Society is form as groups of groups with multiple
rooms of ideological walls, floors and ceilings, each with doors, inviting
access and escape, and windows, allowing views and voices. Consider a ground
floor housing the poor and uneducated, upper floors are for the middle classes
and the penthouse is reserved for the wealthy. Opportunities through education
and experience allow many to climb up, at lease to a certain level. Networking
and risk-taking can elevate a few over many years to the higher floors. The
very top are for those who understand, after a lifetime of climbing, it is not
how much money one has or controls, anyone can win a large jackpot, it is about
influence and power.
Generations at the
top have always operated in the shadows, helping elevate good and educated
people that would do their bidding, placing them in high positions, evaluating
and rewarding, making them rich. Such persons proudly move through society as
leaders, respected with influence over many but often made the mistake of thinking
rather than following the outlined plan and are disciplined. Those who follow
the plan are allowed a comfortable life, a public legacy and to appoint a
successor, and after generations of service maybe invited into the penthouse.
Democracy calls society
together, in large part, to elect representatives that will speak on the
people’s behalf, solicit the groups’ opinions on topics and carry this to
influence and enact policy, laws and regulations. In it ideal form, individual
ideas are promoted and advanced, discussed and fined tuned, to win out as a
majority opinion. The underlying philosophy that prevails must be based on hope
of improving living conditions for a majority or for all the people. Divisions
will persist and the discussions must continue under the art of politics; to
persuade others.
Unfortunately, Party
Politics further filters individual views and in most cases forces its
leadership beliefs on to its hard working the rank and file members, who then
go into the public arena with party emblems. In many societies, the main
political difference is the extent of its social support. With each political
party pointing to discrimination by others to keep loyalty and support, eroding
national pride and promoting a war zone, limiting individual thought or issue
based thinking. Sanctioning members who publicly agree with any other party
stands, to the point of expulsion if found listening to opinions from members
of other parties.
When these elected
representatives forms Government the electorate views are additionally mixed
with current, eco-socioeconomic and geopolitical realities, forcing Government
policies to abandon election promises. It is such that on entering office the realism
of untrained staff, staff and equipment shortages, overcrowding, may occupy a
lot of time assigned to project implementation. Protest, consultations and
other social impediments, financial allocations and releases, may also cause
delays. Political barriers may also be mounted in response to pass party
activities or as delaying strategies to have an effect on the next election.
Hence, constantly
educating the electorate on the true power of elected offices and against
unrealistic political promises, falls to the President and the Independent
Agencies; Integrity Commission, Public Prosecution, Security Exchange
Commission, Auditor General, Central Bank, Statistical Office, Budget Office. Remembering;
A Minister cannot legally hire, discipline or dismiss a public officer, cannot
award or terminate contracts but can only guide policy by instructing the
Permanent Secretary or Accounting Officer.
Rationale
T.A.J & Associates Company Limited uses this occasion to comment on topics that have been covered, both academically and by the mainstream media, to add its opinion and point out investment opportunity, not to invoke any social action.
