Politics of exploitation evident in villages
Jun 26, 2011
WELFARE theory “free ride†allocates resources effectively on services and projects private citizens would not afford to pay for.
By Joseph Kasibante
WELFARE theory “free ride†allocates resources effectively on services and projects private citizens would not afford to pay for.
Welfare theory can be a unifying factor of diverse societies to do away with the Animal Farm scenario of “all animals are equal but some are more equal than others†similar to the infamous apartheid policy of segregation formerly followed in South Africa.
Besides, welfare theory builds multiplier effect which is the cumulative upshot of change bearing the idea that increased spending in one part of the economy will lead to bigger effects in other parts.
Bigger government expenditure on mega projects like defence, power plants, roads, medical and other public goods, leaves no redundant funds for the corrupt.
Welfare theory is sustained by the general equilibrium theory which examines the relationship between the processes of production, distribution, and consumption in the total economy.
Unfortunately, African leaders since independence, Uganda inclusive, are far away from the concept of welfare theory.
Take the recent precedence; Uganda’s celebrated parliamentarian, Jacob Oulanyah, in his acceptance speech as deputy speaker of the Ninth Parliament used a quotation by an English man who described Parliament as an institution capable to do everything under the sun except turning a man into a woman.
In total abuse of the deputy speaker’s quote, the MPs on the Government and opposition side the next day went into closed door session not to breathe life into the collapsed economy, but to finish it off with demands for increased allowances and posh cars.
Within days local councillors countrywide demanded the same benefits.
Don’t these MPs feel ashamed when making such selfish demands in the face of the current economic situation that is knocking the daylights out of the ordinary citizens?
It is now evident that the entire Ninth Parliament is just a change of guards. African leaders seem infected with the Kwame Nkrumah’s lethal political virus he acquired from the colonialists: “Seek yee first the political kingdom and all else shall be given to youâ€.
On top of Nkrumah’s lethal dose, many of the African leaders adopt the Animal Farm theme as their working document to perpetuate politics of materialism.
Although Animal Farm clearly alludes to political events in Russia from the Revolution to World War II, the author,George Orwell, son of a British civil servant who belonged to what he considered ‘the lower-upper-middle class, primarily attacks the extremes of Stalinism; the book also foretold Africa’s present day politics of materialism.
Politics of exploitation and materialism in Africa is evident in small villages where life remains largely the same as it has been hundreds of years while in the sprawling cities and towns skyscrapers, modern economies and a mix of international culture but all in the midst of filthy environment abound.
Unless politicians in Uganda and other African countries stop looking at taxpayers as abandoned oil wells, African children will continue to feed from garbage heaps!
The writer is the president, National Taxpayers Protection
In our article: “What you should know about the use of tear gas†New Vision, May 26, we referred to this writer as a laboratory scientist. We have since learnt that he just carried out a research on tear gas.
WELFARE theory “free ride†allocates resources effectively on services and projects private citizens would not afford to pay for.
Welfare theory can be a unifying factor of diverse societies to do away with the Animal Farm scenario of “all animals are equal but some are more equal than others†similar to the infamous apartheid policy of segregation formerly followed in South Africa.
Besides, welfare theory builds multiplier effect which is the cumulative upshot of change bearing the idea that increased spending in one part of the economy will lead to bigger effects in other parts.
Bigger government expenditure on mega projects like defence, power plants, roads, medical and other public goods, leaves no redundant funds for the corrupt.
Welfare theory is sustained by the general equilibrium theory which examines the relationship between the processes of production, distribution, and consumption in the total economy.
Unfortunately, African leaders since independence, Uganda inclusive, are far away from the concept of welfare theory.
Take the recent precedence; Uganda’s celebrated parliamentarian, Jacob Oulanyah, in his acceptance speech as deputy speaker of the Ninth Parliament used a quotation by an English man who described Parliament as an institution capable to do everything under the sun except turning a man into a woman.
In total abuse of the deputy speaker’s quote, the MPs on the Government and opposition side the next day went into closed door session not to breathe life into the collapsed economy, but to finish it off with demands for increased allowances and posh cars.
Within days local councillors countrywide demanded the same benefits.
Don’t these MPs feel ashamed when making such selfish demands in the face of the current economic situation that is knocking the daylights out of the ordinary citizens?
It is now evident that the entire Ninth Parliament is just a change of guards. African leaders seem infected with the Kwame Nkrumah’s lethal political virus he acquired from the colonialists: “Seek yee first the political kingdom and all else shall be given to youâ€.
On top of Nkrumah’s lethal dose, many of the African leaders adopt the Animal Farm theme as their working document to perpetuate politics of materialism.
Although Animal Farm clearly alludes to political events in Russia from the Revolution to World War II, the author,George Orwell, son of a British civil servant who belonged to what he considered ‘the lower-upper-middle class, primarily attacks the extremes of Stalinism; the book also foretold Africa’s present day politics of materialism.
Politics of exploitation and materialism in Africa is evident in small villages where life remains largely the same as it has been hundreds of years while in the sprawling cities and towns skyscrapers, modern economies and a mix of international culture but all in the midst of filthy environment abound.
Unless politicians in Uganda and other African countries stop looking at taxpayers as abandoned oil wells, African children will continue to feed from garbage heaps!
The writer is the president, National Taxpayers Protection
In our article: “What you should know about the use of tear gas†New Vision, May 26, we referred to this writer as a laboratory scientist. We have since learnt that he just carried out a research on tear gas.