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Varieties of crises of faith in governance (B)
Abuse of Faith in Governance: Mystery of the Unasked Question (Part #3)
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Faith in administration, project management and budgetary processes: Populations are variously exposed on a daily basis to the inefficiencies, absurdities and corruption of administration with respect to which they are totally disempowered. Major projects initiated by government, on the basis of supposedly precise budgets, are typically characterized by massive cost overruns. Some significant projects, notably involving computer or other technologies, are so poorly designed that they have to be abandoned.
Quite remarkable, at the European level, is the volume of revenue and expenditure subject to audit by the European Court of Auditors represents approximately 4-5% of the total budgets of all the Member States. About 5% of the entire EU budget, five billion dollars, is lost to straightforward fraud -- from non-existent tobacco farms to imaginary decontamination plans to help deal with Chernobyl -- while another 5% or so is misappropriated, and not spent on the programs for which it was designated. One-tenth of the Union's budget, which the European Court of Auditors accepts is misspent, amounts to almost 10 billion dollars a year. The significance of such amounts is compounded by the fact that for 12 years the European Union's auditors have refused to endorse the spending of large parts of the EU budget -- funded by citizen taxpayers (Stephen Mulvey, Why the EU's audit is bad news, BBC, 24 October 2006). The European Commission, under Jacques Santer, was forced to resign in 1999 following allegations of a pattern of corruption.
Faith in statistics: There are many anecdotal tales of problematic statistics. With the advent of professionalized news management ("spin"), concerns have been articulated regarding the official "massaging" of statistics to promote or deprecate a particular policy. It has become quite unclear in what statistics it is prudent to have confidence. As a striking example, in 2003 the European Commission was faced with allegations regarding corruption in its statistical agency (Eurostat) raising the interesting question as to whether vested interests, including some member states, were involved in massaging real European data into imaginary forecasts on which policies had then been "authoritatively" based. A somewhat analogous situation pertains in relation to some cases of scientific fraud and the deliberate marginalization of disruptive new evidence. Related examples are also noted in the case of "evidence-based" medical research on statistical samples of questionable significance.
Faith in democratic and due processes: Highly publicized examples of problematic electoral processes have called into question exactly what they signify. The example provided by the USA as the purported model of democracy has been salutary, notably in the light of unresolved issues of: dubious vote rigging, problematic electronic voting machines, and the number of lawyers required to ensure that abuse can be affirmed not to have taken place. Erosion of faith in the process is manifest in the progressive diminution in the participation of the electorate in the elections to the European Parliament. Most striking has been the incapacity of the European Commission to understand the "No" vote of the people of Ireland regarding the Lisbon Reform Treaty -- requiring Ireland to vote again "until they get it right".
It remains completely unclear whether supposedly democratic institutions can respond effectively to massive electorates with a huge range of concerns, given the challenges of communication and information overload (Considering All the Strategic Options: whilst ignoring alternatives and disclaiming cognitive protectionism, 2009). The "10,000 lobbyists" associated with European Commission decision-making may be considered as signifying a pattern of systematic distortion in support of particular agendas: no lobbyist, no consideration of the perspective of a constituency. With respect to constraints on due process, the account of Heather Brooke (Unsung hero, The Guardian, 15 May 2009) regarding the 5 years of investigative journalism required to obtain release of details of the expenses of UK MPs is indicative of the general problem.
The parliamentary system at its best is characterized by the following problems as articulated by the first Green member of the UK Parliament, Caroline Lucas (Pushing the Green alternatives, The Guardian, 9 September 2010):
This adversarial system impacts on everything from the membership of select committees to the selection of amendments for debate. Everything is decided in a mysterious, opaque fashion. At first sight, it seems so laborious for any outsider, or novice, to understand - or influence - because parliament is so steeped in tradition and pomp. But the reality is that parliament is this way for a reason: it keeps power in the hands of the few. The main parties don't want smaller parties to make use of the powers of the institution, whether to legislate or scrutinise the government.
Faith in system of justice: Those having close association with the system of justice tend to lose faith in the possibility of a fair trial. This is notably the case when it is so clearly evident that the ability to hire a larger team of lawyers. or to ensure the exertion of political influence on the judiciary, can totally distort the outcome -- even in those countries that pride themselves on the independence of the judiciary. The case-load of courts (often to be measured in years), significant to fair trial, constitutes a further distortion of the system. The highly publicized instances of miscarriages of justice arouse the suspicion that, in addition to failing to convict those who negotiate impunity, there are many more who have been inappropriately or arbitrarily convicted. The situation in Guantanamo Bay has reinforced this conviction worldwide -- together with the release without trial or conviction of those detained under anti-terrorism provisions.
