Animals Aren’t Naked: Rethinking Political Culture
By Ahulasiri Kumara Samarakoon -January 20, 2014
Athula Samarakoon
“The animal, therefore, is not naked because it is naked”. – Jacques Derrida
Acceptably, the purpose of all political and social organization is to achieve a good and just life for the members of the society. A good social life entails both physical and spiritual development resulting in national happiness. Unlike international politics, therefore, domestic politics should be organized a process of minimal power politics. Democratic politics is the only means through which such secular and cultured life can be guaranteed for the public, for it can engage them in constant discussion and debate. So, it is important that a society is organized around the philosophy of democracy as a life style, rather than assuming democracy is just a numerical game for amassing power. Unarguably, a healthy democratic culture where needs of every member of the society is heard and considered according to the accepted norms of the social organization is a godsend for people. In absence of such a social milieu, life becomes extremely pathetic and agonizing for the powerless whose interests are least represented in the system.
When the existing political culture becomes nakedly inhumane and animalistic, a newer form of society has to be imagined for the good of larger masses. History shows that revolutions of violent nature took place in societies aiming at the overthrow of such naked political cultures. Nevertheless, violence in the name of social reformation should never be acceptable. As the prevalent political culture has exposed its nudity more brazenly than we used to experience previously, we need to rethink and reset our political culture in manners suitable for achieving the goal of just life. Reasonably, we feel that the politicians of our country whose values have become a major constituent part of our political culture do not feel that they are naked, like animals never think they are naked, because they are animals.
Mainly, political degeneration takes place when politics is used for the comfort of a particular tribe or a few individuals, ignoring the larger social benefit it can bring to the society as a whole. Therefore, politics when considered for self-gain and egoistic comforts is not socially productive and becomes a source of social frustration. A better example in this regard is Sri Lanka, where the political parties in power have made politics such a tribal game for power and wealth endangering the national interest of twenty million people. More than the conditions of globalism, what is more scathingly attacking the very foundation of Srilankan nation state (not the majoritarian version), today, is political tribalism. Read More
