Politics has existed always, politicians have existed always, but what has happened? The world remains the same sorry-go-round! In fact, misery goes on becoming multiplied every day. All these revolutionaries and radical politicians have only proved to be mischievous -- with good intentions, of course; but intentions don't count at all -- what counts is consciousness.
The politician has no consciousness; in fact, he is trying to avoid his own inner problems, he is trying to escape from his own problems. And the easiest way to escape from oneself is to become concerned about world problems, economics, politics, history, service to the poor, transformation of the conditions of the society, reformation. All these are strategies for escaping from one's own problems -- subtle strategies, dangerous, because one feels that one is doing something great, while one is simply being a coward.
First face your own problems, encounter them. First try to transform YOUR being. Only a transformed person can trigger processes of transformation in others.
-Rajneesh