“The Islamic economy has a kind of anarchy built into its structure, though it is program-based, but its waste factor is unprecedented.” Author Chapter sixteen Bureaucracy in the economy When discussions on the lack of democratic freedom within Islamic societies surface, the ultra-Islamites and specifically the Islamic leaders respond as follows: At certain stages of Islamic developments, for economic reasons, democratic expansion within an Islamic state cannot be fully implemented. Economic hurdles must be crossed first and then problems relating to democratic development addressed. The other reasoning of the Islamic leaders is the following: The material life of society within the current state of the economy has not yet risen to expected levels. We cannot therefore yet concentrate our attention on the expansion of democratic principles in society. As a face-saving measure, the ultra Islamites argue that democratic issues are concerned with the educated, scientists, writers, and artists. Farmers and workers have no such interest in the expansion of democratic issues. Their problems are the shortage of consumer commodities, food, housing, and low wages. Therefore, the government and the Islamic parties prioritize their efforts on increasing the production of consumer goods and agricultural products. The task of dealing with democratic issues is referred to only in times when the productive power of society is enhanced. It may be true that any limitation on democratic freedoms would above all generate a negative response from the educated sector. But it should not be forgotten that the limitations on freedom not only impede the educated from their useful activities, but the impact would contribute in other aspects of social life, including the production forces. The value of activities in scientific, artistic, and literary works is not lower than that of the construction of a factory. This is a point that even the ultra-Islamites agree on. Scientific and cultural developments in a society are the cause of its economic developments. In many Islamic countries now, the need for scientific growth to enhance their economic development is being acutely felt. It has become a common realization that the lack of democratic freedoms in scientific and cultural fields results in a stagnation of economic development. The lack of democratic freedoms produces one-sided economic activity that fails to provide mainstream social requirements. Progress in democratic freedoms will enhance the political awareness of the workforces, which will in turn contribute to their higher economic productivity. Freedom in the economy is needed for any economic development. However, freedom in the economy without political democracy is meaningless. These two issues are interconnected and interdependent. In a country where social production is connected to state economic plans, an economic democracy is therefore more in demand, since without democracy in the economy and without control from below, the production process will have to embrace untold difficulties arising from bureaucratic government offices. Egoistic approaches to production would generate demoralization in the workforces. Through the lack of economic democracy within Islamic states, the public has so far suffered a great deal. Economists take this issue very seriously. The economic reality of the Islamic state of Iran is such that the most basic governing economic laws are not in any way practiced. Furthermore, outdated production units in the chemical industry, tool-making, and light industries, and some other industrial branches are vividly evident. Many ministries have no organized plans on the deployment of new machinery in connection with increasing production levels. Much effort is designated for the creation of fair wages for the industrial workforce, but the floor worker almost always ends up with the worst pay.
Posted on: Sat, 26 Oct 2013 17:03:23 +0000
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