Creative minds of writers can predict the future

September 1, 2014
The Little Red Book of Authoritarian Regimes and the Green Book
response by global powers
At the launch of Asirimath Greesiya or Wonder that is Greece by
dramatist-noelist !an"ith #harma$eerthi last %ee$ in &olombo, &olombo
'niersitys senior #on Sarath Wi"esoriya, %ho introduced the boo$ to the
audience, dre% its attention to a short story %ritten by #harma$eerthi some
20 years a(o) *he short story titled A man %ho has become isolated is
%ound around a %riter %ho is bein( interie%ed by a "ournalist to (et his
ie%s on the year "ust past) +t %as a series of ,uestions and ans%ers
relatin( to a %ide spectrum of topics) About artistes, the %riter says they
are a (roup of sycophants praisin( the eery moe of those in po%er for
personal (ains) About art, it is a(ain eulo(ies of those in po%er) !ule of
-a%. +t is only for people in po%er) /udiciary is appropriately subdued to
delier "ud(ments in faour of those in po%er) Arent there honest "ud(es.
0es, the %riter says, only a handful but they are sub"ect to constant
humiliation and persecution so that they too are e1ectiely silenced)
*he 2olice, accordin( to the
%riter, are simply protectin(
the po%erful and not the
citi3ens %ho hae paid their
salaries throu(h ta4es) What
about media. *hey all
publish only rosy stories that
are helpful to those in
po%er) *hus, in eery
aspect, it is a re(ression of
society to an unbelieably
sad state) *he %riter %as
fran$ and bold in his opinion)
5ut after the "ournalist had
left, his %ife rushes to him and start blamin( him for spea$in( %ithout
foresi(ht) 6e has put, she char(es, the lies of the entire family to an
immense dan(er) She as$s7 8Why are you so thou(htless. What %ill happen
if our son or you or + disappear into obliion %ithout trace as it happens
eery day. 6aent you thou(ht of the dan(er to %hich you hae pushed all
of us.9 *he %riter, all of a sudden, :nds that he has become isolated amon(
his o%n $in) Wi"esooriya as$s the audience to compare the situation today
%ith %hat #harma$eerthi had portrayed as a %riter t%o decades a(o)
#iscipline should come from %ithin
6o% did Greece surie as a (reat ciilisation for more than a thousand
years. #harma$eerthi %ho %rote the boo$ after traellin( the len(th and
the breadth of the country has found the ans%er in three basic pillars in
ancient Gree$ society) *hey %ere respect for reli(ion, art and la%) *here %as
no one %ho %as aboe the la% and it disciplined the entire society)
Wi"esooriya stressed that that discipline should come from heart and not
induced from outside) 6e (ae an e4ample from /apan narrated to him by a
friend) +n this e4ample, this friend had traelled in a ehicle drien by a
/apanese friend %ho had been cau(ht by the tra;c police for speedin() *he
tra;c policeman %ho had been e4tremely polite had issued the /apanese
friend %ith a tic$et inolin( a thumpin( :ne) 8Why didnt you try to (et out
by spea$in( him out of it.9 the Sri -an$an %ho $ne% of the %ays bac$
home had in,uired) *he ans%er %as strai(ht from the /apanese friend7 8<o,
%e are e4pected to obsere the la% and not to brea$ it by usin( our
personal positions) So, + should set an e4ample to others by %illin(ly payin(
the :ne for the tra;c o1ence + hae committed9) Wi"esooriya compared the
in-built discipline of an ordinary /apanese citi3en to a reported recent story
of a son of a top politician tryin( to host a (ala of music to students of a
leadin( (irls school uninited) Such a thin( %ould not hae happened in
/apan or in any other country %here there is rule of la% in force)
*he ominous emer(ence of authoritarian re(imes
What Wi"esooriya has pointed at is the emer(ence of authoritarian re(imes
as a model of (oernment and the silence of een those %ho can spea$ out
a(ainst them throu(h fear or faour) +n ancient Greece, this %as not the
case) #harma$eerthi has hi(hli(hted in his boo$ that the type of
participatory democracy that %as prealent in Greece about 2,=00 years
a(o had sered as the best model of (oernment) *he acceptance of that
model by nations throu(hout the %orld has led to the fall of dictatorial
monarchies in many countries) *he refusal of some monarchs, such as
those in <epal, to accept the (ro%in( peoples po%er has resulted in bloody
street :(hts leadin( to the oerthro%in( of such po%erful monarchs) An
opposite e4ample comes from 5hutan %here the monarch bein( sensitie to
the chan(in( popular moods has oluntarily abdicated his po%ers for
elected peoples representaties) +n this bac$(round, it is unthin$able that
popularly elected rulers of some countries, mostly deelopin( and
emer(in(, choosin( to establish authoritarian re(imes in their lands)
Authoritarianism does not %or$ in the lon( run
Authoritarianism has been hailed by some as a sure %ay of