The issue is the focus of current debate in the UK with regard to superinjunctions, a form of legal gagging order in which the press is prohibited from reporting even the existence of any such injunction, or any details of it (James Robinson, How super-injunctions are used to gag investigative reporting, The Guardian, 13 October 2009). Who could prove that such legal provisions (notably including the DA-Notice) do not fundamentally restrict the very nature of democratic governance?
Faith in human rights: "Human rights" are widely promoted and upheld by government, notably in defence of a civilization purportedly under threat from other civilizations that do not subscribe to "universal" values. However massive contradictions are increasingly evident in the neglected condition of many, even in the countries upholding such values -- especially in the light of growing income inequality. Such contradictions are most notable in developing countries and the selective importance attached to them by the "international community" (Afghanistan vs Somalia). Arguably "human rights" might be seen as the primary "fig leaf" cynically used to disguise a variety of abuses.
Faith in politics and Members of Parliament: Politics, in the eyes of many, has become an exercise in breach of promise -- from those made in electoral manifestos, through inappropriate legislation, to failure of promised initiatives. There are numerous instances of political parties reneging on pledges during their period in government (Coalition reneges on pledge to scrap central NHS database, The Indpendent, 6 June 2010).
There has long been anecdotal suspicion regarding the behaviour of Members of Parliament and the manner in which they (mis)represent the public. This has notably been reflected in spurious arguments opposing televised coverage of parliamentary debates to increase transparency. A series of variously reported scandals relating to this issue have been reported in connection with Members of the European Parliament, as noted below. Most recently this has been evident in a major scandal -- threatening the credibility of the whole political process -- involving the systematic abuse of expenses by Members of Parliament in the so-called "Mother of Parliaments" of the UK. This had been preceded by evidence regarding payments made to peers in the House of Lords to influence legislation in support of special interests. More generally criticisms had been made of the process by which MPs received "cash for questions" from interest groups. Whilst erosion of faith has been given a focus by such highly publicized incidents, these can only serve to increase suspicion that members of any parliament are open to some form of bribery that may be far more difficult to detect. Allegations have for example been made that no major policy decision is taken by the EU that is not influenced in this way -- reflecting the culture of "commissions" that has notably been highlighted and condemned by the OECD.
Mikhail Gorbachev (The Berlin wall had to fall, but today's world is no fairer, The Guardian, 30 October 2009) makes the point that:
Clear proof of the irrational behaviour and irresponsibility of the new generation of politicians is the fact that defence spending by numerous countries, large and small alike, is now greater than during the cold war, and strong-arm tactics are once again the standard way of dealing with conflicts and are a common feature of international relations.
Further concerns are now being expressed regarding the complicity between lobbyists and lawmakers. As noted by Dan Eggen (Report: More Than 1,400 Former Lawmakers, Hill Staffers Are Financial Lobbyists, Washington Post, 4 June, 2010): More than 1,400 former members of Congress, Capitol Hill staffers or federal employees registered as lobbyists on behalf of the financial services sector since the start of 2009, according to an exhaustive new study issued. An equivalent situation as been noted with respect to the "Mother of Parliaments" in the UK, where some 15% of new Conservative and Labour MPs came from lobbying backgrounds according to research by an anti-spin campaigning group (Polly Curtis, MPs' links to lobbyists a concern, says anti-spin group, The Guardian, 4 June 2010).
Faith in the diplomatic corps: Traditionally the diplomatic corps, especially in the form national ambassadors, has been upheld as a focus of respectability and trustworthiness, a refuge for nationals in distress. As has become increasingly apparent, in their defence of national interests, the diplomatic corps has become a disguise for various forms of subterfuge and espionage -- using its honourability to inhibit any challenge to what is not otherwise formally protected by diplomatic immunity. Given the tax-free benefits associated with that community, there is considerable anecdotal evidence of the abuse of the "diplomatic bag" -- effectively constituting a model for the behaviour within intergovernmental agencies benefitting from similar immunity, and thus for members of any parliament. Aside from immunity in relation to crimes committed, at its most trivial this is notably evident in the publicized abuse of parking infractions (as in London and New York) -- readily considered as symptomatic of an attitude conducive to other forms of abuse..
