RE: BLAME THE OPPOSITION

It was during my study of Historiography (one of the most difficult courses I’ve ever taken) that I got exposed to some of the tools politicians employ to advance and exonerate themselves of any blame, any blemish in their efforts to remain ‘holy’ and ‘white as snow’.

One of these tools is Blaming the Opposition party for all things going wrong. And since the Greeks modified and codified the practice of modern politics, this tool has remained a ‘sacred’ arsenal for justification of political (in) actions.

Last week, my friend Ekow Ata-Aidoo (@ekowmaisse) chose to share on his blog an article with the above heading (read full text here http://wp.me/p54CZc-V   ). 

The man was frustrated by the excessive finger pointing by the government and her appendages at the former government’s (NPP) mismanagement of the economy especially the energy sector as the reason for the seemingly unending energy crisis blighting the prosperity the prosperity of Ghana.

courtesy Infoboxx 

My article is to bring to his attention that blaming your political opponents is an art in realpolitik. It is a tool to score political points. It is a tool used to bamboozle the many who are ignorant, unthinking and blinded by political affiliation to go to town with the mantra of their government. 

Every party which comes to power will draw on this card to advance, justify its incompetence. This strategy is aptly captured by George Orwell in his famous novel Animal Farm, where Napoleon kept blaming Snowball for the destruction of the windmill.

The current energy crisis-dumsor- is having grave effect on every aspect of national life. I’m sure the economic figures from the Ghana Statistical Service, the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) and other agencies tracking the economic performance of Ghana will have a lot to say on the correlation between dumsor and economic growth of Ghana.

Though the government tells us initiatives are in place to ameliorate this suffocating and annoying situation, it is interesting to note the perspectives of some energy experts that an increase in generation capacity and generating the power are mutually exclusive.

Ekow, my good friend, stop stressing. Don’t let your blood boil. Just relax. The blame game won’t fly out of the window within your lifetime.  In African or Ghanaian politics, owning up to mediocrity or failure is not in our DNA. Owning up is a political suicide. No right thinking party will ever want to do that. Why should the balance sheet of a party have more negatives than positives? Apuut)!!!

Heaping blame on the opposition by the ruling party for a ruling government’s incompetence is designed for politicians to use and in Africa or Ghana; it could save a party from losing all credibility in the eyes of voters. It wins sympathy, makes your opponents appear untrusting, uncaring and incompetent in the eyes of the nation and the world.

It is a tool worth having and carrying (no matter the weight) everyday, everywhere. It is the greatest and most valuable piece of art in the politicians’ briefcase.

Long live the concept and practice of political blame game. May it never, never, never die!!

PS. Did I read that our president, the communication expert really pointing to the number of mobile phone users as one of the reason for this energy crisis? I don’t want to believe. I think he was misquoted. The president, who was the deputy Communication Minister and under whose watch the nation’s communication journey came to maturity saying this? Hey, the gods must be crazy!