Unify for Prosperity - part 1: The Problem

Unify for Prosperity

“Pit race against race, religion against religion, prejudice against prejudice. Divide and conquer! We must not let that happen here.”

― Eleanor Roosevelt

Part 1: The Problem

I have been looking at my poor suffering Homeland of Croatia for more than a decade trying to identify what is preventing progress and betterment of the nation.  Incompetent and opportunistic politicians plague Croatia and in more than a decade no substantial political alternatives have been developed.  Many people want change but no one has been able to do what is required to bring change. Why?

In medicine a doctor must identify the disease in order to administer the right cure and not just alleviate symptoms.  In business and engineering we find the root cause so that the proper solution can be developed.  At first glance many will assume that the incompetent government full of opportunistic politicians and civil servants is the problem but this is just a symptom. 

Identifying the symptoms

The purpose of government is to provide the service of governance to the nation (or community).   Governance is the exercise of authority in establishing policies and the management of the state; the creation of laws and allocation of limited resources (budget) to maximize the wellbeing (common-good) of society.  Elected officials make decisions and then civil servants implement and use the power of the state to enforce those decisions.  Politics is the decision-making process, or system of negotiation between various interest groups, in the public policy process.

Representative democracy

In a properly functioning system the elected officials are empowered by the mass of citizens to perform the duties of governance to the benefit of all citizens.  Citizens that empower elected officials should also be able to disempower elected officials.  This requires an active citizenry that is vigilant, with a healthy distrust of government, and willing to act.  Citizens have an obligation to be active in between elections.

Power (in politics) is the ability to influence the public policy process.

Stakeholders (citizens) need effective representation in the negotiations (competition maybe) for limited resources and laws that benefit the common good.  In a properly functioning representative democracy the elected officials and civil servants serve the interests of the common good and are held accountable by the law and the people. In a dysfunctional system of governance the interests of the citizens are not properly (justly) represented by the politicians who act as if they are above the law.  This happens when there is asymmetry in power between the politicians, who have almost all the power and the citizens who have very little power to influence and hold the politicians accountable.  Citizens are powerless, feeling helpless and hopeless, in the corrupted dysfunctional public policy process. 

The asymmetry of power in the dysfunctional system is not the root cause but another symptom.  We must keep digging to find the cause of the asymmetry.

Q. Why are people not involved in the public policy process?
A. The politicians are accountable to the party and not to the people.

Q. Why can’t the people hold politicians accountable?

A. The people have no power.

Q. Why do the people have no power?
A.   … when we know why, then we can create a solution.

Summary

Main symptoms of the problem

·      Lack of power to influence politicians

·      Lack of power to hold politicians accountable

Result

·      Opportunistic behavior by politicians.

·      Coercion to suppress public criticism

·      Helplessness and hopelessness in the people

Source of power asymmetry

Why do people have very little power?  A common misperception, especially by those living in a victim mentality, is that they are powerless because someone or something has taken away their power. Another misperception is that only those with money, position or a high education have power. This is wrong. No one is powerless.  Everyone has power, some have a lot and many have a little.  No one can take away your power but they can overpower you when you do not exercise your power in an intelligent way.

Representative democracy

In a republic the supreme power is vested in the people.   In a representative democracy, a republic, citizens have both rights and responsibilities.  Citizens are required to be active citizens. Unfortunately few people carry out their responsibilities and become passive citizens who whine when their interests are not served. Active citizens create and increase their political power. It is safe to say that people who choose to be inactive and irresponsible citizens are powerless citizens.

Idiot

In ancient Greece, people who were public and active citizens were known as “polites” while those not capable of engaging in the public sphere were considered "idiotes".   Idiocy was a natural state of ignorance of public affairs and self-interest  and focus on private affairs.   Idiotes are born and citizens are made.  To be an active citizen requires ability and willingness. 

We all have some power. 

While the power of the state seems like the greatest power it is the most ethereal because the power of the state exists only as long as we believe in it and willingly subordinate ourselves to it.  The power of money may buy (rent) action but it does not buy the heart and as soon as the money stops the action stops.  The hands of the individuals, while on their own are such small force to be nearly negligible, are, when united, the most powerful.   The power that citizens have is based on:

·      Electoral (power to change decision makers democratically)
  … but one vote in a million is meaningless. 

·      Economic (having money to influence decision makers)
 … but one dollar when a million are needed is meaningless. 

·      Physical (power to withhold participation or services and to protest)
 … one set of hands in a million have little force.

