COMMENTARY: Victimisation in politics
By Dickson Igwe, Contributor
One politician’s assertions on victimization reveal a pervasive culture. Now, when it comes to victimization in politics anywhere, all are guilty. There is no innocent political party.
Talk to anyone who is impacted by politics from the businessman to the public officer, and there is clear acceptance that the matter of victimization is as pervasive, as it is real.
One great example is the refusal by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to offer a customary peerage to The Right Honorable John Bercow Ex-Speaker of the UK Parliament, for his stances on the Brexit Debate.
However political victimization takes various forms, from the insidious to the outright overt. The more damaging types of victimization are subtle and insidious.
This type of victimization is meant to emotionally suppress the victim. It takes the form of marginalization. Here a minister will form a clique within a ministry, and that clique becomes a type of mini cabinet. There is disrespect for protocol.
Embarrassment and discouragement
A junior officer will be offered access to pertinent information, over his or her seniors. This causes embarrassment and discouragement. The junior will be invited to ”parties” over senior officers, who due to protocol, should be invited first. Then there are the rude gestures. A refusal to acknowledge staff through appropriate greetings but acknowledging a ‘chumminess’ over a more favoured officer.
Soon a culture of favouritism develops and the result is low morale generally, and even lower productivity. On the other hand, the wise politician swiftly forgives his enemies after election victory. Magnanimity is a great tool in politics. forgiving an enemy actually turns that enemy into a much less threatening individual. And in certain circumstances that “forgiven enemy” can become the politician’s greatest friend and asset due to the fact that he or she is shocked at being forgiven for their prior partisanship.
Victimisation
Victimisation is never a great idea. Why, because as many understand today, one never knows what is around the corner. One politician who believed he was invincible and was a master in the politics of victimization, got the shock of his life, and the boot out of office, at a general election. Who did the kicking? Most likely scores of people he victimized, and who took out their revenge at the ballot box.
The victimized are citizens and voters. That is easily forgotten when power gets to the head. As the Great and Wise Lavitty Stoutt stated one: “one enemy is one too many”.
For Julius Caesar, it is far better to be kind and magnanimous than ”nasty” and ‘vindictive’. His career will last longer.
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Victimization is out-ta-control right now in weweeye.
And the gas bag is once again spouting his expertise. Only the expertise is of nothing. Fortunately for him this subject came up in a news article. Otherwise he wouldn’t have had a thought of which to write. Unfortunately Igwe, it appears your day job is in jeopardy as the new Carwash is now operational.
You are simply a cowardly hater hiding behind your anonymity and misery, and would never have the courage to show your ugly face to Igwe in person and give him this crap.
John Bercow was denied a peerage becaue he was the most biased speaker ever (worse than ours), and stands accused of bullying. You tacit support of a bully is very unbecoming, and reminiscent of the labour party’ support of anti-semitism.
Has neither the courage nor the intellect to do so. A cowardly, tiny-minded, racist lot they are.
Sadly though, they are polluting our paradise with their filth.
Typical negro. Any comment that they don’t like instantly becomes racist. The fact is the Territory is inhabited by nothing but racists. The most racists per sq mile in the world.
One enemy may be one too many. However, the good Book said, “woe is you if every man speak good of you.” We need enemies as they are as instruments in helping us fulfill our purposes.
One does not need a high school diploma, degree or Phd. to developed the ability to discern that, except you choose to keep deceiving yourself, you need no soothsayer to tell anyone that Caucasians don’t consider black Africans /Black people in general as equal humans in nature and in worth!
The tone of those haters comments make that abundantly clear each week Mr. Igwe post his commentary.
But, he will keep posting and sharing, and we will keep on rising.
Again spouting off about a subject he doesn’t really understand. Bercow is not deserving of a peerage. He should actually be investigated. Bercow did the uk no favors in last 3 years and caused lots of unnecessary issues. He used his position for his own ends.
Bercow attempted to save the UK from dissolving which is inevitable Post Brexit-
I have not interest in saving the Union, but I do fancy being in the House of Lords!
Yeah right and you have such SUPERIOR MIND- F–K HEAD
Political victimization is but one form of many forms of victimization. Victimization is a universal condition; there is even a course of study for it—–Victimology. In the universe of politics, political victimization is common place. It happened yesterday, it will happen today and in future and beyond to eternity. As the saying goes, to the victor goes the spoils.
The reality is that every government coming to power will reward their supporters with positions, contracts…..etc. Some will even employ nepotism, cronyism…….etc. Further, some government positions are inherently political, ie, incoming government get to appoint who supports them. It seems to reason that it (government) will fill these positions with people that they are comfortable with, supporters…..etc. Moreover, in opposition, the Opposition invariably accuses the incumbent government of victimization, cronyism, nepotism…….etc but in power, it does the same thing. Hypocrisy! This hypocrisy is highly evident in the impeachment trial of US President Trump, eg, changing positions of Senator Lindsey Graham, Alan Dershowitz..etc.
It is a universal condition that every government hates being criticized even when it is clear that it did something wrong; they are thinner-skin and all knowing. Consequently, some governments are bold and move quickly to punish anyone and his/her family for criticizing it. Others move more slowly and methodical behaving like snakes in the grass to get even but get even they will. People must employ emotional intelligence to survive and even that may not be enough. This whole charade may not be fair but it is real. By the way, colonialism, neocolonialism, imperialism……etc are forms of victimization.
True, Victimization is rampant in political systems just about everywhere. In my opinion, Victimization, cronyism and nepotism are major flaws in a Democracy. After all, under a democracy every man and woman have one vote…and one vote can never be more important than the other. Why? The core party members alone are usually not enough to win an election; with campaign focus having to be directed at drawing support from opposition party members..and other none party voters from the general voting block.
To me its not clear that VIP core supporters worked that hard and got the party elected. They worked hard during the previous election as well but got only two (2) candidates elected. This time around the landscape had completely changed; (more vexing issues on the side of the incumbent NDp, more competing parties etc); which apparently favored the Vip.
The voters voted for change; change for all and should be favorable for all; not only core party members and core supporters.
Also worth noting, is the fact that post hurricane Irma we all joined together, rolled up our sleeves and went to work to cleanup and rebuild our country chanting “One BVi, BVI Strong”. What has happened since ? In 1992 Rodney King while being severely beaten by LA police asked the question: “Can’t we all get along”?
Has neither the courage nor the intellect to do so. A cowardly, tiny-minded, racist lot they are.
Sadly though, they are polluting our paradise with their evil mindedness and filth.