Political Instability and corruption; my two cents.
Following the events of 10th April 2022, when the Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was brought down from power in an opposition coup.
-a rant.
They roam around scot-free in broad daylight because they know they will always find their way out, thanks to the unlawful system. It’s not a utopian state where every person will somehow turn into a saint overnight or will start abiding by the law and will magically focus on the fulfillment of their civic duties only. No, because this can never align with practicality. A cosmopolitan nation will always have its disparities and uncertainties. So it’s pretty unfair to shift all the blame on the powerless nation when the one in power enjoys their deep slumber.
A corrupt government fosters a corrupt nation. Criminals and thieves go out and about solely because there’s no administrative power to govern them or instill fear of repercussions in them. Deteriorating rule of law, delayed justice, lack of accountability, class striation and snobbery, no civic sense, and absence of regard for basic rights. They all have been playing their part mercilessly. Over the years we’ve successfully formulated a justice system and constitution that favors the embezzler and the looters. We own an ineffective and co-opted judiciary, that shields the corrupt from prosecution.
Amidst political turmoil and turbulence, corruption is perceived as widespread, systemic, and deeply entrenched at all levels of the society and government of Pakistan. Dishonesty manifests itself in various forms in the nation ranging from petty briberies to grand corruptions in the political and financial sectors. When corruption is so deep-rooted and cronyism breaks all records, the ones elected and coming to power through public procurement processes are naturally bound to be sustained through corruption only.
We have become indifferent to the sinning politicians and the fraud system, it is ingrained in us and we are just happy to give them fresh chances even when they face indictments and jail times regularly. We do not only acclimate to lies told by others but also to our lies. We convince ourselves that this is how things are. There’s no shame anymore. It has surreptitiously become a social norm.
Politicians have been following the rationalization of their corruption by obscurely offering wider interests for their people. Whether it’s by smoke screening their loss of moral integrity through fleeting reforms or empty promises, we’ve all heard the sad tale.
People will act unethically as long as they can justify it to their ethical self-image. What stops you from being unprincipled; is your conscience and the law, without the latter it’s always easy to manipulate one’s morals. Corruption is a slippery slope that carries several steps, each step changes us a little and legitimizes the next; slightly worse step.
Today, Pakistan stands on a slippery slope. Today, a fearless leader was ousted with brazen subversion of democracy.
Today, I see nothing but a blur
Today, we’ve lost our new hope.
