“Anomie” political systems? More prevalent than expected. Lebanon is a striking example
Posted by: adonis49 on: December 2, 2015
“Anomie” political systems?
More prevalent than expected.
Lebanon is a striking example
Basically, in an anomie system, most the politicians revert to business men because they have been for so long in power and elections (democratically or otherwise) have been postponed for various reasons.
In these anomie systems, the politicians are no longer interested in the public good and focus their energy on plundering the public funds to establish their own enterprises at the expenses of the other private investors.
They control all the economical facet of the public life, from paper towel, gas stations, malls, cosmetics, building materials, real estates licences, private providers of electricity and water, private schools, private hospitals, communication lines…
In these anomies systems, the State or government institutions stop investing in the infrastructure, public electricity, water, schools, hospitals, fast internet communication…
Consequently, the citizens pay their taxes twice: Once to replenish the public budget and a second time to secure private providers of electricity, water, private schools, private hospitals…
In anomie systems, No super-individual norm can restrain the aggressions of individuals (at the sold of warlords and political leaders) or groups (mafia organizations run by the government)
It is a situation where the social fabric is tearing apart as described in 1893 by Emile Durkheim.
1. The few standing institutions control but a few of marginal sectors or territories of the collective life (In Lebanon, we still want to believe in the capabilities of the army, internal security services).
2. No more inter-subjective rational organizational normative legal foundations are running according to standards.
3. No viable and credible command/obey system to fall back on
4. No stable stratification of public morale
5. No legitimacy of the institutions: the political system is obliterated
6. A savage capitalism dominated by the politicians (swapping financial and economic interests among themselves)
7. The politicians increase voting on privileges for their family members and clans (privileges for life)
8. The legal system is totally in the hands of the politicians
9. The Constitution is a mere piece of paper that has no relevance in crucial periods. Any clause can be changed once the corium in this Parliamentary system is satisfied. Usually, it is supposed to be a one-time emergency until it becomes the norm
10. Lawmakers or deputies in the Parliament can hold ministerial executive positions and almost every deputy get to snatch a ministerial job.
11. No budget is submitted to parliament. No one wants to account for the funds that were received and never registered with the finance ministry. Grants, foreign loans, gifts… don’t go to the Central Bank. (In Lebanon, over $11 billions disappeared within 6 years, and no budget can be submitted before an accounting is established)
12 Once a fund is stolen, the money is for the keeps since there are no judicial or executive recourses to recover the embezzled checks and fund.
Adonis Diaries 
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