By Salam Al Rabadi
It is
clear that many of the developments related to the “Covid_19” pandemic have led
to a change in the economic and political facts and data related to the debates
on the status of the state, sustainable governance and the role of
individuals..etc, which in its entirety revolve around the dialectic of the
fundamental contradiction between the globalization of the economy on the one
hand and the nationalism of politics on the other. It is the dialectic that can
be expressed by the following problematic question:
To what extent can the state maintain its position and functions? What
is the possibility of achieving sustainable governance?
In
principle, it can be said that one of the most complexities and dilemmas that
prevents access to sustainable governance, is still closely related to the
problematic of contradiction in the development of both economics and politics.
The economy is logically and to some extent always moving towards the global,
while politics is still practiced primarily locally or nationally. Here, the division or contradiction appears in the relationship between
authority, responsibility and accountability to some extent, so that we find
that there is a global economic authority versus a national or local political
responsibility in which the use of authority is concentrated. This
contradiction hinders the possibility and effectiveness of achieving and consolidating
the principles of sustainable governance at all levels.
Therefore,
in order to reconcile between domestic politics and the global economy, the
point of balance between them must be based on sustainable governance, which is
based on the principle of interdependence between political and economic
concepts on the one hand, and the principles of transparency, accountability
and participation on the other, here the individual (as a citizen or
as a consumer ) can be the judgment or equilibrium by which that lost balance
can be achieved. Which we need at the level of the possibility of
achieving sustainable governance.
As each of
the political and economic forces are trying to win over individuals to their
side, whether on the economic or political level( the individual
is, on the one hand, a voter, and on the other, a consumer). In the
economic field, despite all the problematic of inequality and distributive
justice, the individual consumer still holds the initiative at the economic
level, based on his being the basis, goal and reference of commercial forces in
all their forms. In addition, the individual citizen is the basis of political
authority according to the democratic process and the electoral vote, as it
still has a significant impact on the level of determining political
orientations.
Based
on this, the individuals on whom the political and economic systems are based
must assume responsibility, engage and participate in the process of creating
that influence and pressure to confront the monopolies and control of
capitalist, security, political, media and even academic elites, in order to be
the mainstay in achieving accountability, participation and transparency
policies on which governance is based.
Where governance
policies should not be limited to structural reforms or protest in the streets
and at the ballot box. Rather, the sustainability and process of governance
must be supported by directly holding monopoly forces accountable through a
culture of consumption, as spending or saving money may lead to desired ends.
This logic or direction of direct action may be better and more effective than
traditional forms of political and economic expression.
In light of global
markets trying to evade the rules and restrictions of accounting, the role of
the individual (the consumer) appears as a force to be reckoned with. It
can no longer be ignored that individuals all over the world are now turning to
political shopping more than towards electoral voting. Thus, participation in
the economic boycott process and the trend towards political shopping (so to
speak) is a positive indicator that indicates that the individual consumer's
political activity has begun to move in the right direction. Where the increasing
activity and influence of economic forces, and the corresponding unclear
political will, results in a growing realization that political shopping is a
more effective form of sustainable governance.
Where it seems that
consumption or political shopping has begun to replace traditional citizenship,
as it is the tool that enables the individual (as a citizen or consumer), to
impose accountability and correct public policies in a more serious and
practical manner. In light of financial greed, political
indifference and the absence of responsibility among many technocratic elites
and market forces, individuals can assume responsibility and participation in
achieving sustainable governance by adopting political shopping policies as a
strategy or a new form of effective accountability.
To sum
up,
in practice we must admit that while the social contract that binds peoples and
governments is becoming increasingly fragile, it seems that the pressure and
influence of individuals is making a real impact in the face of monopolistic
forces and corruption. That effect, which governments or even some
international institutions cannot bring, and which may be fundamentally
unwilling to do so.
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