Neutrality in the face of setbacks is fallacious folly

By Ababu Namwamba

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In 191 BC, Antiochus III, King of Syria, invaded Greece, invited there by the Aetolians in order to drive out the Romans. Antiochus sent envoys to the Achaeans, who were allies of the Romans, to advise them to remain neutral. On the other hand, the Romans urged them to take up arms on their behalf. This matter was discussed at a meeting of the Achaeans at which the envoy of Antiochus exhorted them to remain neutral.

To this the Roman envoy replied: “Quod autem isti dicunt non interponendi vos bello, nihil magis alienum rebus vestris est; sine gratia, sine dignitate, praemium victoris eritis.” (As for what they tell you, that it is better for you not to intervene in the war, nothing could be further from your interests; lacking help and dignity, you would be the prize of the victor).

“In order to avoid present dangers, irresolute rulers usually prefer to remain neutral, and very often this is their undoing,” notes Niccolo Machiavelli in The Prince, and adds: “Let us assume that you strongly support one of the parties, who then emerges victorious: even if he is powerful and you are at his mercy, he is beholden to you and friendship is established between you. And men are never so dishonourable that they would attack you in such circumstances, and display so much ingratitude. Moreover, victories are never so decisive that the victor does not need to be careful, and especially about acting justly. But if the ruler  you help loses, he will show gratitude to you and will help you as far as he can; thus you become an ally in a cause that may flourish again.” Machiavelli observes further that it is not always possible to follow safe politics. Rather, it should be realised that all courses of action involve risks: for it is in the nature of things that when one tries to avoid one danger another is always encountered. But prudence consists in knowing how to assess the dangers, and to choose the least bad course of action as being the right one to follow.

Robert Green, in his 48 Laws of Power, describes timidity as “dangerous”, and celebrates boldness by declaring that any mistakes you commit through audacity are easily corrected by more audacity.

Green says most of us are timid. We want to avoid tension and conflict and we want to be liked by all. We may contemplate a bold action but we rarely bring it to life. We are terrified of the consequences, of what others might think of us, of the hostility we will stir up if we dare go beyond our usual place. Green adds that few are born bold. Even Napoleon had to cultivate the habit on the battlefield, where he knew it was a matter of life and death. In social settings, he was awkward and timid, but he overcame this and practiced boldness in every aspect of his life because he saw its tremendous power, how it could literally enlarge a man. You must practice and develop your boldness. You will often find uses for it.

We are living in times when we cannot afford to play neutral or timid. Kenya today is confronted with mounting challenges that demand a bold stand of every man and woman. The serpent of corruption appears to be getting more and more invigorated, and is threatening to devour public projects even before they take off, as demonstrated by the stunning drama around the school laptops and standard gauge railway initiatives.

We have seen enough signs of a presidency that is becoming increasingly dictatorial and pernicious, sinking ever so deeper into the mire of impunity, as confirmed by assaults on Press freedom, civil society liberties, and the bizarre threats to civil servants courtesy of the roadside-style salary-cut presidential decree. And of course it is obvious to all and sundry that devolution is under ferocious siege by centrist forces. 18th Century British Statesman and philosopher Edmund Burke warned that all it takes for evil to triumph is good men to do nothing, while Martin Luther King observed that “the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Will you stand up and walk on the right side of history for Kenya?