Towards good government for all

THE EDITOR: Sociologists have defined “community” in at least 94 ways. The definition which best appeals to me is the one which highlights community in terms of its quality of human relationship – people’s commitment to the values and institutions of the community, solidarity, emotional bonds, and sentimental attachments.

I see community as a significant subset of society. As a result, my understanding of a nation is all its communities bound together by a common ideology and a shared set of values.

So when we start to talk about good governance for TT, it is important to ask how we can: create an ideology embraced by all; influence the different communities in the nation to dwell together in solidarity to pursue the best interest of the society and economy with commitment. This is easier said than done, especially in a diversely organised society as the one we have in TT.

Also, world history has exposed us to several varieties of government among which democracy, socialism, and forms of dictatorship stand out. Whatever the form of government, the evidence suggests that leaders usually emerge as winners in terms of status, resources, and power, while the people, according to Frantz Fanon, remain the wretched of the earth.

Therefore, when I heard of the latest political party, the Patriotic Front, in the line-up, my mind immediately asked, “What difference will this party bring to the table? In what ways will it impact the electorate? How will it help TT stand out as a truly democratic nation in terms of its commitment to a type of human relationship which caters for solidarity, people’s aspirations, emotional bonds, ethnic realities, and cultural imperatives?”

As I see things, our reality will not improve unless we take a long-term view of our circumstances to find strategies for getting the family, the community, the school, the religious institutions, the workplace, the media, and the arts to work for sustainable national development.
Clearly, then, no party can spring up overnight to significantly save our souls? Yes, it takes the long haul and many socialising agencies to shape the humanity and rationality of a nation. Indeed, there can be no quick-fix solutions to nation-building.

Further, if we in TT really wish to put our nation in order, it is imperative that we make an ongoing effort to understand the nature and dynamics of politics as comparatively presented by the local and international media. Certainly, a serious and sustained look at world affairs and local history will open our eyes.

RAYMOND S HACKETT, Curepe