Politics vs Business

There is a perceived notion that if a person has done well in business, it is most likely they do well in politics, too. However, it does not mean necessarily true. The nature of politics is different than business. The quality of politics is about to manage conflict and diplomacy, and the quality of the business is about to deceive others to gain more. Therefore, the bottom line for politics is different than business.

The above claim illustrated by using factional events which took place in North America by pointing the direction of this pen toward former Mayor of Toronto Mel Lastman,  the current leader of the Provincial Conservative Party of Ontario Doug Ford, and the US President, Donald Trump.

In the 1990s, the city of Toronto decided to amalgamate with other cities, and form Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Mr. Mel Lastman was a Mayor of North York and decided to run for Mayor's office of the Mega City. He won the election and defeated Barbara Hall. Citizens cast their votes for Mr. Lastman because of two factors. One, he owned a furniture store called Bad Boy. He was a well-known name in the region. He already came to people's dinner table using television advertisement. Hence, he was in people's home. He gained people's trust. Last, he was an immigrant from Poland and did well for himself. He envisaged to public's confidence that he knew what he was doing. Notably, at the time of the mayoral election, Province of Ontario was going through the drama of Conservative Government of Mike Harris that how he demolished social safety network.

When public elected Mr. Lastman to the Mega City's Mayor Office, he misused Mayor's Office and made some terrible choices in his political career. Eventually, he appeared before the judicial system and exonerated himself by saying that he was an illiterate man who did not know how to read and write. Others helped him to do it. Furthermore, he caused more damage to Canada's reputation on the global scale beyond anyone's imagination. In 2001, he was invited to go to Kenya to promote the city of Toronto for Olympic 2008. He was counterproductive.  He told others that he did not want to go to Kenya because of human cannibalism. In another incident, when Toronto rampaged with SARS and World Health Organization (WHO) came to Toronto, he asked who is who? The last notable incident happened when the Hell's Angels were advertising that they would be holding their annual ride and would be gathering at a specific point. He went to that location and shook hand with a Hell's Angel member and when Toronto Police Services informed him that he made a poor choice. He replied by saying that he did not know that Hell's Angel's involved in illegal drug activities.

Mr. Doug Ford is the brother of belated Mr. Rob Ford. When they were elected representative at the City of Toronto as a councilor and mayor, they turned the municipal government upside down. It was like a circus. The two brothers involved in shoving match with others, using their massive bodies to push down the stairs on a senior woman, total disregard for safety and well-being of others. He ran unsuccessfully for Mayor's Office, but he failed. However, the political tide has changed for him now. People of Ontario are frustrated how the Liberal Government carried some of the affairs, and people want to give the boot to the government and contemplating to cast their votes to the Conservative Party of Ontario which is leading by Mr. Doug Ford. The future of Ontario is reflecting what he did at the City of Toronto when he was a city councilor. Plus, recently, he commented that he wanted to cut the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's budget. He does not know that the provincial government has no jurisdiction in Crown Corporation.

Mr. Trump is the last person for this paper as an ultimate player that politics and business do not mix. Mr. Trump knows how to start a good fight with others. He knows how to manipulate his opponents. However, it is not same as politics. In the realm of politics, a conflict appears on the surface, and politicians use their diplomacy technique to create Peace, Order, and Good Government (POG). Mr. Trump does not reflect that. Mr. Trump only illustrates his business will power that he has more muscle than others and could do anything that he wishes for.

In conclusion, the nature of politics is different than business. To do politics, it requires understanding what leads to POG. The nature of the business is about creating an image for someone, and exploiting the situation. It is about mirage in the desert. It is an absurd idea to assume because someone is doing well in business, they can perform well in politics. Politics is difficult and complicated; it requires academic training, and experience in the field. Otherwise, people who came from business field to politics field, they make comments and act in a fashion that it is nothing, but an embarrassment to the whole nation.