Faith in the "international community": Appeals are frequently made to the "international community". This is a vague term implying a degree of coherence amongst various clusters of countries, even the majority of them, and/or the major international institutions through which they are represented. It is typically implied that this undefined community recognizes common obligations and upholds common values. Appeals to this community are typically made by those suffering from a repressive regime or in danger of being overwhelmed by an external force or some natural disaster. They may also be made by leaders on behalf of the oppressed by those unwilling to act themselves but seeking to position themselves as worthy of confidence. Given the nature of the minimalistic response of this amorphous community to such appeals, it is readily understandable that there is little faith in the capacity of any such "community" to act promptly, whether or not token responses are subsequently made by particular countries or agencies.
Faith in pledges of development aid and debt relief: Whether they are made by national leaders as part of the political process, by the "international community", or by intergovernmental bodies, it has become clear that such pledges are typically made as public relations gestures with very little intention of fulfilling the implied commitment. Pledges and promises are easily made, they have no status in law -- even by comparison with a promise of marriage which may be subject to legal redress if breached in some jurisdictions. A recent flagrant example is noted by Larry Elliott (G8 summit communique drops Gleneagles pledge on aid to Africa, The Guardian, 4 June 2010):
The west's seven richest countries are planning to abandon a pledge to double aid to the poorest countries in Africa by this year, the Guardian has learned. A leaked draft communique for this month's Canadian-hosted Muskoka summit contains no mention of the commitment made at the 2005 Gleneagles Summit to provide an extra $25bn (£17bn) a year for Africa as part of a $50bn increase in financial assistance.
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are eight international development goals that all 192 United Nations member states and at least 23 international organizations have agreed to achieve by the year 2015. They derive from earlier international development targets, and were officially established at the Millennium Summit in 2000, where all world leaders present adopted the United Nations Millennium Declaration, from which the eight goals were promoted. After 10 years the lack of progress was the focus of an EU statement (Getting the Millennium Development Goals back on track: a twelve points EU action plan, Brussels, 21 April 2010).
The characteristic failure to honour government pledges made with much publicity is illustrated by the fact that six months after the disaster that killed 220,000 people and left more than 1.5 million homeless, only $506m of $5.3bn raised at an international donors' conference in March 2010 has been handed over, according to the United Nations Development Programme.(Richard Luscombe, Bill Clinton gets tough as donors fail to honour $5bn Haiti pledge, The Guardian, 15 July 2010).
Faith in multinational corporations: Despite the social, economic and environmental problems engendered by such corporations, repeatedly highlighted through the World Social Forum, for example, they have long been seen as a key to development. As such their role has notably been promoted with respect to the hopes associated with the globalization agenda, notably by the World Economic Forum. Indeed it was in that context that the UN Global Compact framework was announced in 1999 as a means of encouraging "corporate social responsibility". The continuing irresponsibility of many corporations has effectively been dramaticsally highlighted by the financial crisis and the problematic implications of the globalization agenda. The impact of the economic consequences, with massive layoffs, notably of long-term employees, has highlighted the lack of social responibility. It has also become apparent that many supposedly "socially responsible" corporations have been highlyt successful in avoiding payment of tax, as documented in the case of the UK, for example (Firms' secret tax avoidance schemes cost UK billions, The Guardian, 2 February 2009). After a lengthy period of denial and problematic dipolmacy, further attention has been drawn to the challenge by the final admission of corporate bribery by BAE Systems, a British arms maker having considerable support from the UK government (BAE to pay $400m fine over conspiracy charge, New Statesman, 2 March 2010).
Faith in technology: There is increasing recognition of the risks associated with dependence on technology, notably when proposed by mu;tinational corporations, and especially when the possibility of such risks is minimized in enthusiastic proposals for use of new technologies to counteract old and emerging problems. There are many examples of the failure of major projects (such as large dams) in which environmental and other risks have been neglected. Such risks are central to the debate on the use of nuclear power, given the possibility of nuclear accidents and the extremely long radioactive half-lives of nuclear wasteproducts and the challenge of their disposal. Examples are evident in major (nation-wide) computer facilities, notably in support of governance. A striking example has been provided by the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (2010), especially in the light of the negligence and cost-cutting which is alleged to have resulted in the disaster -- factors which have drawn attention to the manner inshich regulatory oversight by government agencies has been waived in practice by the Minerals Management Service (MMS), an agency of the United States Department of the Interior charged with the management of the renewable energy, oil and gas, and mineral resources. Enthusiastic proposals in the pipeline for geoengineering remedies to global warming are usefully seen in this light.
