Are we supposed to ruin the future of our children by joining murderers and kleptomaniacs in a race to the bottom? If politicians get away with murder, so should we. There is this mentality that we must get rich through the Government or by any possible means. It leads to the expectation of huge salaries as the rogue politicians we denounced. The jungle created by leaders that should know better.
Even more glaring is the comparison of politicians’ humongous salary to the minimum wage within the country. There is nothing in the country’s economy to justify such salaries that even rich countries overseas cannot afford to pay. Salaries must be fairly negotiated with people’s approval; between workers and employers to prevent starving wages, long hours without overtime pay and reversion to child labor.
Capitalism of greed and Socialism of oppression create disproportionate wealth for those at the top by pyramidal schemes. Once people rise to privileged positions, they become a class of indulgent rulers for themselves and their cronies. The oppression by the Aristocrats is no different from that of Proletariats once they gain power.
Most Africans are still decent but are overcome by growing abject poverty. A pastor went viral for asking who wanted their children to turn out as looters, drug peddlers and terrorists like the characters of our three leading Presidential candidates. The members of the Church prayed that God forbid! This is heartening and indicates evidence of hope. Yet, there are people lined up to support these unsavory characters.
Productive individual initiatives and private businesses are the tools the masses needed to overpower and challenge the excesses of African governments. Depending solely on the government for source of income subject talented people to the whims and caprices of politicians. There must be checks and balances between governments, businesses and individual initiatives. Otherwise powerful politicians will occupy and control both by exchanging musical chairs.
It is so hard to keep our sanity with a barrage of corruption, terrorism and the culture of drug peddling in order to get rich by any possible means. Innocent Africans are not left unscathed in the country, when traveling out on vacation to refresh their spirits with their own hard earned money or on business. They are embarrassed when searched roughly, asked distasteful questions before clearance. Another good reason to patronize local businesses within Africa.
Politicians have turned most African countries upside down because there are no deterrent, consequences or accountability from any legal, Cultural or moral Authority. The impunity of their misdeed demonstrates their lack of empathy for their fellow men. Those strong enough to challenge them are dealt deadly blows as an example to people of goodwill trying to form quorum against greed and injustice.
This is why it is surprising that corrupt leaders are able to get Youths whose future is being ruined as followers. Africans must understand the role of Government. It is to provide an enabling environment for the creation of wealth and sponsor what group of individuals or a corporation cannot take on. Otherwise, it is not the duty of the government to enrich some individuals at the expense of others from the commonwealth purse.
The advantage is that individuals can sustain the government by being efficient and productive. But the government cannot sustain politicians by making them filthy rich at the expense of the working class. They alway have to steal more since they lack the capacity to stand on their own. Actually, once they get used to easy money, they become more addicted as parasites.
However, governments do not create riches, it creates an equal playing field for the environment so that individuals can lift themselves up through sweat, blood and hard work through which money could be made. Only corrupt governments brag or even campaign about how many millionaires and billionaires they are going to create within abject poverty. But not how they are going to lift the masses up from the poverty created.
Most of the wealth created must come from individuals, not the government. No matter how smart we are as businessmen or intelligent we are as individuals, if we cannot convert it into finished goods and services for purchase, we cannot generate wealth. Since their profits come from the rest of the society that patronizes them, they must be willing to pay progressive tax to alleviate poverty so that people can afford reasonable prices.
Conflict of interest prevents mixing community wealth or taxes with individual wealth. The problem we have is that our Head of States could not distinguish one from the other because they could always call on the Treasury to release money for personal use: foreign medical tourism, shopping for houses, cars and family welfare. Indeed, they see no line between personal spending from state finances. While there are regulations and step by step approval by the Central Bank, the process is ignored at the beckon of politicians.
Nobody, especially those who made the most, should avoid taxes through loopholes, deferrals or credit. A minimum tax must be paid. It is preposterous to claim that taxes discourage investment when such investment makes profits from the patrons of their retail goods and service. If people earned enough they increase their purchasing power. If you make profit from retail prices from which middlemen, the shareholders and top officers of the companies are paid, you must give back in progressive taxes and benefits.
Government Contractors are the major beneficiary of government taxes, not those on welfare. Those conservatives claiming the government cannot create wealth are hypocrites who made their money from government contracts. Government can encourage wealth creation by redistribution of taxes paid on profits made from the society.
Redirection of income and government incentives into areas individuals corporations cannot take on like internet facilities by Space adventure, infrastructure like transportation, roads and bridges create individual businesses that generate profits for individuals and taxes for the society. Though wealth comes from retail prices, we can still make money with human dignity.
Farouk Martins Aresa @oomoaresa
