I watched a little bit of the military parade in
Nicosia today. I can't help wishing this day could be commemorated with
something more than shrill journalists from state-owned channels eulogising
young men in uniform, while old politicians in sharp suits and Rambo-style
shades applaud from the stage.
Of course we need military preparedness. But
independence today, no matter in what country we live in, is so much more than
this.
So much more than the hollow slogans and fixations
with military equipment that is itself 2 generations old.
Where is the parade dedicated to economic
competitiveness or innovation? Where is the parade dedicated to cyberwarfare
and digital capabilities? To effective diplomacy and alliances? To an efficient
public sector?
To honest and uncorrupted politicians, capable of
strategic governance? That would be an empty parade indeed.
I reflect that Cyprus has made tremendous efforts
in re-organising its civil defence and conscription system and is now in the
process of professionalising its military. This is laudable, although no doubt
more can be done. There are also few alternatives for this, given Cyprus'
geographic position, history, and neighbourhood, and the fact that 38% of
Cyprus is occupied by Turkey.
Yet, Cyprus has gone through 5 major economic
crashes in 15 years. All of these are attributable to a lack of effective
regulation, to political capture of regulatory institutions and banks, to
abysmal managerial decisions, and to a society prepared to believe the
impossible.
None of these economic crashes is attributed to
military preparedness. Yet all of them have reduced Cyprus' independence
significantly.
Independence today will be something secured by:
· Effective and accountable
politicians.
· An independent and effective
public service, adapted to the digital age and the globalised world we are
living in, where a condition of ignorant stasis is fatal. This includes a
modern justice system.
· A consensus between political
parties and society on what is considered mandatory, and what can be open to
ideological interpretation. Ideally, issues like the national educational
system, justice, and military should be non-political and non-ideological.
· A society that invests to
compete, rather than investing in flashy consumption. Particularly when the
latter is financed by expensive bank loans.
· A society capable of
historical memory, real analysis and the ability to resist demagoguery, rather
than one hypnotised by "proinathika", trashy serials, self-indulgence
and narcissism.
· A society capable of forging a
balanced and coherent social compact between the young, the employed, the old
and the disadvantaged.
· Effective and innovative
public and private sector management. Probably the greatest weakness we
confront today.
· A military force capable of
very rapid and mobile, independent reaction, using asymmetric technological
threats against a numerically-superior force with overwhelming conventional
superiority in the air and on the ground.
· Infrastructure capabilities
shielded from digital and electro-magnetic warfare and unrestricted warfare.
· A very effective public
service, diplomatic corps, and media capabilities necessary to shift
international public opinion and decision-making.
· The ability to properly
leverage and benefit from international alliances, avoiding the paroxysms and
oxymoronic behaviour of all too many politicians today and yesterday.
· An equally effective
intelligence service.
· A culture of investing in
excellence, innovation and performance, at all levels. This is the only avenue
a small country has today to survive and compete in a brutally rational
economic age.
· The ability to attract
productive and innovative investment (domestic or foreign) and maintain a
positive current account balance, as well as a balanced GDP and public sector
budget.
I find myself today thinking of that iconic poster
from the X-Files.
I want to believe.
Image of Fox Mulder courtesy of The TV Addict.
(c) Philip Ammerman, 2016
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