Inequity, rising crime grips developed liberal democracies:

Social democracies mitigate crime

Sunday Observer staffer Afreeha Jawad with Colombo University's senior sociologist Professor S. T. Hettige probes into the causes that lead to increasing crime rates in liberal democracies while social democracies record low levels of such.

Every step of the way in civilisational growth the varied structural layers introduced for system 'functioning' is evident. However, living amidst societal tiers of an intensely structured layout like the one we live in today was never past experience. Hence the nullification of social equity - the achievement of which is possible only if power and affluence is into a poverty friendly outlook.

The global trend is one of rich getting richer while the poor plummet further into the grim abyss of deprivation. Crime is rampant, juvenile delinquency terrorism along with the lowly status of women and children puts to test the imposed system's credibility. The system's continuation bereft of an attitudinal change coming off political, business, bureaucratic and religious elite has fostered greater inequity whatever be developmental achievements.

Talking of power and affluence on pro-poverty, the Nordic countries' citizenry welcome taxes of all kinds for they themselves are assured of social security in life's sunset years. Incidentally, this brings to writer's mind a Swede's expression "Oh! we love taxes because we know some good is there for us as well", he exclaimed.

Tax imposition in social democratic countries are extremely high and far exceed the fiscal measures in liberal democracies. Societal equity and wealth distribution are unheard of in the developed liberal democratic countries.

Wealth distribution

According to Colombo University's senior sociologist Professor S. T. Hettige no one even inquires into how people acquire enormous amounts of wealth and none bother about wealth distribution. "The political economic system over there is based on market forces. So the people struggle in such society not only to make money but also to survive. People see so much injustice around them. For instance the sick have no access to proper medical care. The poor have no access to transport reasonable housing and so on. The poor do not have even the basics. On the contrary the rich have everything. Social programmes are weak. So there are lots of social problems like poverty, homelessness, suicide crime and so on," he said.

However, another set of developed countries have high developmental levels but at the same time the state regulates the market in such a way as to reduce social inequality. Also the state has intervention programmes in various sectors to make sure the poor, the marginalised and vulnerable are taken care of.

These social democracies have been around for a long time and have been able to control market excesses and contain inequality within reasonable limits whereby the vulnerable are taken care of satisfactorily. As a result there are no social sections that are deprived of their basic needs. They have access to various services whether they are employed or not, are able bodied or otherwise, young or old, men or women, educated or not which is why these countries have less crime and very low incarceration rate as against rising crime in countries where the market is not socially regulated.

Education

For instance take education. Those that are into private education cannot exploit it. These institutions have to maintain the same standard as others. Though private, it is subject to state regulations. This is the whole concept of social regulation and the objective is to prevent any adverse impact on society. Even in the employment field, the government sets standards in wages, maternity leave, pension funds, compensation for injured and so on. The employment market thereby is also socially regulated and not left to be controlled according to employers' whims and fancies. Employers are thus compelled into conforming to state regulations that impose rules on behalf of society.

The social democratic countries are into group rights, social well-being, justice and are well socially regulated unlike in liberal democracies that emphasize on individual choice and concentrate on market forces. Irrespective of people's purchasing power, health condition and education there is access to life's basic needs such as employment, education, health, transport and the like.

Crime

Responding to a question on crime, Professor Hettige said, "Well, crime is found everywhere regardless of the two different systems of liberal and social democracies. Yet under the latter crime is mitigated for its economic measures into social benefit, equity and justice.

Significantly, Professor Hettige's delivery led this writer into the controversial topic of human rights, the violation of which in liberal democracies remain more likely to be violated than in social democracies - needless to say the high dependence on market forces and unregulated institutional behaviour - be it in any of the services-education, health, transport whatever. The matter of individual choice bereft of social regulation invariably leaves more room for elite expansion, greater class divides, marginalisation of several groups (ethnic, economic, racial, political etc.) group polarization and brings, in general, a social imbalance that gives rise to societal frustration.

Much of the crime and so- called deviant behaviour itself is the result of the non-dispensation of power and affluence towards social peace. Law's compulsions are into incarceration. For instance theft is a crime. But do we ever go into the causes that lead to such crime. Widened socio/economic disparities and the misdirection of power and affluence making social equity very remote has been the bugbear of many countries that are engulfed in crime and unrest.

Crime figures in some liberal democracies

USA         - 23,677,800
Germany  - 6,264,720
UK           - 5,170,830
France      - 3,771,850
Canada     - 2,476,520

Crime figures in some social democracies

Netherlands  - 1,305,640
Finland         - 530,270
Denmark      - 504,240
Norway        - 330,071
Switzerland  - 271,000

Above are current figures of reduced crime in social democracies as a result of economic policies working towards social equity. (Figures - Courtesy www Nation master.com)

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