Ali(ce) in Wonderland

Thanks to Robert Mayer for his article CITIZENS’ JOURNALISM IN THE MALDIVES.

I was wondering why the professed revolution has never happened in this country, in spite of a quarter century of suppression, intimidation and corruption. What drives human societies to bring down their own government? We have read about the French revolution, Iranian revolution, and South African revolution; even the American Revolution. Why is the people of this country unable to stand up and crush a minority. Surely the will of the majority of a population is stronger than just a handful of minority. One popular argument is that the notorious national security and the police force are keeping the masses in check. This is certainly true, the police and army play a major role in keeping this society in control. BUT it was worst in France, South Africa and in Iran, during their revolution, the people who stood against the regimes way was shot, killed or they simply disappeared. Yet the people of these countries were able to bring about their sweet revolution. The majority of these countries were able to fight and win their freedom. How is it that a small country like Maldives with a majority of the population that detests the current regime is unable to achieve this revolution? Certainly the people of this country are not cowards, they have always been fighters. They have in the past brought a number of revolutions. Funny enough the current administration is a branch of previous freedom fighters, over time converted criminals. In search of an answer to this I have had a number of arguments and discussions with people and have come to the conclusion that the prize of such a revolution is not worth the blood sacrificed. In other words the booty of the war is not worth the fight. It is not just the fighters that will be subjected to intimidations and stripping of assets but family members, friends and even their business partners will be striped bare and ridiculed in the regime controlled media outlets. Is anyone prepared to pay this price and standup and fight to bring a group of MDP personals like Ibra, Shihaab, Zaki, Munavaru or even Gasim to lead this country. Will these people be able to set up a universal health care system, reform the current education system, implement transportation service and various other social needs? Unfortunately the people of this country clearly doubts that post revolution era will be any "rosier" or the least worth what they scarifice.

No doubt in a post revolution era we will get better freedom and wider representation in governing this country. But that is still not worth what the average Maldivian will loose in the fight. Why would I sacrifice everything I have worked for my entire life for a sweet moment of freedom- a little more freedom, everything a LITTLE better? The price of French revolution and end of South African Apartheid was astronomical. Their post revolution was worth the sacrificial blood.

Deep down we know that the post revolution era has all the signs of turning itself in to a dictatorship. I am in no way pointing this at MDP or any other political party here. Most of us know that this country is run by a handful of rich business tycoons anchored in Male' and the current administration is part of this elite circle. The dissolution of the current regime will not necessarily make our life any better than it is now as long as this elite circle controls this country. The poor people in the outer islands will always remain enslaved, as they have been for years. This is part of sustaining the economic system of this country (and many other capitalist societies). For true revolution we would need a new system every few years not just a swap of parties. Just because one gets the freedom to vote for either party and bring about a change in the faces we see in government (like we see in America every five years) does not mean that it does justice to democracy. This country needs more than a revolution. It needs a dream- the Maldivian Dream.