Telling It As It Is

This Blog's favourite ex-communist and freedom fighter, Jose Mujica, El Presidenti of Uruguay was caught up in one of those 'open microphone' gaffes that seem to afflict so many politicians all around the world.

The Freedom Fighter, The Old Hag and The Cross Eyed Man

Many have been caught like this, and famously in the UK, Prime Minister Gordon Brown was caught in one such incident with another old lady.

 

A Man Of The People

A man I could vote for (and a man of the people) is Jose Mujica, El Presidenti of Uruguay, and sometimes known as 'The world's 'poorest' president'.

 Jose Mujica - Man Of The People

He gives away most of his salary and lives on the average salary of a Uruguayan at about $775 (£485, $560) a month, and lives in a run down old farm with his flower growing wife, where there is no running water. He is really an ex-left wing revolutionary who really did believe in the socialist ideals that he fought (and was shot 14 times) for. This is very unusual, as we have seen in North Korea and China, where Communist politicians live a life of wealth and privilege (and think nothing odd about it),while their subjects often live far less luxurious lives.

I also suspect that the Castro brothers in Cuba have never lived in this kind of poverty, well not since 'La Revolución', and certainly the Soviet Russian leadership never pretended to live like the average soviet citizen.

Margaret Moran - Guilty as Charged?

This contrasts with most politicians, including those in the UK such as socialist and ex Luton South MP Margaret Moran, who has just been found to have committed one of the the biggest thefts of public expenses (£53,000, $62,000) so far, in the pig trough free for all that passed for MP's expenses 'self restraint.' (needless to say she's pulled the old 'too ill to plead' caper and has walked away scot free ... its not even clear if she has repaid the money, or lost her pension). 

 

Oddly the 'ill health' that she convinced a judge was enough to stop her standing trial (the politicians and judges really are hand in hand with each other), didn't stop her being secretly filmed, offering her lobbying services for money, while being 'too ill' to speak on behalf of her constituents - she later said that she only meant after she left parliament.

You may not agree with his philosophy and politics (although he seems to be correct about world consumption levels), but one can't help admiring Jose Mujica the man, his bravery and his commitment to his beliefs. If all politicians were like him in this regard, the world would be a far better place.