The banality of dishonesty

In Hannah Arendt’s book Eichmann in Jerusalem: A report on the banality of evil which she wrote after reporting for the New Yorker in 1962 on the execution of Adolf Eichmann of the Shutzstaffel (SS) for his role in the Holocaust. She explains how “everything” had become morally permissible and humanly possible in the politics of the Third Reich. The banality of evil depicts how career oriented bureaucrats committed egregious crimes without any trace of compunction because it had become commonplace.  As far as Adolf Eichmann and his counterparts were concerned carrying out orders even if it led to mass murder wasn’t anything extraordinary. It was neither fiendish nor monstrous to them. Arendt’s asserted that “Evil in the Third Reich had lost the quality by which most people recognize it—the quality of temptation.”

 

I used this anecdote to point out the chilling parallels that could be drawn between the Ghanaian society and the central theme in Arendt’s book. The dangers of making vices banal in society. The Ghanaian case may be lesser in severity and magnitude in comparison with that of the S.S but it still does not speak well of us as a people. In our context; lies, deceit, chicanery have become so banal in our society today to the extent that people do not bat an eyelid when they lie or detect a lie. To test this hypothesis, soul-search yourself right now and see how many times you have already lied today, and whether you felt bad about it afterwards. Yes, that’s how gruesome the situation is. It doesn’t matter how ‘big or small’ the lie is, once it is deliberately crafted to deceive or cheat, it is a foul play. A good chunk of the rot in our society today can be directly attributed to dishonesty. 

 

Let no one take it lightly: no relationship, whether family, romantic or professional can blossom when lies and deceit take precedence over honesty and truthfulness. What we see in our political landscape only mirrors that of the larger society. Mind you, we pick our leaders/politicians from amongst us. So when we cry foul about politicians lying to us I get tempted to think it is because our oxen is being gored. Because how different is it from the price you over quoted or the budget you bloated or the excuse you trumped up to get away with your deliberate misconduct at work? Remember how prices of stuff were bloated at the peak of the inflation. If you lied about these and more what makes you think you can do a better job in a bigger public office? That’s not to excuse the politicians’ despicable dishonesty. Just that they identify us as members of their own league that’s why they conveniently lie to us without contrition. Because they know in the end we are all tarred with the same brush and when they come back to us we will accept them with open arms.

The biblical aphorism that says speak the truth and the truth shall set you free appears all Greek to us even though we have it on our lips all the time. The average Ghanaian would as lief lie and be detained than to speak the truth and be free. I doubt if some of us would hesitate to lie to “ the burning bush”

 

In the 21st July 2023 issue of the Daily Graphic, was an article by Brig. Gen. Dan Frimpong, at whose feet I grovel, titled “Artisan and attitude! What’s wrong with us?” He sampled separate cases of chicanery by Ghanaian artisans that inexorably eroded public trust in their businesses. And now foreign artisans are gaining traction with their businesses because they are more trustworthy. From here there is no reversal, nobody can save their businesses except the truth and a better attitude. You want proof? Look at our politics, is it getting any better? I can only say it is as good as it gets.

 

It is a long shot, but I would suggest our education system invest just as much priority in imbibing strong moral principles in the curricula. To educate and raise men and women with integrity and honor. Parents should also do a better job raising honest children by leading exemplary lives. What good does it do us as people if we educate ourselves to become the best in economics, medicine, the arts and what have you with zero moral principles? Honesty remains the best policy.

 

Our fight against corruption is akin to treating the symptoms of a disease instead of the causes. Until we consciously cultivate the habit of being truthful and honest in our homes, places of work and amongst ourselves, the fight against corruption will always be an abstraction. We will keep recycling dishonest and corrupt politicians and our fate will continue to plumb new depths.