|
Might Is Always Right In Politics |
|
|
|
|
Written by Pio Sioa
|
|
Thursday, 13 March 2008 |
Where politics is concerned, power or might, is never about whether it is not necessarily right.
Might decides what is right – full stop. There are no two ways about it.
When you have the numbers on your side you can never be wrong. The strength of the ayes will always drown out the nays. Is that right or not right?
Where the rules of democracy are concerned that is the way it works.
There are other forms of rule. Dictatorship is one. This is where political rule is generally associated with one person holding power, and this is the greatest fear to the lovers of democracy.
They shudder at the thought. A terrible haunting nightmare.
Something about absolute power corrupts absolutely that really horrifies those who abide by the principles of majority rule or as it is fondly referred to as democracy.
How often have we seen the depressing aftermath of people who have risked everything to support political convictions about freedom that comes with democracy?
But is the democracy we subscribe to wholeheartedly free of dictatorial rule? Absolutely no way!
When it becomes a numbers game it maybe be referred to as a collective form of dictatorship.
Perfectly acceptable in a system where the support of the majority decides who should rule and how.
The right to establish political parties is the basis where collective rule is founded and where the Government of the day dictates what goes on in a democracy, whether you agree or disagree.
When the numbers are solidly in the pocket of any political party, they can rule every which way that tickles their idealistic fancy.
This is what is now happening in the unyielding hold by the HRPP on Samoa’s democracy.
The numbers are so firmly stacked in their favour, and for so long now, they can dictate as freely as they wish, secured in the perceived support of the whole country.
HRPP has done amazingly well so far and can legitimately claim to have the confidence and trust of the majority.
The one main let down that has soured their collective power to reign fairly, are with plans afoot to force the country to switch sides of the road to drive on.
The Government has so much collective power it is being wielded to muscle out the gentle persuasions of accountability and transparency that under pins good governance
The petition protesters were aware of this from the start but were hoping and praying that logic and reasons will influence members of the ruling party to reconsider.
They tried extremely hard to project the issue as a genuine concern for the safety and welfare of the country and to also assure the Government this was a non political issue,
Unfortunately, they were forced to learn the hard and painful way this week that reason and logic is not a common denominator when it comes to party poliics.
Maybe they can claim some consolation because the appeal did win over the support of three Government MPs, who bravely crossed over to side with the protest.
The MPs loyalty however are still with the party but they allowed their conscience to decide between right and wrong. They should be heartily applauded for it..
What they did by crossing the floor is what the ideals of true democracy yearns for.
There could have been others but the clutter of members lining up for opportunities to speak on the Petition Committee report may have prevented more from crossing the floor.
If the People Against Switching Sides, PASS, are disappointed by the outcome of the report by the Parliamentary committee, it is understandable.
The same should be said about the IPES Engineers and their petition.
The House Select Committee assigned to review the protest petitions tabled a report that was described as more interested in ‘reinforcing the Government’s arguments,” rather than take to heart the concerns of more than 30 thousand protesters.
One does not have to be a political analyst to sense that the report by the House Committee was a charade. A sham designed to play down the seriousness of the fears and concerns of the public.
Members were more concerned, and still are, about collective power that comes from the bonding as a political party, than allowing personal conscience to decide what is best for the country.
If the inner voice in them agreed with the Government stance good. Guilty conscience is not a problem.
Pity those who have to find solace and refuge from the moral lashings of an unsympathetic conscience..
Maybe this Government genuinely believes they are doing the right thing and hopefully they are .
Maybe they are willing to make the hard decisions they truly believe will benefit the country. Pray it is going to do just that.
Wisdom does suggest that it is better to err on the side of caution than to be sorry later.
The RHD fight will obviously continue for the protesters like PASS and the Institute of Engineers IPES.
The chances of success for their cause, now depends on whether the collective power that is currently dictating Samoa’s democracy, is willing to agree that might is not necessarily right.
 |
The News 
Subscribe to this comment's feed
