When I last negotiated the purchase of a new truck, the sales person gushed over having “the industry’s best” warranty. Months after the purchase, when I queried about whether a repair would be covered under warranty, the same person told me, “no, you only have “ this warranty.

When, during various elections, I was pondering on candidates to vote for I was given promises after promises. As after every election the back pedaling began. Usually it starts, with new governments, we did not know how bad the books were, so we have to postpone promised spending.

The sales pitches work, I bought the truck, the political promises worked, the new governments were elected, but we still did not gain our money’s or our trust’s worth. We were all seduced by different parts of the sales pitches and different promises and more often than not we were let down.

I did not ask the sales person whether the warranty would cover each and every scenario and part, and I did not read or comprehend fully all the exemptions and conditions of the warranty, and I did not apply all the scenarios and excuses to every political promise made during the elections. I finally just rolled the dice on my purchase and vote, and hoped for the best.

I knew in a few years I would be trading in my truck and my politicians, so I felt the risk was worth it. The test would be whether I stay with the same brand or political party or candidate. There are those who do stay with the same brand, political party and candidate, blindly, it sometimes seem, but I do not. They have to earn my money and/or vote.

Being an optimist, I hope that my new truck or politician will be worthy of my investment or support, and I hope they do not fail me when I need them the most. My livelihood depends on them. Different ways, no doubt, but they do affect my and my family’s lives.

Planned obsolescence or built-in obsolescence in industrial design and economics is a policy of planning or designing a product with an artificially limited useful life, so it will become obsolete (that is, unfashionable or no longer functional) after a certain period of time.(according to wikipedia)

This is important, because I knew my truck will be obsolete in a few years or in a few hundred thousand kilometres and my politicians will be obsolete in a few terms so I keep these in mind during negotiating and voting.

Things may change. I may trade in my lemon of a truck early or I may keep old reliable longer, that depends on the truck. Politicians can be assured of a multi-year term before the next vote and different levels have different terms of “Planned Obsolescence”.

Federal governments usually get changed every ten years or 2 terms, and I think that still holds true. Provincially, governments seem to stay for rather long extended periods, but there is serious debate that the current Alberta provincial government may be the anomaly and have a 4 year expiration date. Time will tell.

Municipally, councillors and mayors have the longest periods of planned obsolescence, due mainly to familiarity and voting practices. Often times considered the least important in the political hierarchy, they can have the greatest effect on our daily lives.

Many believe that the councillors and mayors are merely figureheads and rubber stamps with little influence, and there is some basis for that. Thus the adage that you cannot fight city hall. Name recognition wins a seat, and multiple terms are a given, so promises are ignored and forgotten, which is disappointing. There is always hope.

Times change, and our needs change. The truck I bought 3 years ago may not be suitable today, as do our politicians. Perhaps today’s candidates need to be more assertive or aggressive, perhaps the good ol’incumbant may not be the best choice, in today’s economy or political environment. The status quo, or the establishment, may not cut it anymore?

Donald Trump, the gaffe-prone, outspoken, republican U.S. presidential candidate, may not become president, but he is a warning to all political parties and candidates, that people are looking for more than what has normally been offered.

Imports are increasingly supplanting domestic trucks in the market place. The NDP surprised the provincial backrooms, the nation rallied around the third party, Liberals, and municipally there are stirrings of unrest.

In a few weeks, the U.S. election will be over and I hope they study and learn from the rise and impact of the anti-establishment vote. Here in Alberta we will spend the next year listening to incumbents who will suddenly find it necessary to voice their concerns and opinions, promises and issues may be addressed, and perhaps see an emergence of an anti-establishment constituency.

I will probably buy my next truck from a different salesman.

Thank you.