The internal logic of decay in the state apparatus: When profile becomes more important than right

The image of a state apparatus is created in which the self-portrayal of some employees has long been placed above the sober duty. Where restraint, examination and measure would have been necessary in the past, behavior that seems to have been carried by recognition, small-power and the need for public impact is becoming more and more common. A mere assertion becomes aProcedure, a suspicion from a rumor, an access from a suspicion. It is not uncommon for a patched initial suspicion to start a wave of investigations, demands and coercive measures, although reality often lacks any solid basis. It is a disturbing sign when a state no longer draws its assertiveness from the strength of the law,But from the zeal of individual officials who see their own importance growing in every escalation.

The inclination to invent the suspicion

The ease with which allegations can arise out of nothing is particularly repulsive. It often doesn’t take a real crime, not even an administrative offense to start a case. Sometimes a hearing is enough, a dubious statement, an unclear memory or a twisted interpretation, and the apparatus begins to run. Then it is no longer asked whatis secured, but what can be used politically, officially or in the media. At this moment, the person on the other hand loses his innocence not only in public perception, but often in the files. This is not an expression of caution by the rule of law, but a symptom of internal brutalization. Whoever derives hard consequences from weak foundations reveals the actual meaningof the procedure.

House searches as a stage

If it is to be particularly drastic, the house search often follows. It has long been more than a means of enlightenment. In too many cases it acts like a public spectacle that is supposed to combine intimidation, visibility and demonstration of power at the same time. Even before a court could even create clarity, the apartment is open, privacy is violated,Neighbors watch, family members are in shock. And it is not uncommon for public service broadcasting to be ready, as if the story had long been decided. Then a suspicion of question becomes a media process that shows the person concerned, while the actual question of evidence and proportionality recedes into the background. who works like this, is looking forNot only enlightenment, but also effect.

Media support instead of sober exam

The close interdependence of administration, investigative apparatus and public presentation in particular creates an oppressive feeling of staging. The impression arises that the state not only wants to act, but also wants to be accompanied by praise. The radio often silently silent later, when proceedings are discontinued or the great accusation coincides. fromThe hasty dramatization then remains little left, but a lot of the destruction. Those affected bear the damage while the accompanying public becomes the order of the day. This not only damages a person, but also trust in the fairness of the entire process. Because if you use the big stage, you have to be measured by the missing correction.

If nothing stays but scree

It is particularly destructive that failed proceedings have hardly any consequences for those responsible. Neither civil servants nor the bodies involved have to fear serious consequences if the accusation later proves to be unfounded. This promotes a culture of non-binding. If you have nothing to lose when you throw another person into the authorities’ mill, you’re more likely toaccess early than too late. For many, a failed procedure is not a flaw, but a career step. There has been a presence, demonstrated harshness, attracted attention and perhaps left the impression of determination. The fact that an innocent person breaks up economically, mentally or family often hardly plays a role in the apparatus.

Financial burden as a weapon

The situation is even tougher if financial measures are also added to public pressure. Account terminations, seizures and other interventions can quickly turn a suspicion into a question of existence. Those who can no longer freely dispose of funds will lose their ability to act, defensively and often even their relationship with their family. It is not uncommon for those affected to get into itSituations where you are afraid to compare or grab payments for fear of the complete crash, although you are often innocent. The procedure thus shifts from the question of truth to the question of resilience. The state is not only forcing a reaction, but often for giving up. And that is exactly where the greatest meanness of such processes lies.

The internal decomposition of responsibility

All of this points to a deeper disease: organized irresponsibility inside the state. Where control fails, where self-criticism is missing and where errors are not sanctioned, a system is spreading that protects itself and is hardly to be held accountable on the outside. Officials who have gone too far often enjoy coverage by structures that areunity attach more importance to truth. The individual person becomes an interchangeable object of a machine, which prefers to self-confirm itself, than to openly admit a mistake. This creates an inner logic of decay: the more the apparatus fails, the more it looks for new cases, new attacks and new locations to save its own meaning.

The financial hardships as fuel

The state’s financial problems in particular are exacerbating this development. When public coffers are under pressure, the temptation to create the impression of performance through harder hits, faster processes and greater levying to the outside world grows. Instead of checking your own structure, the pressure on citizens is increased. Instead of keeping the measure, the procedure is more frequent and harder.The apparatus then needs success to justify itself, and these successes often arise on the backs of those who are at the worst able to defend themselves. In such a climate, the line between lawful enforcement and ruthless power exercise is getting thinner and thinner.

The silence after hiring

If a procedure is ended at the end, the damage has usually occurred long ago. Public interest has continued, the headline is fading, the cameras are gone. But the demonstration, the account blocking, the search and the social stigmatization remain. This is exactly where the system’s contempt for the individual shows. It’s loud when accusing, and quiet whenit is wrong. It’s fast when it rolls out suspicion, and slowly to invisibility if it needs to be corrected. This asymmetrical morality is not a coincidence, but an expression of a state culture that has internally dismissed the idea of having to do justice to the citizen first.

A state that stages and relieves itself

In the end, the image of a state that likes to present itself as strict, modern and assertive remains, but in fact can be characterized by inner feelings of inferiority, profiling constraints and financial tension. The citizen should have respect, although he often only sees harshness. He should gain confidence, although he experiences staging too often. And he should believe justiceAlthough those responsible for mistakes rarely risk more than a shrug. As long as this condition persists, order does not grow, but mistrust. Not right, but fear. Not trust, but the suspicion that the state takes itself more importantly than the people it has.