Years go by and this writer nearly reached the half century of his life, some of my hair is bleaching, and they usually tell
me “Mister” on the street, I think I can consider me an adult.
I also think to have the right to say something about my country (my “lorcho” Peru) and why not about the world. Finally we live in the democracy, supposedly the panacea of the styles of government in the history of mankind.
I did not spend too much time speculating philosophically to frame this review in conventional standards of human thought, but I think that experience gives me a certain fee above rationale about what I regard as the "
national reality" of a developing country like mine.
Many facts have led me to think that citizens of
developing countries are the "big ripped off", it is not exaggeration or discourtesy. If we make a judicious analysis of the reasons why countries with vast natural resources such as Peru, Bolivia, Zaire, and many more, have a very low per capita income, alarming sanitation conditions, level of investment in education for the most modest in the world. But what will be the reason? Is that our historical or geographical conditions condemn us to be poor?, and we have no choice but to "accept being poor for life, generation after generation", that is the point. Our leaders always have made their “best efforts" to make us aware deeply the belief that "we are poor" and should take many, many years of evolution before "we become rich".
And why? Why is it suitable for them to set that everyone in the country had understood that "is poor "? Then there are advantages if seen from the viewpoint of those who govern, they would have the following benefits:
People will not claim when they do not invest or invest little for public services (health, education, roads, electricity, security, etc.)
People will not claim when the State does not allocate resources to promote or generate sources of employment, because "the State is deficient" and "has no resources" everything must be left to private or foreign investment (what a brazen hands wash! Pilates was a baby!)
People will not object when the State seize illegally from part or all of the public funds for predetermined objectives, such as the Social Security fund, which was provided by taxpayers and belongs only to them since they are not taxes but public funds. The State argues that is required for other matters and because "we are a poor country."
People will not claim when the State makes the FONAVI fund "disappear" (in Peru), perhaps lending to the beneficiaries of housing have been “no return”? No they have not. So where is the fund? Does the State have the right to appropriate the resources of citizens and then just say "there is nothing, and forget because we are a poor country"? However, the questioned State tax collector “SUNAT” does not forgive anyone (beats companies and individuals). Would not it had been a logical solution the amount contributed to FONAVI served as a tax credit to contributors in future years? and lowering somewhat the leonine Income Tax Fifth Category. Where are the Congressmen, the Ombudsman, the People Defender, the Association of Consumers and Users?...
People will not claim when be set the highest taxes in the world: IGV 19% (sales tax - case of Peru), being in USA 7.25% average. To make matters worse we have an extra tax “ISC” on fuel, supposedly for sumptuous products (whiskey, luxury cars, etc.). But here in Peru we have this tax set for a product of mass consumption. Who is the first impoverisher of Peruvians? Take your own. It seems that the excuse is the same again "we are a poor country and the state should collect taxes at all costs, the pocket of taxpayers do not care!
Poverty is in our minds, if we decide that we are poor, we will be poor, if we choose to be rich, we will be rich too. It all depends on us to reverse this vicious cycle of self-condemnation, let us look forward with optimism and work hard, let us learn to do legitimate business and fulfill our duties as citizens, but let us demand government transparency in public accounts, transparency of information, transparency in taxes collection, transparency in the way budgets are implemented. Finally recall that our country has many natural resources that we are the beneficiaries, and rulers (governors) do not "own" the resources of the country, are just mere administrators of public finances and they must account for the results to us the owners of the country, the citizens.
God save people!