Seek To Understand The People Then Apply Appropriate Governance

To meaningfully associate with other people we must seek to understand them and their inherent virtues. Have we ever wondered why other countries, especially in the West, have centers dedicated to the studies of other peoples? I think that is so that they can mindfully interrelate with these people.

Similarly learning more about ourselves will present an opportunity to tolerate and transcend others' culture and will lead to provision of true contemporary Melanesian leadership in this time and age where the world, as the late Bernard Narokobi described, "is moving more and more towards a confused uniformity, monotony and insensitivity to the fine, subtle and sublime beauty of cultural diversity".

Narokobi further stated that "it is the simplistic imperialist who seeks uniformity as a technique to command obedience" and perhaps usher in the one-world-order that some Christians these days have been self-prophesying and scared about.

Why Do People Behave The Way They Do And Flout Rules?

Is it because people are doing what our 'big men' leaders are doing and not what the 'big men' leaders are telling us to do? Is it because of the agonisngly slowly turning 'wheel of justice'? I am of the view that an authoritarian police state may just be the solution to our failing 'big men' leaders and the failure to curb rising anti-citizenship behaviours.

A Police State Is Okay To Curb The Little Peoples’ Behaviour But Will An Authoritarian Police State Help Fight Corruption At The Higher Levels?

Naturally, those in the seat of power at that time will want to win with the people in that instant, and the first thing they will do is to eliminate their political opponents or their most ardent of critics. It will be a case of big dog eating big dog. It should be a natural elimination process for those at the higher levels and echelon of our contemporary Melanesian society, especially the public office holders. For the common people, and if I understand the psychology of us Melanesians correctly, that is: we are used to having less; we are lead by the stomach; we live in the present; we live for now and we worry less about the future; we think more for ourselves than the collective interest of us as a State; and avoiding of 'kisim pain' or short term pain in the present is a big deal, then when the common people hear about this authority that the police now have and our police reputation in brutality, it will be easy for us to be towed into compliance. Given these natures of ours, you can expected this compliance with the threat of force for non-compliance, to be immediate. And as long as we are easily coerced into maintaining discipline by 'harim tok', we should be able to keep well way away from this line of fire and of having our human rights violated.

More on our timid and submissive nature, the late Bernard Narokobi reinforces this perspective. "Also it should be realised that in spite of our inter-group fights [or this anguishing sense of being subjugated by one cultural group], Melanesian societies are non-exploitative, non-acquisitive and non-colonialist. It is true that one tribe or perhaps more might have practiced slavery and colonialism but on the whole our societies did not [survive successfully this long, and in isolation from the outside world] by subduing other races or by ruling the waves or enslaving others to one religious belief or cultural practice."

You might also wonder 'What else could be also driving this 'do not care attitude' in us?' I am of the view that landownership as a safety net is also an underlying prevalent factor. The link below attempts to uncover more on that.

Landownership makes us feel independent and we care less about the ambitions of 'big men' leaders in towns and cities. An independent people have a lesser need for non-servanthood and greedy 'big men' leaders whom the people appear to detest more and more.

Given these natures of our people who will care less about non-servanthood 'big men' leaders and their greedy ambitions, the people will welcome an authoritarian police state which will only appear to threaten the status quo of the 'big men' leaders and give people some sense of justice.