Government – Role and Responsibility

July 10, 2022

Government – Role and Responsibility

Padmini Arhant

The government in a real functioning democracy is defined as the organization elected by the people, for the people and of the people.

Is government truly representative of the people and for the people even though government is proudly claimed to be elected by the people in reference to the political capital?

Why are people disillusioned by government in power?

What is the role of government and are those seated in positions as Prime Minister, President, Vice President, Speaker, political opposition and other designations sincerely committed to serving the people across the nation including the electorate that did not vote for them?

If government is elected by the people to serve them and the nation at large anywhere,

Why is running for public office at the municipal to national level costs millions and billions through illegal funds flowing from any and all directions?

The bidders on political candidates in election become the stakeholder upon their candidate election to office. The lobbying begins to benefit the stakeholders’ economic gains, environment violations and other known as well as hidden agenda.

Where is the political representation for people amidst such corruption involved campaigns and subsequent commitment to special interests groups by office bearers from top to bottom?

The other strange predicament is the candidacy having received money from various sources not barring some or many unlawful channels including overseas governments to exert influence over the elected member, these members as the elected rather selected representatives in Parliament or Congress passing legislations and making laws that have been violated by them in the course of entry to public office.

Most nations have their political members violating laws they introduced and voted for in Parliament and Congress essentially holding them above law they legislated for the rest of the society to comply with.

The double standards in many scenarios form the basis for public mistrust raising questions on politics and ethics – generally oxymoron in political system.

The same would apply on transparency and accountability. The members in politics with enormous excess baggage of corruption, criminal records, treason and more are safe and secure with political impunity. They are guaranteed untouchability meaning the arms of justice would never reach them no matter what they do. The crimes committed by them ranging from abuse of power, human rights violations, political tactics deployed to grab and remain in power via bribes, threats and in some cases murder as well are not regarded punishable by law they passed for most law abiding civil society.

How does government operate?

With tax money paid by citizens generally the vast ordinary income group since the wealthiest and major corporations pay little or no taxes given their influence on government essentially at the former service in most parts of the world.

How do governments spend people’s money?

The governments are obligatory to publish information in this regard basically accounting for the money collected in taxes and national revenue from domestic and overseas trade. The current account balance resulting in foreign remittance from trade and receipts in transactions on foreign currency are reported though this figure is often hyped or not provided correctly on many accounts.

As for spending public money, the governments are known for gambling people’s money in many wasteful expenditures while depriving tax payers from due relief during natural or man made crisis like the pandemic and economic decline brought upon by government policy and plan.

The big government is a major expenditure for taxpayers dealing with bureaucracy, red tape and other agencies basically serving government private needs more than public requirements. There are too many government agencies doing very little or nothing to benefit taxpayers and citizens except serving the political power targeted tasks like IT cells and social media to attack and silence constructive criticism on government performance or the lack thereof. There are government set up agencies to spy, snoop, intimidate and threaten political opposition and civil society in fear of public scrutiny of the ruling power in office.

Overall the government’s mismanagement of public money and economy besides corruption is the reason behind poverty, unemployment, inflation and the persistent gap between the rich and poor in society.

How does politics benefit those seeking career from the field?

Politics is a gold mine for vast majority who claim to belong to humble background prior to entry to charm voters on the campaign trail.

There are those seeking the highest office on land like Presidency and Prime Ministership publicly stating that as community organizers they had maxed out credit cards and have unpaid student loans despite twenty or more years since graduation from Princeton and Harvard law school. Then there are others repeating their one liner on having sold tea / chai on curbside to paint a modest past. The stretch having emerged from a cave adorning the heavenly incarnate is not ruled out in this context.

These individuals turning into billionaire during the term in office speaks volume on their handling or mishandling of public money and importantly lucrative backend deals with major industries in the economy and foreign contracts is the cash cow behind overnight political enrichment.

Nonetheless, a majority in politics with serious financial debts and poor economic status walk out with hefty bank balance in off shore accounts and assets worth millions and billions at the end of the term in office.

The trend make them eligible to join the billionaire club and recreational activity membership like premier golf club with annual membership fees at $250,000 or more. The opportunity to own seaside real estate and vineyards are also galore for them having criticized their target for personal properties owned via honest hard labor and life savings in the latter lifetime. The political hypocrisy in such instances is yet another shade of politics in the end justifying the means for them.

Not to mention the highest office is also misused to enhance and secure financial earnings increased exponentially with perks and privileges enacted extending beyond the term in office as lifelong package. 

Whilst individual extraordinary monetary welfare are arranged lasting lifetime in the course of political career costing taxpayers indefinitely, there are leaderships eliminating basic financial assistance and medical compensation to army personnel.

The reference is to the foot soldiers facing the bullets, snipers, missiles and land mine explosives in battle field and peace time. The rank and file army in front line are categorically denied medical and retirement payments in the government effort to overhaul defense expenditure like in India. 

The topic will resume on identity politics discarding meritocracy at the national and electorate expense.

Padmini Arhant 

Author & Presenter

PadminiArhant.com

Prakrithi.PadminiArhant.com 

Written by Padmini Arhant · Filed Under Ethics, Featured, Politics 

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