A GUY'S VIEW

Corruption and changing political regimes

There is a shaking going on and no one seems to understand why. The world seems to be moving away from stable leadership and there is a growing willingness to abandon the ideas of the status quo and to think and live outside the box.

The rest of the world was astounded when Americans elected Donald Trump. Well, not elected, because the majority of the people who voted did so for his opponent, but the status quo’s system of ensuring that they determine who leads that country chose him. However, the system that chose him is the system that Americans accept as good for them.

In 2017, New Zealand elected its youngest Prime Minister since the 1850s. Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern was not even the leader of her party three months before she was elected Prime Minister. She was 39 years old then.

Finland elected Sanna Marin as their Prime Minister earlier this year, at age 34. Making her the youngest leader of a government in the world.

Ukraine's Prime Minister is still 35 years old – Oleksiy Honcharuk, just one year older than Marin.

Two days ago, the British people elected Boris Johnson by a landslide. Had Trump not been elected before him, his win might have been a surprise to persons in the western world, but a precedent had been set for his benefit.

Clearly, there is something going on. While the strains of democracy have not yet given way, the people who must live under this system of governance appear to be rejecting it, at least to the extent that they can do so and still allow their governance system to be called democratic.

There is on-going unrest in Hong Kong, but that seems unnatural and well-orchestrated. Oddly enough, while there seems to be a worldwide movement towards a stronger sense of nationalism, the people of Hong Kong are calling for western powers that are arrayed against their country to intervene on their behalf. If their reports are true, they seem to be calling for a reversion to a dark, embarrassing period in their history.

In many instances, populations around the world scream corruption. The natural hatred of corrupt practices enables this subject to be used conveniently to manipulate the masses. There is no need for evidence. Just be convincing enough in your charge of corruption and the people would overthrow their government.

Unfortunately, it seems not to be generally understood that political parties are not generally corrupt. Individuals of flawed character may fall into that category. Not making this connection allows populations to replace corrupt politicians with corrupt politicians.

No Barbadian politician is corrupt because he or she is a member of the Democratic Labour Party or the Barbados Labour Party. People who are determined to live by fraud and deception do not necessarily wear a political tag. Wherever they are, they will act according to what is within them.

Of course, there are some persons who seem to leave a trail of corruption of one kind or another wherever they go. It is only sensible to stay clear of such persons. If a teacher steals chalk, why would you trust her to be a Minister of Education? To give her that authority is merely giving her access to more chalk, as well as black boards, to steal. That would be silly. But that teacher will not become dishonest because she enters politics. She is just a dishonest person.

When the topic of corruption comes up, we point at politicians as though they have a monopoly on corrupt practices. Is there more corruption at that level than there is below them?

Whatever one’s view is on that subject, there are some things I just refuse to believe about our workers, both public and private. We delight in rumour rather than asking straight questions so that answers may be given and have misunderstandings cleared up. In this regard, I wish to ask the following questions:

Is it true that the chairman of an organisation to which many persons are indebted, opened a debt-collection business to collect debt on behalf of the body he leads?

Is it true that persons, in disgust, have written to that organisation complaining for employees who have been corruptly harassing them for money?

Is it true that a senior officer of an organisation approved a contract for his brother who lives overseas and has not lived here for some considerable time?

Is it true that difficulty was created when the wife of the overseas resident turned up to collect the cheque and discovered that it was not written in her name or the name of her company?

As I understand it, none of the persons involved in these activities are sitting members of Parliament and have no control of the public purse, beyond the department in which they work.

Of course, it would be a different issue if the Minister responsible for this department had knowledge of these goings on.

Corrupt practices seem to be ingrained in too many places in this country, and maybe at every level. We must be grateful for those who decide to avoid such practices, for it is on these that our country must depend. If they lose the battle, we are in deep trouble.

The people of this country owe it to themselves to ensure that their servants and leaders are scrupulous and trustworthy. And where there is evidence to the contrary, say no to them, regardless of job or party.

Barbados Advocate

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