ensurin( faster economic (ro%th) *he ar(uments %hich are
often presented in support of authoritarianism ta$e the
follo%in(7 +t enables (oernments to ma$e
unpopular but essential choices easy> it calls
for people to sacri:ce today for the future> it
also unites people of a country for a common
(oal> it suppresses the peoples unproductie
moements for the bene:t of producin( more
and it forces people to sae more and inest
more) *his %riter in a preious article in this
series under the title 8Authoritarian !e(ime
for ?conomic 2rosperity. <ot een a little bit
%ill %or$ in the lon( run9 has discounted all
these ar(uments @aailable at7
http7AA%%%)ft)l$A201BA0BA1CAauthoritarian-
re(ime-for-economic-prosperity-not-een-a-
little-bit-%ill-%or$-in-the-lon(-runAD) 0et, many
countries hae chosen this path %ithout
considerin( its lon(-term economic, social
and political costs)
6un(ary, the ne%est member of the
authoritarian club
Almost all the preious satellite states of the
former Soiet 'nion in &entral and ?astern
?urope hae emer(ed as authoritarian states
follo%in( the master, the ne% !epublic of !ussia) *he latest addition to this
list has been 6un(ary %here 2rime Einister Fi$tor GrbHn has returned to
po%er %ith a lar(e ma"ority @aailable at7 http7AA%%%)social-
europe)euA2014A0CAorban-problemAD) Gien his trac$ record, after he %on
the elections %ith a thumpin( ma"ority, Germanys &hancellor An(ela
Eer$el, had con(ratulated him %ith a polite re,uest that he uses his lar(e
ma"ority %ith special responsibility 8%ith a sense of proportion, restraint and
sensitiity9 @aailable at7http7AAu$)reuters)comAarticleA2014A04A0IAu$-
hun(ary-election-id'J5!?ABK0?*2014040ID) What it meant %as that he
should treat his opponents fairly) 6o%eer, eents since then, accordin( to
analysts *horsten 5renner and Wolf(an( !einic$e, has sho%n that he had
done e4actly the opposite of %hat he %as adised)
Actin( in unison by authoritarian re(imes
What GrbHn had done is simply follo%in( the %ays of other authoritarian
re(imes in the contemporary %orld) *hese %ays, one mi(ht say, are
contained in a hypothetical -ittle !ed 5oo$, similar to that containin( the
,uotations of Eao *se *un(, for authoritarian rulers) +t appears that all these
authoritarian rulers from -atin America to Africa to Asia to &entral and
?astern ?urope hae, as if they all act in unison, follo%ed the same despite
the cultural, political and economic di1erences) *hen, the reaction of the
%orld community consistin( of adanced democracies to such authoritarian
rulers has been lu$e%arm) *heir approach to such authoritarian rulers has
been more on economic and military lines than on morality and ethics that
they ery often pronounce as their hi(h (rounds) +f an authoritarian re(ime
can delier ne% business or an assured supply of a rare ra% material such
as ener(y or could be a aluable military ally, then, the adanced nations
coneniently i(nore ho% such a ruler could destroy his people, country and
society) *hey behae as if they are follo%in( the (uidelines contained in a
Green 5oo$ that that has stipulated the common response to such
authoritarian rulers) *hus, the hi(h morality and ethical (rounds on %hich
they should stand are oerloo$ed for personal (ains)
*he follo%in( are the common %ays %hich authoritarian rulers adopt for
sustainin( their re(imes)
'se of nationalism as a rescue
Lirst, authoritarian re(imes al%ays and eery%here arouse nationalism
amon( citi3ens in order to marshal popular support) +t creates an enemy
outside the borders of the country %aitin( to (rab its resources and subdue
its soerei(nty) +f there are minority ethnic or reli(ious (roups in the
country, the hatred is directed to%ard such (roups) +n !ussia, Fladimir 2utin
becomes instantly popular if he militarily interenes in a nei(hbourin(
country because it promotes !ussian nationalism) GrbHn in a recent speech
at the Lree 'niersity and Student &amp declared that 6un(ary %ill build an
illiberal state on national foundations @aailable at7
http7AA%%%)$ormany)huAenAthe-prime-ministerAthe-prime-minister-s-
speechesAprime-minister-i$tor-orban-s-speech-at-the-2=th-balanyos-
summer-free-uniersity-and-student-campD) !obert Eu(abe of Mimbab%e
created an enemy in the style of %hite farmers holdin( land (rants in the
country) *hus, %ithout nationalism, it appears that it is unli$ely that
authoritarian re(imes could surie)
6atin( freedom of thou(ht
Second, authoritarian re(imes hate freedom of thou(ht and freedom of
e4pression) *o brain%ash youn( (enerations, they reorient education to
rouse nationalistic feelin(s in students by propa(atin( nationalism and
sometimes een t%istin( historical eents to the re(imes adanta(e)
6istory is sho%n as an e4ploitation of their nation by a forei(n enemy) *his
