The Importance of Culture to the Average Kuwaiti (Part 3)

Now, consider the repercussions of a completely consumer-based society, where the business-centric PK utilizes the many loopholes and ‘blind eye’ arrangements within the legal framework that regulates and (one hopes) polices the society-caters to the consumer base with wanton disregard for future generations. By the same token, the PK and the CK alike are fighting & maneuvering to obtain as much as they can from the State’s resources and privileges, inevitably, some voices of reason and resistance will arise from these two sub-cultures, but they will not be as loud as the voices of sedition and animosity. It would be like a bunch of 7 year olds at a birthday party bickering & arguing over the birthday cake, with the parents sitting & chatting away amongst themselves in the other room. Eventually, however, the more mature of these kids, realizing that no one’s coming to help them, will step forward and take charge of things for the rest of the kids, until the party is eventually completely taken over by immature and inexperienced children….consider the consequences & repercussions.

The story isn’t over yet. The Academic elite, by its very nature as a knowledge-seeking society that is somewhat immune from the magnetism of wealth by its craving for more knowledge, is not necessarily the power base in town, nor even close to it, and as such detaches itself from the day-to-day management of the country, focusing instead-helplessly-on the hope of a rising generation of academic graduates that may someday light a torch of clarity and walk into the cavernous recesses of the unknown and the obscure in order to blaze a trail for future generations to follow. Their voices will become a benign grain of sand in the sea of socio-political chaos, and will eventually fade into the obscure pages of History-if they were lucky!

The “fast-track” educated Kuwaiti, on the other hand, (by that I refer to those CK’s that have utilized their influence and/or wealth in order to reach and secure an academic, religious and/or political position that would have a direct and powerful influence on society as a whole, but definitely NOT aiming to become PK’s themselves) will strive to gain wealth and power from their academic and political positions of power in order to secure another ‘untouchable elite’ that will mimic the previously-described Business Captains. They are the people that will go so far as to encourage their children to become members of the Army/Police, or who allow them to obtain their High School Certificates from the GCC because it’s easier, or ‘purchase’ their PhD’s from obscure and unaccredited universities and colleges, and will then return and demand to have them accredited by the Government, giving it yet another bargaining chip with which it can use to ensure their silence when the time comes.

And finally, you have those CK’s who will resort to the concept of ‘Power to the Regime’, who will subscribe to the extreme and disfigured interpretations of Religion brought about by those who consider themselves ‘pure’ and ‘righteous’ just because they’ve memorized the Holy Quran and attended some sermons. They find within these Regimes the voice that calls for equality, just as long as equality is only given to them and their counterparts within the regime. They will continue to exert their influence onto those that are outside their circle and belief system, thinking that it’s God’s will that they do so, and whoever rejects them is an outsider, and thus a blasphemer in their mind’s eye.

Interestingly, some of these CK’s attain a high position of Academia, such as a Surgeon, a Lawyer, a Hero of the Liberation of Kuwait, etc. But instead of becoming PK’s and infusing themselves into the efforts of building a State for themselves and their future generations, they resort to the much easier and much more immediate (and more secure and unchallengeable) path of subscribing to a Religiously-inspired Political Party that would countermand the Government’s efforts of social and economic improvement, little as they may be if it doesn’t suite their agendas.

(...to be continued)