This year is a very political year for many countries. France has just voted in their new leader, Greece will do shortly and the USA elections beckon.
Hundreds and maybe thousands are spent on elections. We just heard how George Clooney held a party and raised millions - 15 to be exact - for the Obama campaign. That was after Republicans have banked multiple of that.
We have been bamboozled with virals, advertising and speeches. Then the leaders have pulled out of the bag their election gold bullets. Hollande's was to tax millionaires by 75%. Obama just now announced he is pro gay marriage. Then as soon as they are chosen they 'readjust their policies'. Funny that.
This is exactly what happened in the campaign for Blair. The New Labour campaign was one of the sparkliest in a long time. Jazzy theme tune and logo. Compared to the fusty old Conservatives and Maggie's iron fist approach it felt upbeat and contemporary. He then went round the country having conversations with his people. He listened to their problems and promised to help them.
Many Brits look back at his years in power with a deep sense of disappointment. He promised to be the people's leader but he spent more time on foreign affairs than he did on home ones and quickly earned the label of 'President Blair'.
The campaigns this year have rehashed the same great statements and promises of previous candidates. "France forte!" or "Mighty France!" from Sarko and then unoriginally "Time for change" from Hollande.
My question is not whether one party is better than the other. It is this - is the political system is simply outdated?
People want the truth more than ever and no more BS. The web now means there is no running away from the facts.
Countries have tried to impose firewalls but bloggers have found ways of using code to communicate what's really happening.
Most of all politicians need to stop trying to wow and impress us and start trying to understand and help us.
I was struck in the Sarkozy/Hollande debate how elitist and pompous political language has got. Language that is so jargony and technical it makes no sense to most. Eurobonds. Growth. Austerity.
People want to know what these words mean for them individually. They want stuff made simple.
Instead of education talk about children and schools. Instead of economy it should be your money and job.
It would also be completely revolutionary to actually offer people what they really need and what's good for them.
Wellbeing would be a good beginning.
A system for learning that allows children to flourish, that encourages their skillset. Creative souls are still today either left to wither or put in a different box like Steiner.
Instead of being obsessed with drugs we should take a leaf out of the Chinese medicine book and focus on prevention and promoting a nourishing way of life.
Instead of a culture of workaholics people should be encouraged to work to live and have a rich life outside of the office.
Ask yourselves are you happy with your life and then what is your government doing to help? Isn't that the role ultimately of a government, to create a better world for the people, not themselves or their ego?
And the people have the power now thanks to Twitter and Facebook. We should demand more from our politicians. It's all very easy to give an eloquent speech that some ivory tower advisor wrote. We should put our future presidents to the test, with real live situations and even real time experiences in real companies. Most like Hollande have spent their life in the theory of politics.
Political parties should be made up of people like you. We pride ourselves that X politician went to a top business school or Y is from a certain family. What about their experience of disaster, poverty, joblessness?
Time is indeed ripe for change. For the people it's time to say enough is enough and demand a more human and life enforcing way of running countries.
Every country deserves this. Greece has gone to pot as the so called powers that be have spent away the public money. UK did away with factories in the 80s and all the jobs that went with it. USA now force girls who want to have an abortion to have a scan three times before they abort.
All their decisions. All choices beyond our control.
If you feel this way sign up to the new campaign of the people - enough is enough.