Nostalgia is not rational

^{Image by kp yamu Jayanath from Pixabay}

In these modern times, we see political leaders, some of them very prominent, others leaders of parties or political movements from countries all over the world, giving speeches in which they evoke a bygone era.

This evocation always suggests and brings to the discourse a tone of nostalgia and a desire to revive or bring back those policies to the present day. Rationally, it is not at all possible that something that happened years or decades ago could be adopted again, because, in addition to most likely not having the same result, it could even be perverse and dystopian to the point of having exactly the opposite result.

To think that the program of a particular political party or a particular leader of a country could be driven by a sense of belonging to the past and a desire to relive it is in itself an exercise in pure fantasy and political and intellectual disloyalty.

Nowadays, it seems that voters no longer do their research and do not think for themselves. They buy into a narrative in which reality is distorted and they are presented with untrue facts and data that do nothing to contribute to an informed decision. We know that it is up to each of us to verify reality, but there is a noticeable lack of interest in seeking reliable sources or in comparing the ideas and statements/news that are published daily, many of them in outlets that are not traditionally informative, such as social networks, sharing platforms, and messaging services.

The disinterest and discrediting of political decision-makers by voters, and the long years of their policies, on both sides, which have not brought about major development and structural reforms, or significant changes in quality of life, have led us to where we are today.

I am referring, for example, to the pre-election situation for the Presidency of the Republic that we are currently experiencing. We had a first round of voting, which did not give a majority to any of the candidates. There were a large number of candidates for the Presidency, and many of those who were supported by the “traditional” political parties received few votes on the 18th.

The second round of voting, which will take place on February 8, will be contested between two candidates. One is more closely linked to the left-wing party, and the other clearly has a more populist discourse, which I do not consider to be right-wing, as none of his positions lead to the real implementation of structural measures that would improve the quality of life for the general population.

In this way, parties, policy makers, and voters must always live in the present. They must adapt their actions, thoughts, and arguments to the current times. There is no point in wanting to live in the past, as that time is gone. Trying to sell the idea that the past was good is hugely intellectually and politically dishonest.

^{Free image from Pixabay.com
Original text written by me in Portuguese and translated with DeepL.com (free version)}