Dishonest and dumb leaders on the rise

 

From Adnan D

A dictator or a cruel leader is not so bad if he is honest. You get what you see. If he says he will shoot you if caught for corruption, he will. If he says you will be taxed at 50% but all facilities are free, that’s what you get. If he says you must wear a certain type of clothing or you will be beheaded, he means it.

The worst kind of leader is the one who constantly lies, who says one thing and then does the exact opposite. Yet he is arrogant enough to believe he is smarter than you.

For example, a leader tells Joe Public to save, saying there are not enough funds in the kitty. The public follows, tightens belts, is careful with spending, does not import goods, buys local stuff and keeps inflation in check.

But the leader buys the latest Mercedeses or Vellfires for his ministers, employs dozens of advisers, gives all civil servants bonuses and a raise in wages. To top it all, he goes with his family on a 5-star holiday, taxpayer-funded.

Another common type in some countries is the racist leader. To him, his race or religion matters the most. This makes the other races feel like pariahs. There have been quite a few of such leaders in the last 50 years or so all over the world.

There is another common occurrence in the last 50 years. Good leaders do not last. They get sick and tired of the constant backstabbing, lies, and other integrity issues. Arrogant and racist leaders live forever.

The dumb ones refuse to retire. The clever and young, in some countries, have given up on politics and have gone private. Many potential, bright people, cannot get in as they have no godfather.

The young also cannot defeat an arrogant leader who is entrenched in a system that is corrupt and surrounded by old guards, all funded by the taxpayer.

A racist leader will pass laws giving priority and privileges to a particular race. If there are five households which are equally poor and deserve help with food, the racist will give it only to the house occupied by people of his race and leave the others to starve.

The general public does not think like that, but the politician does. Divide and rule forever.

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought a lot of dumb leaders and pathetic government machinery to the surface. These are leaders who make U-turns on their decisions, leaving people to run around like headless chickens.

And then there are leaders who do no work but like to be in the glare of publicity. They do this without thinking. Media men follow them everywhere, except to toilets, unless the leaders are there to clean or inspect them.

Why do you need the media to follow you when you are visiting schools or hospitals? Just have a meeting and get your staff to report anything important.

Media organisations also need to change and focus more on positive news, if any. But in some countries, there is nothing positive to report.

I remember seeing the prime minister of a country in the 80s walking with a friend in a market. No bodyguards, no security.

I also have seen leaders who have more bodyguards and police motorcades than the British Queen. You really wonder why, especially when it is all taxpayer funded. Sometimes there are more bodyguards than members of the general public to hear their speeches.

The funny thing is that these leaders do not seem to be embarrassed.

These leaders will change tactics when it suits them. They will play mind games on you. By the time you realise what is going on, your income and savings are gone and so is your food.

Think about where you live and who your leaders are. - FMT

Adnan D is an FMT reader.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.