BEWARE POLITICAL CHARISMA
Averthanus L. D'Souza.
In times of serious crises there is a natural tendency for
ordinary
people to feel a sense of helplessness and confusion. They cannot understand
what
is happening around them; they cannot identify the causes or make a diagnosis.
It
is very similar to a physical illness. The patient feels uneasy and is
confused
about what is happening and about what has caused the dis-ease. The patient
therefore seeks the assistance of someone who knows better - a qualified
physician/diagnostician. His psychological anxieties are allayed when a
qualified
doctor tells him what is wrong with him and what he should do to regain his
physiological equilibrium.
In times of economic or political crises, similarly, the
citizens
are confused about what is happening to their political and economic
environment
which is causing them so much distress - unemployment, loss of wages, inability
to
repay their mortgage dues or the interest on their loans etc. In times such as
these, citizens look up to their political leaders to tell them what is
happening
and they expect these leaders to get them out of the unhappy situation. Very
often, however, this ends up in the classic condition known as 'the blind
leading
the blind.' The politicians who are expected to get us out of the mess in
which we
find ourselves are the very ones who were responsible for creating the mess in
the
first place. Their lack of understanding of social processes, economic
principles
and ecological systems is combined with their moronic determination to 'reach
the
top' come hell or high-water.
Politicians, in particular, are gifted with blinkers which
allow
them to see only what they prefer to see. Their inability to see beyond the
point
of their noses is an additional qualification because it prevents them from
looking back to understand the causes and looking forward to predict the
possible
outcome of their chosen actions. Citizens are painfully aware of the common
practice among politicians (and political parties) to blame all the current
problems
on their predecessors - even if the problems were created by themselves in a
previous ministerial position. These politicians invariably pose as the
'saviours'
who will deliver their people out of the mess, provided that they are elected
to the
appropriate public office, preferably that of the Chief Minister or President.
Once securely ensconced in their favourite political positions
these politicians proceed to eliminate everybody who poses (or who is likely
to
pose) a threat to their position. We are painfully aware of the uncomfortable
fact
that our Ministers spend most of their time plotting against their ministerial
colleagues or forming secret caucuses to undermine the authority and the
influence
of those whom they consider to be antagonistic to their own political progress
or to
their nefarious plans of enriching themselves in the shortest possible time.
Even
when they appear to be working in tandem, it is because they have struck
behind-the-scenes secret deals which will allow them to pursue their own
personal
agenda. There is usually a quid pro quo involved in what appears to be a
consensus
on important issues. This political exercise can be crudely described as a
strategy of 'if you scratch my back, I will scratch yours.'
It is apparent to everyone who is a careful observer of the
political processes in democratic governments (except, perhaps, to the
politicians
themselves) that political decisions are arrived at not in accordance with the
diagnosis of a particular problem, but in accordance with the political
compromises
which are arrived at by political interests which are not entirely in the
interest
of the Common Good. Rather, these compromises are based on the self-interest
of
the politicians concerned and their ability to arm-twist their colleagues.
This
grave dysfunction in the process of policy making occasionally breaks out into
the
open when a Minister goes public and informs the media that he knows nothing
about a
particular decision which was supposed to have been made at a Cabinet meeting,
and
which is, therefore, supposed to be the consensus decision of the entire
Cabinet.
In response to such public denials that a specific decision was, in fact, a
Cabinet
decision, the Chief Minister has usually informed the media that the decision
was
made by circulation of a 'Note." Such Machiavellian deception has become the
norm
in our system of government.
However, returning to the main consideration of so-called
political
'charisma' we should be aware that 'charisma' creates arrogance. Every one of
the
great charismatic leaders of the Twentieth century ended up a maniac. He
destroyed
everything and finally himself. Stalin in Russia, Hitler in Germany, Mussolini
in
Italy, Mao in China. And many others of lesser stature who deluded themselves
into
believing that they had unique insights which were unavailable to the rest of
mankind. They believed that they were destined to solve all the problems
plaguing
humanity. They sought to remove the restrictions which were placed on them by
constitutional tenures. They wanted no limits on the time to achieve their
political miracles. They subjected the 'rule of law' to their own personal
appraisal of how and when they would bring about the salvation of their people.
Confused and fearful people have often acceded to demands for "President for
life."
What the unthinking citizen and the delusional politician
forget is
that King Canute does not have the power to command the ocean to stop at his
feet
and proceed no further. Reality is beyond the control of any charismatic
leader.
This is a lesson that is particularly relevant at this time of global crisis.
The
expectation that one charismatic leader can get us out of the mess in which we
find
ourselves is totally unrealistic. The problem is more complex, not only in
its
geographical extent, but also in its inherent nature to be addressed by a
single
leader or even by a single nation. Those who are looking up to Barack Obama
and
those who are looking to the United States of America to solve the present
problem
are looking in the wrong direction. For Obama or for the U.S.A. to presume
that
they can pull the world out of this crisis is sheer arrogance based on massive
ignorance of the factors which have contributed to the making of the crisis.
What
is needed at this point of time is international cooperation to first identify
the
nature of the problem. Let it be clear that this is not merely an economic
crisis
or a failure of the financial system. It is even more a sociological crisis
and a
crisis of culture. The entire financial system (including the banking system)
has
been built on the unsustainable principles of greed and avarice. Competition
has
been the driving force of the entire global enterprise and Profit has been
enthroned
as the golden calf of the "Market."
What the world needs, today, is not political charisma but
ethical
renewal. The political priorities need to be changed radically. We are
spending
more money on armaments and weapons of mass destruction than on health care
and
education. We are "stimulating" the economy to benefit industries which are
primarily responsible for the economic downturn in the first place. The
disparities
between the rich and the poor have grown beyond acceptable limits and unless
these
disparities are removed, no stimulus packages are likely to get results.
Averthanus D'Souza,
Dona Paula, Goa