tactic is bein( e1ectiely used by &uba, <orth Jorea and !ussia today) *he
end result is the isolation of the nation from the rest of the %orld closin( the
door for cultural cross-fertilisation)
Societies pro(ress not by bein( sta(nant but by chan(in( accordin( to
chan(in( cultural patterns) 6o%eer, the cultural nationalism practised by
authoritarian societies ma$e it di;cult for nations to moe for%ard since it
irrationally hi(hli(hts that ones o%n culture is superior to all other cultures)
6oldin( such ie%s preents members to ac,uire ne% $no%led(e from
other cultures) *he e1ect of cultural nationalism on the pro(ress of nations
%as analysed by this %riter in a preious article in this series under the title
8&ultural <ationalism7 5oon or 5ane.9 @aailable at7
http7AA%%%)ft)l$A2012A02A1BArise-of-cultural-nationalism-boon-or-baneAD)
Eu33lin( free media
*hird, authoritarian re(imes e1ectiely control the freedom of e4pression
by mu33lin( media directly or indirectly) *hey directly control media by
ta$in( oer media institutions or imposin( ta4es that are prohibitie for
media institutions to pay) Lor instance, GrbHn has imposed a prohibitie ta4
of 40N on adertisin( income of media houses in 6un(ary) *he media are
indirectly controlled by threatenin( to ta$e oer them under false prete4ts
or bribin( or threatenin( media personnel into submission) *he recalcitrant
media are attac$ed by incitin( mobs or (ettin( personnel attached to
armed forces to destroy them) *here are instances of priate media houses
bein( burned by un$no%n mobs and there hae not been proper in,uiries
into such incidents %ith a ie% to delierin( "ustice to the ictims)
&asti(atin( ciil society or(anisations
Lourth, ciil society institutions are bein( fro%ned upon by authoritatie
re(imes) *hey are branded as local collaborators %ho hae been employed
by interested forei(n a(ents to destroy the soerei(nty and the territorial
inte(rity of the nation concerned) -a%s are therefore passed by such
re(imes to control the a1airs of ciil society or(anisation under the prete4t
of safe(uardin( the nations interests) 6o%eer, ciil society or(anisations
are necessary for democracies to function properly) *hey allo% people to
raise their collectie oice on public issues, act as an e1ectie controller of
indiscipline in rulers and introduce chec$s and balances to po%ers en"oyed
by rulers) *hus, institutions sere the rulers more than the citi3ens by
helpin( them to realise the (oals of society)
&iti3ens in t%o (roups7 Supporters and critics
Lifth, authoritarian re(imes classify citi3ens into t%o (roups7 those %ho
support the re(ime and those %ho criticise it) -a%s are applied
discriminatiely bet%een the t%o (roups) Accordin(ly, supporters hae all
the le(al ri(hts and protection %hich are e4tended een %hen they misuse
their po%ers) *hose %ho hae been classi:ed as opponents do not en"oy
le(al ri(hts and protection) *hey are indiscriminately penalised on eery
count by not obserin( the !ule of -a% properly) *his sub"ect %as discussed
in an article in this series titled 8!ule of -a% or !ule of Een. What %ill usher
prosperity and deelopment.9 earlier @aailable at7
http7AA%%%)ft)l$A2012A0=A2CArule-of-la%-or-rule-of-men-%hat-%ill-usher-
prosperity-and-deelopmentAD)
5endin( "udicial system to persecute dissidents
Si4th, those %ho criticise the re(imes O $no%n as dissidents O are "ailed
%ithout trials or trials :4ed and mana(ed by the re(imes thereby ma$in( it
a traesty of "ustice) *he system includin( the public prosecution branch of
the (oernment is fully t%isted in order to ta$e reen(e of dissidents and
critics) +n many cases the 2olice act on an arran(ed complaint lod(ed %ith it
by a supporter of the re(ime) *he ictim is dra((ed to a police station in full
ie% of his family members and nei(hbours in a bid to humiliate him and
fri(hten others) /ud(es pass remand orders %ithout in,uiry and in the :nal
ad"udication process, "ustice is t%isted to impose "ail sentences on the
ictims)
-u$e%arm approach by international community
*hese are practised by all authoritarian re(imes in unison as if they hae
found them in a -ittle !ed 5oo$ of !ules for authoritarian re(imes) *he
(lobal community, especially those rich Western <ations "ust pay lip serice
to them) +n many cases, their response is too short and too late) +t is li$e
they are reactin( to these countries by follo%in( a (ien set of rules) Such a
set consists of a polite re,uest or a stron( statement a(ainst the culprits,
threatenin( to impose economic sanctions %hich are not bindin( on them
and "ust leain( the authoritarian re(ime untouched) *he result is that
authoritarian re(imes breed unimpeded and the citi3ens of such re(imes
remain ictims foreer)
@W)A Wi"e%ardena, a former #eputy Goernor of the &entral 5an$ of Sri
-an$a, could be reached at %a%1P4PQ(mail)comD