Power or truth — which holds more value in the politics of the developing world? The answer to this unresolved question can be found in a quote by Paul Krugman. He clearly states, “What matters in politics is not who has the truth, but who has the power.” In today’s global power politics, there is no doubt that truth often stands helpless before power.
Explaining how such a situation came to be, Henry Adams once said, “Politics, in reality, hides many facts.” Adams was not wrong. In the politics of various developing nations, those in power often rewrite history by concealing the truth.
To understand how this culture originated, we might refer to a popular joke:
An elderly man once asked a young man about his profession. The youth replied that he was trying to practice “honest politics.” Without reacting, the elder said, “Good. You’ll surely succeed.”
Surprised, the youth asked how the elder could predict his political future so confidently.
The man replied, “Because, in this line of work, you probably have no competition!”
But in truth, the environment for practicing honest politics has not yet taken root in much of the developing world. Why? Let’s return to our story:
Years later, the old man again meets the young politician and asks how his "honest politics" is going. The young man replies, “Not great. Honest politics doesn’t really work.”
The old man then takes him to the rooftop of a tall building and says, “To gain in politics, you must jump.”
And the young man jumps — only to fall and break his limbs.
As he lies there injured, the elder whispers a final lesson in his ear:
“Stay honest yourself, but never trust another politician. That is your first and last lesson in politics.”
In the politics of the developing world, neither integrity nor mutual respect among politicians seems to hold any value. Whoever is in power tends to dictate the ultimate truth. And the most dangerous trend that prevails is character assassination of political opponents.
As a result, the entire political landscape becomes chaotic and disjointed. Often, when there’s a change in power, previously disgraced or controversial leaders return to the spotlight — many of whom were once accused of corruption, injustice, or even had hundreds of cases filed against them.
Naturally, this raises a question: Were all those charges false? Was the truth hidden? Or were some of them actually true?
In developing nations, politics often acts like a disease, and the political culture like one’s health. If we want to restore a healthy political environment, we must first investigate why the disease has spread so widely and what fuels it.
Experts say that unless the trend of character assassination ends and a culture of political values and peaceful coexistence is established, the path to building a “new nation” will remain blocked. In a liberal democracy, criticism of politicians is welcome — but smearing their character is not.
If there are allegations against politicians, they must be investigated and punished through proper legal means. But under no circumstances should their character be publicly destroyed.
