Sunday, September 4, 2011
Beware Citizens Dictatorship
Noureddine Boutahar
After Mohammed Bouazizi’s self-immolation in Tunisia, the Moroccan authorites have shown complete tolerance towards many dangerous, shameful, and troublesome phenomena. Street vending is at the top of these issues and is a headache for ordinary residents and order-loving citizens. The hawkers have appropriated every corner of our cities and occupied every strategic empty spot. They clog sidewalks, hinder traffic, violate the rights of pedestrians, shop keepers (who pay taxes), car users, cyclists and other road and street users and give the cities an uncivilized and untidy image. Most of these street vendors are illiterates or semi-illiterates who are ignorant and unaware of the consequences of their selfish, reckless and immature actions. They are often aggressive, harsh, and menacing and usually behave in bad manners with the customers and passers-by. What is even worse is that many of them are armed with iron bars, knives and swords. These new ‘dictators’ as Abdellah Damoun calls them – in a very interesting article about street vendors – abuse the leniency of the authorities and rule the cities according to their whims and fancies and impose their own laws and conditions.
Street vendors and reckless people like the ones mentioned at the beginning of this post are not the only ones who cause mess, trouble, and damage on our streets. Trades people and craftsmen such as mechanics, welders, carpenters, car-painters, and many more are accomplices in the chaos and disorder. Most of them rent matchbox sized shops and operate on the public streets and sidewalks. Not only do they deprive pedestrians of walking space, but they also fill the area with harmful fumes and loud noises and leave behind piles of trash and dangerous chemicals and debris.
And the authorities? They have adopted the “see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil” stance since the beginning of the Arab Spring. Some say they have received orders to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear and avoid confrontation with street vendors, and people in general, lest they provoke protests and demonstrations. There is a kind of quid pro quo involved: citizens can spread chaos and enjoy breaking the law as long as they don’t ask for equality, justice and freedom or demand the ouster of the ruling elite.
The second bird the Makhzen (Moroccan ruling elite) wants to kill by giving chaos free rein is to send out a message that Moroccans are not mature enough for democracy. This is a refutable argument because history has shown us that democracy does not develop automatically or grow overnight. Democracy needs a well cultivated soil, cleared from the weeds of corruption which overspreads and engulfs the whole of this country. Unfortunately, those who have ruled Morocco for more than half a century have done nothing whatsoever to pave the way for democracy. They have, instead, plunged the country in corruption and ignorance.
The inch the rulers gave away has turned into a yard [1]. It’s high time they restore law and order in this dear country. Let’s not deceive ourselves and misplace the blame or find all sorts of excuses for these anomalous and aberrant phenomena. Chaos and disorder do not serve anyone’s interests, especially those of the ruling elite in the first place. The magician tricks will eventually backfire when the tiny ‘dictators’ grow into giant dragons and turn against their trainers. Also, the silent majority’s patience and complacency will soon run out and God only knows what will happen then.
The bottom line is that “for want of a nail the shoe was lost, for want of a shoe the horse was lost, for want of a horse the rider was lost” [2]. That is to say, a small inattention or neglect may lead to serious problems and challenges and expensive solutions.
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