Visceral dislike of politics

When you grow old, you start to understand why people do the things they do, why public servants in this case can do anything including witchcraft and bribery to stay on the job, to keep bread on the table.

Mostly, all that happens because of systems and often the head of the system and a clique, and in public institutions even private ones these days. The system can work to get rid of any one or a few even at the slightest or little mistake while those openly doing farfetched crimes stay or even get promoted (Organisation politics, malice, target of vindictive and politically motivated persecution etc).

I am left to feel sorry for this world I live in. for example, how many times have you seen the state house anti-corruption unit humiliate and malign public servants in court and press for a mere Shs1,500,000 even when shareable among five people and we leaders who with evidence has plundered the national coffers, call it kleptocratic.

I dislike politics at any chance but like one historian said, you cannot run away from politics because we eat and live it daily from decisions made by those in control. I lived and admired the president (In my reading room, his picture is a long those I call heroes or admire, the Mandela, Lumumba, Tiger Woods, Che, Scofield etc) but as I grew, I realized that he is no different from the many past leaders this world has or provides-start well and disappoint or even disaster.

 Fortunately, or not, the majority of the citizens move with the times because they want bread on the table, whether scheming, kneeling, bootlicking or associating with some things that are inherently unintelligible. They say, when you are dining with a devil, you ought to use a long spoon but don’t tell that to Ugandans or other citizens in a like environment. They now use hands that meet the devil’s in the dish served.

I do read, and the fundamental mind of man from history has not entirely changed; that is enrichment of oneself at the expense of others especially among those who play the game of politics, whether in governments, multinational organisations, LC1, in the USA, Africa, Europe etc. That is why systems are not only important but there should be mechanisms to stop their breach by individuals or self-centered forces. Systems like the constitution. One Ugandan president once said,’Entebbe ewoma’. How far could he go if he was able? Would he be different from Putin (Even when I admire some part of him) and many other leaders who have changed constitutions to stay in power? No.

What is common, many such leaders are looked at as cult or gods especially in their time. Just like Mobutu Sese Seko, Napoleon Bonaparte, Sadam Hussein,  Muammar Gaddafi,  Joseph Stalin, Omar al-Bashir, Saparmurat Niyazov etc.  are or were looked at.

 And one thing is also common, that is killing or hurting interests of those opposed to their rule or potentially in line to succeed them including the elite, clever and talented ones, and often surrounding themselves with yes or mediocre.

 Any civilisation built on hurting or killing anyone intelligent or with athletic prowess as was with the Chechen Itza of the pre-Colombia in honor of Quetzalcoatl isn’t the best plan and inherently wrong. Ryszard Kapuscinski on the last Emperor of Ethiopia; Haile Selassie sacrificed the once great Ethiopia because of his paranoia, having weeded, hurt anyone of promise and talent to surround himself with mediocre, leading to its collapse. Like I said, I don’t want to talk about politics. If I am wrong, I am listening. Thank you.

Muhamed Hirji Mwesige, MA (International Relations and Diplomacy).  

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