The questionable credibility of technocrats is illustrated by the fact that the director of the film Avatar (2009), James Cameron, is being officially consulted on the Deepwater Horizon Oil disaster, as variously reported by Marina Hyde (Only the captain of the Titanic can save us now / James Cameron: can the king of the world save us all? The Guardian, 3 June 2010). But as Hyde concludes: But if James Cameron and Kevin Costner are among our best answers, one can't help feeling the relevent authorities were asking the wrong questions at some crucial point earlier in the process. In what other domains might this conclusion currently apply?
Faith in business: Especially as a consequence of the financial crisis of 2008-2009, the question of the inequalities engendered by current business practice have become a focus of attention. As noted by Charles Tilley (For fair pay, see Plato: the bonus culture has fostered mistrust in business, The Guardian, 3 June 2010):
Plato said the income of the highest paid in society should never amount to more than five times that of the lowest paid.... The chief executives of the UK's 100 largest companies overall earned 81 times the average pay of fulltime workers in 2009, against a ratio of just 47 nine years earlier.... It is, of course, in banking that the scale of rewards has become most out of kilter...
My worry is that scepticism about the world of high finance is spilling over into other sectors: the public is questioning the very nature of business and its benefits for the wider community. Why, the public will ask, should we continue to support a business structure where bosses simply see the aim as enriching themselves, with little regard for the environment or society generally? The public is also starting to grasp that the misalignment of bonuses with corporate strategies is threatening businesses's very survival.
Faith in collective intelligence: Irrespective of the challenge faced by national intelligence services focused on the defensive security of their country, it is appropriate also to recognize the progressive erosion of faith in collective intelligence as represented by scholarly, religious, political or activist constituencies and their leaders. The rudiments of such intelligence are to be found in the many international gatherings deliberately assembling such people. Institutions may partially formalize them in occasional "Councils of the Wise". Particular examples include the InterAction Council of Former Heads of State and Government, or the Global Elders. Despite such efforts over past decades, it is unclear that the insights of such gatherings transcend the limitations of their participants and the backgrounds they represent. People have rightly lost faith in the emergence of collective wisdom, irrespective of the wisdom of the individuals gathered together in this way. Efforts to enable higher orders of collective intelligence through innovative software and facilitation have not as yet proven to be fruitful or relevant to current challenges (Enabling Collective Intelligence in Response to Emergencies, 2010) .
Faith in leadership: Much is made of the potential role of leadership in the face of a challenging future. Great hopes are projected on to each new leader emerging through various processes. Characteristically however, there is widespread recognition of the demonstrable inadequacies of such leaders, whether in terms of their duplicity, the repressive measures they introduce or condone, or their failure to respond to the needs of those who place most hope in them. Symptomatic of the inadequacies of leaders as exemplars have been their double standards, notably with regard to complicity in dubious financial dealings, their sexual proclivities, or their abuse of power. Any erosion of faith is naturally aggravated when these phenomena are only too evident amongst the leadership assembled at G8 summits, represented in the UN Security Council or heading UN Specialized Agencies.
Faith in internet and web services: Wide publicity has been given to breaches of privacy by Facebook and by Google which has caused the European Union (EU) to seek stronger privacy rules to give internet users more control over how social-networking sites or search engines use their personal information (Justyna Pawlak, Google, Facebook to face tougher EU privacy rules, Reuters, 4 November 2010):
- Facebook: The social networking facility's privacy policies have been an issue, and the safety of their users has been compromised several times. Claims have been made that Facebook collects data from affiliate sites even when the user opts out and even when not logged into the Facebook site -- contrary to public claims and policy statements (Stefan Berteau, Facebook's Misrepresentation of Beacon's Threat to Privacy: tracking users who opt out or are not logged in. CA Security Advisor Research Blog, 29 November 2007). Many of its most popular applications, have been transmitting identifying information, in effect, providing access to people's names and, in some cases, their friends' names, to dozens of advertising and internet tracking companies (Emily Steel and Geoffrey A. Fowler, Facebook in Privacy Breach, The Wall Street Journal, 18 October 2010)
- Google: Several countries have questioned the invasion of individual privacy by Google's street cameras collecting personal data, including full emails and passwords from unsuspecting internet users and from unencrypted wireless networks (Josh Halliday, Google committed 'significant breach' over Street View, The Guardian, 3 November 2010; Google 'taken by surprise' by Street View row, The Guardian, 26 October 2010). In apologizing, the internet giant claimed that this had been done inadvertently, adding that it had no use for the data, had never used any of it in its products or services, and was seeking to delete it as quickly as possible.
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