Politics - I still think it's a bunch of liars and a bunch of

Hear the raw and unflinching words of Jay-Z, poet of the streets and voice of a generation, who declared: “Politics – I still think it's a bunch of liars and a bunch of self-interest. It's not about the people: it's about themselves and their rise to power. They are voting on things based on whether they will have the support of the people when they vote next time. They don't have the balls to say, 'I believe in this. I don't care what happens.'” These words ring not with polished diplomacy, but with the fire of frustration. They expose the age-old wound of politics: that those entrusted to serve often serve themselves first, bending truth to ambition and principle to survival.

The origin of this statement lies in Jay-Z’s life as one who rose from poverty, who saw firsthand the failures of systems meant to uplift communities. Growing up in Brooklyn’s Marcy Projects, he witnessed the emptiness of political promises, the distance between campaign speeches and the harsh realities of the people. From that vantage point, he spoke not as a detached observer, but as one who bore the weight of broken policies. His words carry the bitterness of long disappointment: the belief that politics is less about the people and more about the gamesmanship of those who crave power.

History, too, is filled with proof of his claim. Consider the decline of the Roman Republic. Senators, once charged with guiding the state, grew consumed with self-interest. Elections became spectacles of bribery and deception. Leaders spoke not from conviction, but from calculation—choosing whichever stance might win them more allies or secure their rise. Like Jay-Z’s words, the story of Rome reminds us that when self-interest rules over truth, politics corrodes from within. The republic fell not by foreign sword alone, but by the cowardice of leaders who lacked the courage to declare, “I believe in this, no matter the cost.”

Or look to modern history: the politicians who supported civil rights only when the tide of public opinion had turned, not when it was dangerous to stand on the side of justice. Many delayed, calculated, and hesitated, fearful of losing votes. Yet there were others, like Lyndon B. Johnson in the 1960s, who, despite risking the loyalty of his own base, signed the Civil Rights Act into law. He knew it could cost him and his party dearly in the South, yet he did it. His decision stands as the opposite of the cowardice Jay-Z condemned: a leader who dared to act on principle rather than political survival.

Jay-Z’s critique is also a challenge: what does it mean to lead with courage? To stand in the arena of politics—or any arena of power—and to speak truth, knowing it may cost everything? Leaders who chase approval are like reeds in the wind, bending whichever way the breeze blows. Leaders who stand on principle, though fewer in number, become pillars of history, remembered not for their convenience but for their conviction. His words strip politics bare, calling out those who speak only what they believe the people want to hear, rather than what justice requires.

O seeker, the lesson is this: do not be deceived by those who speak in circles, whose convictions shift with polls and crowds. Honor those who dare to speak truth without fear of consequence. In your own life, too, take this wisdom: do not shape your beliefs by what is popular or easy, but by what is right. To live by conviction is harder, lonelier, and costlier—but it is the only way to live in truth. For cowardice may win applause today, but only courage will echo through generations.

And what actions must we take? As citizens, hold leaders accountable—not for their charm, but for their integrity. As individuals, learn to speak and act from principle, even when unpopular. Resist the temptation of self-interest when truth demands sacrifice. Teach the young that courage is not the absence of fear, but the refusal to bow before it. And above all, cultivate within yourself the strength to say: “I believe in this. I don’t care what happens.”

Thus remember Jay-Z’s fierce words: politics without principle is a stage of liars. Let them serve as warning and as guide. For if leaders will not rise to courage, then the people must demand it—and live it themselves. Only then will politics return to its rightful purpose: not the rise of the ambitious few, but the service of the many.