4 ms·

Dear Mashable, reminding elected public servants of their accountability is not "trolling"

tverbeure 5y ago
It is trolling. And while I understand the motives of the artist who created it, I hate the conclusions that are being made, that somehow this is related to accountability. Anyone who has ever visited a plenary session of parliament (as I have as part of school trips) knows that they are unbelievably boring. 99% of the time, they aren’t about cutting edge law making that will propel society into the next century, but about routine declarations or posturing where a politician wants to promote the local industry. It is IMO completely acceptable for attendees to just be there and do something else, while waiting for a topic that interests them. This is no different than zoning out during some group meetings where you don’t really care and don’t need to know about most of the topics, but you still are present in case your input is required.
- ghostDancer 5y ago
  They are being paid to work with our money, if you do the same in your work you get fired. Some of them don't even go, also they should show more respect to the others. But maybe you think they are special and should have privileges.
  - tverbeure 5y ago
    I’m on my laptop or phone during meetings all the time. So are my colleagues. I don’t get fired because everybody understands that some meetings don’t require active participation from everybody at all times, yet attendance can be useful to intervene when necessary. (I explained as much in my original message.) That said, I understand your concern if your definition of work for an elected official seems to be “staring aimlessly at a podium during a plenary session.” And before you say: “they should actively participate!” Good luck doing that in a session with 200+ participants. Law making is done in smaller sessions and committees. The plenary session is a formality. In this particular case, chances are that they were filming during “het vragenuurtje”, the Q&A where Flemish members of parliament can get answers from ministers to submitted questions. It’s completely normal for one member to sit at attention while their question get answered while others sit and wait for their turn, and do something else. After all, that member may have an interest in the lack of highway signalization to his village, while other members don’t care. (Yes, Flanders is small enough for these kind of things to be brought up in parlement.) I totally understand that this doesn’t fit the standard narrative of the lazy politician who doesn’t work for my money, and for that I’m sorry.
    - birdyrooster 5y ago
      the middle class gets to sleep in the house with master and eat buttered biscuits
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
- b0rsuk 5y ago
  If they're unbelievably boring, I guess they're not cut for the job.
  - BeFlatXIII 5y ago
    I listen to a podcast that often plays long snippets of verbatim Congressional testimony. Part of the reason why it is so unbelievably boring is because your congresswoman’s colleagues are wasting everyone’s time by asking irrelevant and repetitive politically-motivated questions in a fishing attempt for a sound byte to aid their re-election campaign.
    - Thrymr 5y ago
      Most of the time that there is someone speaking on the House or Senate floor, there are only a handful of other representatives around, milling about, waiting for their turn to speak, or doing something else. The only times the chambers are ever full are during votes or public events. Not only are most of them not paying attention, they aren't even in the room most of the time Congress is in session.
  - tverbeure 5y ago
    I find work meetings boring in general. I guess I’m just not cut for the job…
- tijl 5y ago
  Unfortunately, the article doesn't mention the motives of the artist. This isn't about politicians using their phones. It's about surveillance and license plate or facial recognition. With camera systems popping up in all public spaces at an astonishing speed, the artist wanted to make politicians feel what it is like to be constantly monitored as a suspect.

It is trolling. And while I understand the motives of the artist who created it, I hate the conclusions that are being made, that somehow this is related to accountability. Anyone who has ever visited a plenary session of parliament (as I have as part of school trips) knows that they are unbelievably boring. 99% of the time, they aren’t about cutting edge law making that will propel society into the next century, but about routine declarations or posturing where a politician wants to promote the local industry. It is IMO completely acceptable for attendees to just be there and do something else, while waiting for a topic that interests them. This is no different than zoning out during some group meetings where you don’t really care and don’t need to know about most of the topics, but you still are present in case your input is required.

ghostDancer 5y ago
They are being paid to work with our money, if you do the same in your work you get fired. Some of them don't even go, also they should show more respect to the others. But maybe you think they are special and should have privileges.
- tverbeure 5y ago
  I’m on my laptop or phone during meetings all the time. So are my colleagues. I don’t get fired because everybody understands that some meetings don’t require active participation from everybody at all times, yet attendance can be useful to intervene when necessary. (I explained as much in my original message.) That said, I understand your concern if your definition of work for an elected official seems to be “staring aimlessly at a podium during a plenary session.” And before you say: “they should actively participate!” Good luck doing that in a session with 200+ participants. Law making is done in smaller sessions and committees. The plenary session is a formality. In this particular case, chances are that they were filming during “het vragenuurtje”, the Q&A where Flemish members of parliament can get answers from ministers to submitted questions. It’s completely normal for one member to sit at attention while their question get answered while others sit and wait for their turn, and do something else. After all, that member may have an interest in the lack of highway signalization to his village, while other members don’t care. (Yes, Flanders is small enough for these kind of things to be brought up in parlement.) I totally understand that this doesn’t fit the standard narrative of the lazy politician who doesn’t work for my money, and for that I’m sorry.
  - birdyrooster 5y ago
    the middle class gets to sleep in the house with master and eat buttered biscuits
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
b0rsuk 5y ago
If they're unbelievably boring, I guess they're not cut for the job.
- BeFlatXIII 5y ago
  I listen to a podcast that often plays long snippets of verbatim Congressional testimony. Part of the reason why it is so unbelievably boring is because your congresswoman’s colleagues are wasting everyone’s time by asking irrelevant and repetitive politically-motivated questions in a fishing attempt for a sound byte to aid their re-election campaign.
  - Thrymr 5y ago
    Most of the time that there is someone speaking on the House or Senate floor, there are only a handful of other representatives around, milling about, waiting for their turn to speak, or doing something else. The only times the chambers are ever full are during votes or public events. Not only are most of them not paying attention, they aren't even in the room most of the time Congress is in session.
- tverbeure 5y ago
  I find work meetings boring in general. I guess I’m just not cut for the job…
tijl 5y ago
Unfortunately, the article doesn't mention the motives of the artist. This isn't about politicians using their phones. It's about surveillance and license plate or facial recognition. With camera systems popping up in all public spaces at an astonishing speed, the artist wanted to make politicians feel what it is like to be constantly monitored as a suspect.