Daily Post 1395
GOVERNANCE BY DENIAL
From dictatorial regimes to the communists, control over dissemination of information was main tool of governmental control. What is not known does not exist. The creation of information naturally then happens in the manner required by the powers that be. They are the only consumers and service providers of information to the citizens. Necessarily, it happens at their whims and fancy. Added to that every effort is made to keep track of the opponents or trouble makers from their point of view, who might even meet the harshest fate. The Smartphone Age has made surveillance so simple. We are all conversant with the famous dictatorial regimes pre World War 2 and even the present day communist regimes. The banana republics have another way of managing the facts.
Democratic governments by contrast were thought to be open, fair and transparent. The whole democratic movement transpired based on this philosophy and country after country got into the democratic fold. Dissent was the norm. Fourth Estate was a part of the original democratic baggage, with a well-known utility. Responsive governance was the name of the game and failing in this basic duty would end up in being forced to face the wrath of the citizens, by way of electoral defeats and lots of other shameful democratic interventions. Facts once known had to taken to its logical conclusion by action. Bit of a delay and some level of camouflage cannot be denied by a vast majority of democratic governments. Having the audacity to stand tall in the face of crisis proven by facts / data and even loss of life was unimaginable till recent times.
Shamelessly tall can be the best way to describe them. Nothing deterred them. The citizens are at a loss, not knowing their fate. This trade was perfected in non-critical areas mostly unconnected to the common man or high end politics with which he was not much concerned. Managing impeachment against a mountain of facts against him. Denying existence of climate change was another such blatant disaster. The fourth estate which was there to be the harbinger of change, of making things known to the world, was substantially trashed in many parts of the democratic world. Governance by Denial was the model which describes this mindset, political trend and action the best. Claiming growth with all Human Development Indices to the contrary is one perfect example of this brand of governance.
Governance by Denial has reached it’s epitome in the COVID-19 times. Scientific temper is a casualty in the hands of Governance by Denial. Health intelligence was thrown to the winds. COVID-19 was repeatedly being compared to Flu in the US. The dance of the pandemic ravaging the most powerful nation of the world was only because of this form of governance. The standard scientific facts pertaining prevention of epidemics was thrown to the winds. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the expert was not given any heed. Masks were mocked at, while people died. Lockdowns have been political decisions indirectly affecting the lives of people, and also added to the burden on the crumbling health infrastructure. Governance by Denial practitioners have their fundamental right of not to respond. That is the ultimate tragedy.
GOVERNANCE BY DENIAL IS GOVERNANCE DENIED.