Dilemma of submission … to deep state

‘Artificial crisis’ indicates lack of understanding of Kuwaiti culture

■ The welfare state has ended… fees must be raised and subsidies must be removed, taking into account those with low incomes

■ Solutions cannot be found if stakeholders are the ones advising the decision-makers and making the decisions

■ A system to protect future generations, unless the intention is to employ them as “drivers and servants” in other countries

■ Parliamentarians imposing their conflicting orientations with society means departing from the state of institutions

■ The ideas of the Minister of Finance are very good if they are implemented according to a fair principle… The Constitution allows the imposition of taxes

■ In all countries of the world, systems take from the wealthy and companies to develop their infrastructure

■ The circle of corruption is expanding. Continuing in this manner will cause Kuwait to lose the remaining benefits of its wealth

■ The artificial crisis at the university was caused by the Minister of Education and its director and indicates a lack of understanding of Kuwaiti culture

■ Kuwait will not develop if this type of appointment continues, while the financial demands of parliamentarians are kept silent

KUWAIT CITY, Sept 24: We were greatly optimistic about the visit of His Highness the Crown Prince to China and his meeting with the Chinese leaders, led by President Xi Jinping. During the visit, the signing of agreements and meetings with officials of international companies to bring about a qualitative shift in the country’s development projects and emerge from the stage of stagnation were expected to be held. However, the deep state and its corrupt clique are still spreading their tentacles into the joints of the country and seizing the opportunity, whenever it has a chance, to create a crisis either between the two authorities or between the government and the people.

The issue of co-education at the university is one of such crises. Nothing positive seems to be coming our way. We say this because the countries around us are racing with the wind for development and keeping pace with modernity to achieve well-being for the nation and the people. Even poor countries in Africa and elsewhere that have long been ravaged by famine have gotten rid of the scourge of corruption and have reached a great level of development and growth. On the other hand, we are moving nowhere. Here is a question raised by the political circles close to senior decision-makers — Is it possible to get out of the current impasse with incomplete temporary remedies that target the symptoms of the disease and do not eradicate its causes?!

This question was raised by circles close to the decision-makers after they noticed fumbling in appointments to senior and midlevel positions, the result of which was to slip back into the crisis box after those appointed were unable to deal seriously with the problems, especially the dictations of some. The circles stated, “The artificial crisis caused by the minister of Education and Higher Education, and the university director indicates a lack of understanding of Kuwaiti culture and the values and traditions on which the children of Kuwait are nurtured, generation after generation. Their position on the guardianship of the values, and the obligation of the students in terms of banning co-education is not only an indication of the inability of those to exercise their role and responsibilities to the fullest extent but also of a lack of proper appreciation for an academic educational institution such as the university. This is a realistic example of what takes place in various state ministries.

Also, there is great discomfort among the senior decision-making circles regarding the reality of the situation. From the deep state, which we thought the country had gotten rid of forever, has emerged another state that manages the institutions, and dictates its directions and decisions to the executive officials who consider the institutions to be a milking cow. They are skilled at milking its udder until it bleeds, which indicates the absence of national responsibility. We expected to be saved from the corrupt, but we found that the new ones are no different from the previous ones to seize public money and achieve personal interests.

The improper implementation of the decisions vexed the society, whether at the university or the Ministry of Education, especially the flexible working hours and the like, which is subject to major criticism from the educational body, as well as in most ministries. It is as if we are in a vicious circle from which there is no way to escape. We blame the so-called elite, as they were supposed to work on developing minds, but they fell into the dilemma of submitting to some parliamentarians, leaving three or four of them to impose their orientations and visions that conflict with Kuwaiti society.

This means deviating from the principle of the state of institutions is considered, at the same time, a painful blow to the development of Kuwait, which has been suffering for three decades from stagnation and backwardness. This situation requires uprooting it from its roots and stopping the infiltration of corruption, which has been continued by the fangs of the deep state. Another issue that cannot be tolerated is the financial demands that parliamentarians propose day and night to shackle the state with a huge budget as it tries to move towards the future.”

The circles praised the directions of the Minister of Finance Fahad Al-Jarallah, stressing that he announced a set of “very good” ideas that will bear fruit if they are implemented according to a fair principle, and revealed that the articles of the Constitution allow the government to impose taxes. They said, “If the tax system is carefully studied and established as it is supposed to be established in various global countries where they take from the powerful, the wealthy, and companies, and work to develop the infrastructure, as well as sort those with limited and low incomes, it would benefit the state and take into account the interests of the people. Everyone has become convinced that the welfare state ended a long time ago, and that continuing to ignore this trend is the reason for the financial confusion facing Kuwait, in addition to the corruption whose scope is expanding day after day.

The mission of guidance and advice remains within its correct framework when officials realize that continuing in this manner will cause Kuwait to lose the remaining benefits of its wealth, which will soon be depleted if dependence on oil remains the only and main source of income, and the revenues generated from fees does not become a source of national income. Getting out of the impasse requires the state to develop primary and heavy industries as a first step towards starting a system to protect future generations unless the intention is for our young people to become workers in other countries such as drivers and servants. The solution, as more than one expert and observer has advised, lies in lifting subsidies and doing justice to those with low incomes, based on the principle of “taking must be matched by giving”.

This solution cannot see the light of the stakeholders and opportunists are the ones advising the decision-makers, while at the same time, they are the ones deciding, especially on the issue of loans that put pressure on a large segment of Kuwaitis, which means that the situation remains as it is. The situation can neither improve, nor can Kuwait develop if we continue to have this type of appointments, poor decision-making, and confusion in the administration.”