"International and cultural globalisation":"Comparative elite political culture worlwide"!

Le 25 février 2012 par IVOIREBUSINESS - Nowadays, elite political culture consists of the beliefs, attitudes and ideas about politics held by those who are closest to the centres of political power. In countries with a parachoil or subject

political culture, elite political is of primary importance. But even where mass attitudes to politics are well developed, as in modern liberal democracies, it is still the views of the elite which exert the most direct and profound effect on political decisions. It totally different in third world aspiring democracies specially in he whole Africa, where those who are closest to the centres of political power keep on having a heavy a grip on power continually, and do whatever they want as far achievements are concerned: Meanwhile, they permanently reproduce the gestures of the neocolonial masters by imitating them politically and socially in a wrong way: Tyranny, greed , corruption, nepotism, tribalism, lack of government capacity to some extent seem to be both sides of the much debated african political story today! Instead of exporting democratic values and full transparency in the whole Africa, the african elite culture seems to copy from the bad sides of their western counterparts attitudes to politics! Let's take the example of french post independent states: in post independent "Ivory Coast" till today, top government officials are more predisposed to travel to Paris for a vacation or a holyday. They even grab the opportunity to make some shopping a in PARIS buying a private jet, expensive houses and brand new cars, suits and french gadgets, in a notorious european town labeled since ever as a living legend for every french african government top official...In another hand, the values of western elites are influenced by, but distinct from, the national political culture. For example, even in liberal democracies, where party competition gives politicians an incentive to respond to popular concerns, studies have shown how the values of elites differ from those of the general public. Elites generally take a more liberal line on social and moral issues. According to political analyst "Stouffer's greatest survey of attitudes"(in 1966) in the "United states of America" to freedom of speech demonstrated this. Conducted during the (1954), this study showed that most community leaders maintained their belief in the right of free speech for atheists, socialists and communists at a time when the attitudes of the general public were much less tolerant. More recent surveys have shown a striking increase in the american public's support for free speech for such groups:(according to "Sullivan's survey and research in(1982).None the less, it was crucial to the cause of free speech in the "United states of America" that elites remained committed at a time when the principle was under strong attack. Meanwhile, elite's attitudes in "Great Britain" are equally distinctive. The reason why "Britain" has not reintroduced capital punishment and has continued to allow a trickle of non-white immigration into the country, despite the opposition of a majority of the electorate to both these policies, is that members of the elite are more likely to approve of these policies. Implicit agreement between party leaderships on these issues has proved strong enough to survive the pressures of electoral competition. Moreover, the liberal outlook of elites owes much to their formal education. "In many liberal democracies, politics has become a largely graduate profession, a trend which the second and third worlds are now folowing today": "The experience of higher education helps to build an optimist view of human nature, strenghens humanitarian values and encourages a belief in the ability of politicians to solve social problems.(according to "Astin" analysis and survey in 1977)":"That's to say, a degree in a social science subject(such as politics) seems to be a liberating and intellectual experience"! While no one can object to educated politicians, this trend does have unfortunate result. It sharpens the division between a well-educated liberal elite and a less tolerant, more parochial underclass. That political approach seems to be different, as far the african conception of politics is concerned today: Recently, in the ivorian parliamentay elections, we are unfortunately coming back step by step to the oldest trend of backward and illiterate african politicians system of post african independence of the sixties, where it was scarce to come across a scholar in the fields of politics in "Africa", because more illiterate african people took part in the parliamentary votes in the "IVORY Coast", having in the same trend no relevant ideal to pursue, but a credible capital which was cash money, that reminds us the lyrics of african reggae superstar "Alpha Blondy" in the (1990s),(called "elections Koutcha", "Ali baba" and his ("400 thieves"), that points out politics massive frauds grounded in bribes" in "Africa" sung in the mandingo language of Africa...)Meanwhile, We must not forget the crucial fact that, The new african elite seems to be undermined and labeled right now in the whole Africa, as negative revolutionaries, as it was in the sixties :In the contemporary Africa, "Osagefo Kwame N'kruma" from former gold Coast(Ghana-West Africa)), "Patrice Lumumba"(from Congo-central Africa), "HAMED SEKOU TOURE"(from GUINEA-West Africa), "JOMO KENYATTA"(from Kenya-central Africa), "Haile Selassie(from ETHIOPIA), had set good examples of african nationalism and pride to some extent in the sixties, at that particular historical period, unfortunately they also paid the price in the long run ....

(Yves T Bouazo)