Easier Said Than Done

The old saying as in my title is especially true at election hype times. The air is daily infused with promises, promises, promises. They're roiling about like the pages of old dailies flying in a windstorm. We indulge ourselves in their delicious solutions that will solve all of our problems: pollution, economics, social ones, education and health and child care. You name it. If all the political leaders formed a team to work as one and their solutions to those problems all came true, we'd be rich, healthy and smart. But it is all fantasy and no one cares. Apparently. It's just part of the pre-election game and everyone plays along. We discuss for hours, one over the other of the promises. We debate amongst ourselves, which ones will work or not. If we are confused we can refer to the media for help. A couple of days ago, I read a comprehensive listing of issues along with an analysis of what each of the runners for Prime Minister of this country promised in fixing them. The golden solutions to each of the issues were laid out in clear, concise sentences and not over many of them, so that we, the voters, might be clear on each. Thus, the author hoped, we would be secure in placing our one little vote in the right place and go away confident in thinking that we had done the right thing. As sure as you'll find a needle in a haystack without a magnet, it will happen. Right? Here comes another old adage. If "ifs" and "ands" were pots and pans, there'd be no need for tinker's dams. Promises are just that. They are easy to make, and even if you present a plan that appears clearly to allow them to happen, they must pass a huge number of trials before they  remotely can become actual events. Only dictators can make promises and force them to happen. We have a democratic society and parliamentary system in our country that makes us believe what we voted for and "won" will actually happen. It will happen only if it can get through the complex process of parliament.  And our governments have exactly, as we do in our own budgets at home, whatever kind of home it might be: a castle, a mansion, a three bedroom, an apartment or a hovel, one pile of our tax dollars to shift about to make the promises happen. The money goes only from one pocket to the other. Pre-election palaver is mere hot air and we know it, but we all love to gather around and warm our hands on it. After the big expensive party of election fury is over, is when the storm ends and we have to pick up the pieces and get on with it for the next four years.