-Zimbabweans Must Demand Systemic Change, Not Mere Mogabeic Change!
By Torli Krua, Contributing Writer
Liberia is neither a republic nor a democratic country. A republic is a state where citizens have supreme powers. Democracy is a government of the people by the people and for the people.
On both counts, Liberia does not qualify because in Liberia the politicians have supreme powers and corrupt Liberian politicians have designed a deadly, corrupt and broken system of governance to get rich and keep the citizens in poverty, illiteracy and misery forever.
Compare the budgets of American states and salaries of American lawmakers/public servants to the Liberian budget and salaries and benefits. Liberia is a poor country with a lower cost of living index.
With an annual budget of US$550 million dollars, the highest paid Liberian lawmaker earns over US$440,000.00 and the lowest paid Liberian lawmaker earns over US$190,000.00.
(Source: Attached Budget of Liberian Legislature). On the other hand, California with fy-2017 budget of US$270.9 billion dollars (Source: www.goo.gl/NDfF8T ) pay lawmakers only US$104,118.00 annually. New Hampshire with a budget of US$5.7 billion dollars pay its lawmakers only US$100.00 annually with no cars, no Per Diem. ( Source: www.goo.gl/FxQC8e ) According to the American Social Security Administration report, 51% of working Americans earn US$30,000.00 or less annually and 38% of working Americans earn US$20,000.00 or less annually.
It makes no sense for American taxpayers give foreign aid to poor countries with corrupt politicians! The American and European Embassies in African countries hide the truth from their taxpayers and are in collusion with corrupt African politicians to perpetuate corruption. With the attached data, two things become crystal clear:
We have to stop ritualistic killings by corrupt politicians by not only terminating the incentives of excessive salaries and benefits of corrupt politicians, we must terminate the corrupt system itself and do it now!
We must also expose the embassies of donor countries, including the United States and European Union Delegation, whose complicity and hiding of the truth about excessive salaries and benefits of their cronies from taxpayers in America and Europe help nurture corruption.
2nd By their continued financial support of the Liberian government and their silence in the face of endemic corruption, rising ritualistic killings and excessive salaries and benefits of Liberian officials, the United States and European Union embassies in Monrovia are nurturing corruption and complicit in nurturing the incentives of ritualistic killings in Liberia.
In order for government to guarantee security and equal opportunity for all citizens, a new system of participatory democracy that empowers the people as masters must be instituted. With this new system, citizens must have an input in the salaries of their public servants, directly propose laws that are consistent with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, reserve the rights to directly propose repealing bad laws and reserve the rights to recall officials guilty of corruption.
American lawmakers in a rich country with higher cost of living University Degrees and the Liberian national budget, US$550 million and the attached salaries and benefits of government officials . Thanks for the letter requesting the planning of a National March/Protest against corruption, poverty and inequity.
I believe in order to solve the systemic problems in Liberia, we don’t need a new administration to run a corrupt and broken system for another six years, we need a new system that empowers citizens, not politicians. The corrupt system needs to be retired and abandoned not just in Liberia but in Zimbabwe, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.
Africa needs to move beyond elections of corruption and begin a new revolution of demanding participatory democracy. To end instability, political violence, poverty, illiteracy and misery across the rich continent of Africa, we must have courage to ignite a new peaceful revolution of participatory democracy-a government of the people, by the people and for the people! Liberia is ripe for democracy but it must be a struggle to be successful! Fredrick Douglass said. “Without a struggle, there is no success.” If you are ready let’s go to work!
Just so you know, I want to work with you. I have studied and practiced activism, community organizing and protests. I am currently a member of the Pachamama Global movement for systemic change and social justice. ( www.pachamama.org). I have lived the life of successful organizing. And yes, I can work with you to design an effective protest against corruption. I can bring people who are veterans in protest movement to guide and advise the process. I have been honored for this work by the City of Boston, Massachusetts, Torli H. Krua Day, May 10th. by members of Congress, Governors and institutions.