Power can be

·      Legitimate: based on rightful authority and law

·      Illegitimate: coercion, not accepted as just

Citizens create power when they organize themselves into groups with common interests. While each person on his own is insignificant together, when acting in solidarity with one another, people become powerful.  We know this.  One vote is meaningless but 100,000 organized votes have power.  One dollar is meaningless but 100,000 people each donating a dollar begins to have power.  One person fighting alone against the might of the corrupt system will be a Don Quixote-like character that people laugh at when he fails but many people together have power.

Magnetism

Every iron atom has a tiny bit of magnetic force. Randomly aligned iron atoms cancel out the one another’s magnetic force.  Iron atoms aligned in one direction create a powerful magnetic force.

We have known from the dawn of human civilization that people working together are powerful.  Politicians and generals in the earliest days of human history knew that “divide” is required to “conquer” an enemy.  The maxim “divide et impera” has been attributed to Philip II of Macedon in the 4^th century BC.  Today it is not a secret that people organized (in alignment) into active interest groups have power to influence and keep politicians accountable.

Unity is strength, division is weakness.

 - Swahili Proverb

“United we stand, divided we fall.”    

 - Aesop

People know what creates strength and people know what creates weakness but people, for some reason, refuse to take the actions that create power.  Creating power is simple three-step process:

Step 1: Unification.  Join together for a common cause

Step 2: Unity. Making a commitment to oneness.

Step 3: Solidarity. Acting together towards the common cause.

"Coming together is a beginning.
Keeping together is progress.
Working together is success."

 - Henry Ford

Division (disunity, discord) is the disease.  This is common sense.  Division prevents unification, which prevents unity.  Disunity keeps us powerless.  Why do we choose to stay powerless? Some might blame disunity on saboteurs but saboteurs only have power over weak souls that have greater self-interest than interest in the common wealth.  Whether we are powerless of powerful is our choice.

Division creates dozens of small political parties as well as hundreds of small special interest groups – all powerless because they do not have people or resources.  When powerless against a dysfunctional and corrupt system we start to fight amongst ourselves rather than against the injustice in the system.

Root cause = Why do we not unify? 

The way I see it, the root cause is the lack of will to unify. What prevents us from joining together in a common cause to improve the common good?   

·      Joining is about being selfless in a cause.

·      Joining is about making a commitment.

Why do people not make a selfless commitment to a cause?

Commitment (commit)

·      Making a promise (guarantee) and being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc.

·      Making a promise being loyal (fidelity) to someone or something.

·      Taking on the obligations (responsibilities) required by the promise. 

o   the trait of sincere and steadfast fixity of purpose

·      Also, a strong and dedicated belief in an idea.

·      A willingness to give your time and effort to something that you believe in.

·      Membership is commitment.

People are willing to make a commitment

·      If there is something in it for them (well-being and identity)

·      They can make a difference (have impact, be meaningful)

·      The organization is just (fair responsibilities and rewards)

·      Other people are committed and active

Warning:  A commitment can be made to an outcome but a commitment to an outcome without a commitment to the actions (behaviors) required to accomplish the outcome is a pointless commitment (just lip service, talking the talk but not walking the walk).

While there are risks in unity there are greater risks in disunity.

If we know what needs to be done why do we resist doing it? 

Why do we choose not to make a commitment?

Why do we choose to stay powerless?

Now that the problem has been identified the next step is to develop a solution.

Ask yourself,

What are you willing to commit to and why?

Some quotes

Karl Marx said “Proletarier aller Länder vereinigt Euch!” This was popularized as "Workers of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains!"  While I disagree with Marx’s overall philosophy and what it developed into there is truth in his words.  I will adapt them to our situation by saying:

“Citizens of the nation, unite! You have nothing to lose but your suffering (exploitation, injustice, oppression) !"

“Individual commitment to a group effort: That is what makes a team work,
a company work, a society work, a civilization work.”

  - Vince Lombardi

“We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.”

 - Benjamin Franklin

“What ever disunites man from God, also disunites man from man.“

 - Edmund Burke

“When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.”

 - Winston S. Churchill

“If there is one path above all others to war,
 it is the path of weakness and disunity.”

 - John F. Kennedy

“Always we argue that unity is necessity because disunity goes in favor of the U.S. , which are our enemy, and everything that goes in favor of the enemy must be eliminated. That is why we are in favor of unity.”

 - Che Guevara