It’S amazing how so right classical thinkers have been about politics and politicians. Indeed the passions of men will not conform to the dictates of reason and justice without constraint.
I am convinced that politicians – by this I mean men in government – whatever their hue cannot by their own character be trusted. Nor do they by their own character want to be trusted well-knowing what builds trust.
Why mistrust leaders? It’s because too many of them make too many ruinous mistakes.
Politicians make more promises than they have the moral courage to keep. If anything, politicians
succeed only in antagonising good citizens and then go on to threaten them.
I am persuaded by Ronald Reagan’s outrageous candour that government is not always the solution to
problems government is the problem; that a patriot has the duty to protect his people from their own
government.
Yes, people have little choice but to deal with government, sometimes ruthlessly. It seems this is the
only way to ensure that whoever constitutes government delivers to satisfaction. Else forget it.
Harsh rebellious thinking, but illustratable from the shortfalls in the present state of public
affairs: For a start our leaders must behave – for they are not – in ways that show that the economy
is now in reverse. Malawians are becoming poorer, hungrier and angrier. Hard decisions had better be
made to avert the chaos that accompanies collapsed economies.
Malawians demand serious public sector reforms, not least public finance management. This country must
build a moral, systemically efficient and trustworthy public sector.
In all honesty, reforms commenced well. Millions were pleased, and many said so. But the emerging
reality is being undetermined by Slowmageddon. Action in principle areas such as finance is criminally
slow and the results shoddy and inadequate.
Our best is not good enough. And my take is that oversight by high offices has been inadequate, giving
anti-reformists opportunities to retard operations.
Leaders have unwittingly invested their trust in otherwise un-trustable people effectively allowing
heartless detractors to create a ‘much ado about nothing’ facade where indeed nothing significant
takes place.
A lot has been said about firing, retiring or re-deploying detractors but there are no signs that the
needful will be done. Budgetary constraints to pay off detractors I presume!
Reforms relating to finance are gripped by Slowmageddon. And this despite the urgency and the risk of
damaging prospects for resumption of budget support already postponed by a further 24 months.
Not that budget support matters.
Not in my case. I irreversibly believe it is high time Malawi broke this oppressive yoke called aid.
The significant issue is that without secure systems capital flight, resource bleeding and unholy cash
bonanzas will persist.
Government counter-position regarding quality of financial reforms is awfully weak; almost
embarrassing.
Clear suggestions to use private sector and international experts remain unconsidered. Matters of
sovereignty I presume.
To me it’s illogical to believe that Malawians will change systems that form a life line for
thousands. Honestly one cannot close a water tap before one’s thirsty is quenched. Malawians can be
quite wicked.
No concrete decisions are made about where, how and who to roll out a pragmatic irrigation policy.
Meanwhile the green belt initiative remains an underfunded experiment five years on.
When citizens legitimately seek action, what you hear instead of action is convoluted technical detail
excusing failure. You hear serious contradictions and discordance in policy application.
Always on the back foot!
These are manifestations of indecision, failure of decisions and inability to act. This I understand
perfectly because decisions need conscious hard work and presence of mind. Yes, decision and action
are no universal talents.
On this Napoleon observes that nothing is more difficult and therefore precious than to be able to
decide. The most difficult decision among leaders is the decision to act. It takes little to do things
and great strength to decide what to do so.
Inability to make decisions is one major reason leaders fail, says John Maxwell, but then the essence
of presidency is decision-making.
In the words of Anna Lindh governments decide policy and requisite conditions for growth and
development.
The wise further do advise that in times of despondency, such as Malawi is passing through, a
president calms the people with sober decision making and not make them feel neglected and stupefied.
Sure leaders must be patient but within limits because excessive patience retards speed of decision
making. Logically desperate situations demand desperate decisions as much as exceptional challenges
require exceptional responses. Tough problems are basically decisions waiting to be made without which
problems persist.
Unfortunately, says Carly Fiorina leaders hardly consider – and I dare add understand – how indecision
impacts policy and development. If processes are slow, flawed or dysfunctional so will the decisions
emerging from that process.
A lot has been said of policies emerging from partisanship that when challenged the policies lead to
inaction, excuses and paralysis of decision making process. Of course most indecision results from
uncritical analysis and inadequate data.
In Peter Drucker’s thinking leaders fail to recognise that decisions are a multi-level process not
reserved for executives. He declares it wrong to assume that only senior executives make decisions or
that their decisions necessarily matter the most. And I agree unreservedly.
This is a dangerous idea. Which is why leaving out citizen’s ideas or embarrassing them into silence
is serious retrogression. Citizens require attention and respect not denunciation.
Carlos Ghosn advises leaders to listen to people with both negative and positive opinions, to blend
all opinions before a decision is made. I agree with Ghosn, but I believe that opinions are neither
negative nor positive; they are only different.
Absolutely, opinions are only different each as priceless as the other.
I believe that difference supports the inevitability of change and dismantles the enslaving boredom of
constancy and permanence which politicians exploit to full advantage.
Well, if you have to know, I hate permanence and indecision that creates false reality. I seek the
freedom of the wind.
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