Political Rhetoric Used To Manipulate The Public

This Insecure World

  Today, on World Day for Safety and Health at Work, it's worth noting that these days nothing is as insecure as a job.

  More and more workers awaken each day wondering: 'Am I about to become excess baggage? Who is going to hire me?'

  Many lose their jobs and on the job many lose their lives: every fifteen seconds a worker dies, murdered by what they call 'workplace accidents'.

  Insecurity is the politicians' preferred topic when they want to unleash the hysteria that wins elections. Danger, danger, they declare, on every corner there's a thief, a rapist, a murderer. But those politicians never decry the dangers of working;

  or the dangers of crossing the street, since every twenty-four seconds a pedestrian is killed, murdered by what they call 'traffic accidents';

  or the dangers of eating, since whoever is safe from hunger may well be poisoned by the chemicals in their food;

  or the dangers of breathing, since in cities clean air is like silence, a luxury item;

  or the dangers of being born, since every three seconds a child dies before reaching the age of five.

Eduardo Galeano from 'Children of the Days'

The day for which this was originally written is April 28th, however pre-UK elections this coming week it is particularly relevant. Which candidates are concerned enough by any of these topics to commit to anything meaningful to their constituents?
Galeano, who died this year on the 14th April, was a lifelong mouthpiece for real democracy and was both imprisoned and exiled from his country for many years for his forthright stance in support of the ordinary citizen.