Ingrid Cecilia VARGAS YAÑEZ

#séquenosé001 #Bolivia #icvy

​

I am tempted to answer that it is because of economic inequality, lack of work and our social and political history.

 

Today I want to highlight one of these dimensions: politics. Alcides Arguedas in his “Pueblo Enfermo”, already in 1909, described elements that sound to me painfully familiar and valid today. Among others, he tells us that doing politics is equivalent to getting a public job; that supporting the cause is more important than the individual and her talent; that having power implies exploiting it, regardless of whether they are "caudillos" or "illustrious doctors" in power; or that the public conscience thinks that their leaders "sure have some interest" as the main motive behind their actions.

 

Our political system in democracy has advanced considerably since 1909 (see graph below, source: ourworldindata.org/, index: Polity IV). So, with a consolidated democracy, why are we today the way we are? My definition of "how are we" will come a next time, my why agrees with Arguedas, having a bicycle is useless if one is paralyzed.