Living in a kleptocracy

While commending the editorial of the 5th ‘Goaded by Greed’, which very rightly points to the actors of this malaise that has become the cancer of our nation, it is also useful for us to recognise the facilitators of this malaise. One is the shadowy ‘permanent government’ or the bureaucrats. It is these people who stay as the government whatever the results of the elections are. The politicians come and go with the vote, but the bureaucrat stays on whatever the vote. This would not have been a problem, in fact the original intent behind the bureaucracy was to have an informed cadre of efficient people to support the working of the government. At one time, when adhering to social norms this was effective. The administration was independent of the politicians and operated as a meritocracy, where good public performance was rewarded by rising in the ranks. The system was controlled by a set of regulations termed the Administrative Regulations (AR) and Financial Regulations (FR). It worked well, until the politicians decided to enter into the arena and ensured that the most important act to rise in the ranks or be transferred to a position of their choosing, was blind subservience to the I political masters. In an environment where the politicians are often poorly educated thugs or have despicable backgrounds, where often they could not even operate a simple bank account, the bureaucrat becomes the kingmaker. All of a sudden, the politician begins opening accounts overseas, begins collecting ‘discreet’ commissions and other bribes that are invisible to the public. Who is the person responsible for this amazing transformation? the bureaucrat! Who, in participating in the graft and corruption now becomes a kleptocrat? Today this nation does not have an effective bureaucracy, it has morphed into a corrupt kleptocracy that is facilitating the looting of a nation.

The other facilitators of this national malaise are the monks. At a time when ‘development’ means mindless consumption to enable the financial institutions to roll money over, ‘greed’ is extolled as a virtue, and economic growth is considered the goal. They are aware that the Buddha (and all other spiritual teachers) warned against this process. How is it that our monks have not uttered a word about consumerist consumption as ‘development’? Where are the voices admonishing us against greed, hate and delusion? Where is the questioning of the kleptocracy? It seems that not only are we goaded by greed but we are also governed by greed.

All this is unfolding before a crisis of planetary proportions that our so-called leaders seem to have no idea of. They did participate in the linking of national development to fossil fuels, which began in earnest in the 1970s, when the government made a public statement that “no oil means no development and less oil, less development. It is oil that keeps the wheels of development moving”. In the knowledge that fossil fuels are the primary reason for Climate Change and knowing what a vulnerable position Sri Lanka could be in due to the implementation of this policy, the statement should be considered a shameful surrender of our nation to the fossil industry.

And, now, when we are called upon to face the consequences of our actions. When we need to respond urgently to the oncoming changes, the best response seems to be ‘appoint another consultant’. Unless we, the people, confront the corrupt political cabal and their supporting kleptocrats, we will become their cattle goaded by their greed.

Dr. Ranil Senanayake