasto, due to his outstanding results, and even though he was declared as the best Governor in the country when he governed Nariño, for achieving equally impressive policy outcomes, a large number of people immediately discard him as a presidential option.

The reason is none other than he is a leftist. Again ideology is clear, the ideological paradox I know very well that because of his leftist ideals Navarro has been a successful governor and mayor, nevertheless, I act as if left-leaning individuals were incapable of governing is clearly at work in many of Navarro´s detractors, before he has even presented his presidential proposal, or even before it is certain that he will be running for the presidency.

The ideology of insanity is certainly a worrying phenomenon, despite its long lasting historic tradition in Colombia. Today, ignorance and the mass media uphold this ideology. Of course, there are also psychoanalytic factors in each ideologized individual that hunger for such ideology.

Most nations in the continent have surpassed their ideological limitations and have been able to elect leaders from new political and social sectors which have, in many cases, delivered wonderful results while improving the quality of life of their citizens. With the upcoming electoral year in 2014, there is no question that Colombia can only guarantee a better becoming by getting rid of its ideology of insanity. Optimism is scarce however, despite all the current upheaval and discontent, ideology is hardly ever defeated by facts.