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Governing by fear and power

24 November 2005, 18:00 PM
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
By Manipulated On e-mail
24 November 2005, 18:00 PM
. PHOTO: AFP
Governments in Bangladesh manipulate the public using the fear factor and the show of power, to throttle any opposing viewpoint. This tendency is common for countries having no depth of political grooming, which try to exercise democracy without respect to democratic values. Politicians governing such countries, and Bangladesh is an example of that, use both fear and power to reinforce their grip on the people. Most political systems, be it monarchy, dictatorship or democracy, use power and fear as tools of governance. Dictatorship by definition usually follows the open and visible approach of the fear and power factor of governance, while democracy uses subtle ways of coercion and submission of people. Both have one aim - perpetuate their rule!

That's why the proverb "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely", has survived the test of time. The dictator that Mao was, said clearly "power comes from the barrel of the gun", without mincing words. Sweet talking democrats, be they of the "left" or "right" variety call it, "facing national threat, "or" the enemy within" to justify and legitimise their exercise of fear and power.

Looking behind the scene, governments of such countries in turn mistrust the armed forces, and find ways and means to keep them in check. The rulers in history glorified their armies with colourful uniforms, gaudy badges of rank, medals and other accoutrements. They were given a share of the booty of war, grants of land and similar largess to keep them under control. Present day governments adopt similar exercises in pomp, show, creating comforts and other lavish benefits, to keep their armed forces in good humour!

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Our society today has been conditioned to these opportunistic manipulations of both the despotic and democratic variety; from presidents and prime ministers, elected or otherwise. Our people are no longer sensitive to the subtle interplay of fear and power, which have become the normal tools of governments. Gradually, the difference in modus operandi between the dictators and the democrats of these two factors has more or less merged. Their difference in utilising these twin tools of governance only defines the level of overall development or otherwise, and nothing else. In this usage of fear and power what is "sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander"!