Robert Kennedy

At the end of my working day, I like to watch old music videos that can be seen continuously on 192TV. On Wednesday, I had received a distressing message about the death of a young man. That was still playing through my head when I heard the first words of Battle Hymn Of The Republic by Andy Williams. He sang it during the church service for Robert Kennedy's funeral. Kennedy was shot in Los Angeles on 5 June 1968 and died a day later at the age of 42.

On 20 June 1961, a few days before I was born, Robert Kennedy was appointed Secretary of Justice by his brother John (then president of the United States). In that role, he cracked down hard on the terror of the US mafia. In doing so, he behaved courageously, because he did know that this approach could threaten his own life. But he saw it as his Catholic duty to eliminate this great evil.

As president, his brother had already lost his life in an attack. Nevertheless, albeit after some hesitation, he ran for president in 1968. The prospects were positive. The man was very charismatic, very friendly and considerate in his contacts with people, but also determined in his political course.

I was 7 when he died. Together with my mother, I watched the memorial service live on TV on 8 June 1968. Apparently, that was when all my love for music and interest in politics came together. My parents bought Andy Williams' single, which had been made from the recordings during the service at St Patrick's Cathedral in New York. The B-side featured Ave Maria, also from that service. I played the single grey. From that moment in 1968, Robert Kennedy was an idol for me.

When his body was transferred from New York to Washington, people stood rows thick along the railway. Young and old, white and black. He was popular throughout society, but certainly outside the US as well.

If a type of Robert Kennedy stood up today I would go to the polls again, I could believe in democracy again. On the eve of the Provincial Council elections, I am gloomy about democracy. Regular readers of this column know that I announced the end of democracy years ago and have even shared thoughts with you on how to move forward. Around me, I hear the same gloomy noises. While it makes little sense with the corps of politicians now in place, the best signal voters can send is that they don't stand up during elections. As a believer in democratic thinking, I am puzzled by my own position.

From everyone I talk to I hear that they really have no idea who to give their vote to, that's how low confidence is. Stay at home then is my advice and let's pray that that signal is understood as the end of an era when we have tried to develop democracy into something that ultimately turns against us.

I quite believe they all want to be like Robert Kennedy. Just like every singer would want to possess the velvet vocal chords of Andy Williams.

Further on in this Tripost, we must tire you with the consequences of the low legislative quality of the current generation of politicians. The hunt for the wealthy and major shareholders (says Paternotte) continues.

We are trying to assist our clients to cushion the effects, but the consequence will be additional legislation to block our solutions. In other words, a kind of race. It would be good to go back to the ISMO report from the 1970s, which identified that there was no acceptance of the high tax burden leading to massive fraud. Politicians then got convinced and reduced the tax burden, greatly improving compliance and the relationship between citizens and government.