Power of Privatization

Afternoon Voice

Most of us know that Marcus Licinius Crassus was a wealthy Roman of 115 BC created Fire Brigade and we still credit him for that. But very few know how powerful he grew with that single creation which is still  topic of debate among historians. Someone said very accurately that “power leads to corruption, and absolute power leads towards absolute corruption”. Most of what I write is about Power and its greedy absoluteness which becomes the reason of its failure.

Marcus was a businessman of Roman Empire who invented Fire Brigade in 2000 BC’s. But a time came when his greed didn't allowed him to use his creation for a good cause. Then Marcus and his slaves started negotiating the prices of lands and properties which was burning. Though there was a monopoly or we can say a privatized Fire Department which started saying no to extinguish fire when they were in need. Well at that point the best option the land owner or the property owner had was to negotiate and take what was given to him by Marcus’s men’s. Apart from privatizing water’s, bullock carts, he became the richest person of Rome with maximum number of lands in his name. After some years a day came when the Emperor of Rome was lying in his bed and by the power of money he called a war against their neighbor’s Parthian (Iranians), by buying the army and the generals. His Power of privatization placed the Emperor in such a position where the Emperor couldn't take any decision. The emperor was in a stalemate condition. If Emperor withdraws he will loose the faith of his own military and will be labeled as a coward and if he permits the war will certainly loose against the deadly army of parthians. But the best part was to go ahead for a war which could certainly sustain the power of the Emperor for at least some days.

Though this was an old example but today our country and our world is full of elements like Marcus especially in India which came into existence after 1991 economic liberalization. Many businessmen who have grown so powerful by privatizing natural resources and by deregulating wealth that they can always say no to us when the citizens of this country needs those resources. Yes it is true people like Marcus and Entrepreneurs of today came up with their creations and grew bigger than countries and with a power to change its foreign policies. But Nation state must sustain its power or a day will come when these elements will put nation on a brink of war while the Emperor will be dreaming in his bed.