Yes, it’s fucking political

When the cause is political, the effects are political

Those complaining about politicising deaths caused by state failures show you that they can only see politics one way: as an antagonistic point-scoring game.

On the other hand, those complaining about deaths caused by state failures show you they recognise politics as a way to save and improve lives.

Politicians offering only “thoughts and prayers” after avoidable tragedy are unwilling and incapable of taking their responsibilities. Some object that it’s “too soon” to discuss these things. Usually this means they’re hoping to delay long enough that we forget about it.

Politics is only a game to those powerful or rich enough to avoid its effects. For most of us it’s life and death.

These things don’t only become political when we talk about them. They are already political. As Skin sang, “Everything’s political”.

Ensuring that homes are safe and fit for human habitation is political — and contentious for some.

Ensuring an effective and adequate fire service is political.

Keeping the streets safe and enforcing the law is political.

Treating the sick is political.

Ensuring that no-one is too poor to eat is political.

Ensuring the independence and dignity of the disabled is political.

Politics, ultimately, is supposed to be the codification of human decency and compassion into a functioning society, not a boys’ club game. We have been conned by those benefitting from the status quo into thinking that politics is something dirty, something we shouldn’t sully ourselves with, instead leaving it to those who are so generously willing to take on that dirty work for us. Referring to “playing politics” as someone else’s game puts it out of our control, and until we stop using “politics” as an epithet and recognise it as an essential, something we all have to participate in, we’re going to surrender it to those least suited to it.