Internet sadism is killing respect for leaders

The Oxford Dictionary defines sadism as gaining pleasure from seeing others undergo discomfort or pain. It is a general definition associated with violent and sexual crimes.

The opponent– process theory, however, explains in more detail the way in which individuals display, and take enjoyment in committing sadistic acts.

Individuals possessing sadistic personalities are aggressive and display recurrent cruel behaviour, which includes the use of emotional cruelty, purposely manipulating others through the use of fear and a pre-occupation with violence.

During a political rally in Kwale on September 29, 2014, Opposition leader Raila Odinga and Kwale County Governor Salim Mvurya were beaten by a man using a stick.

A section of Kenyans were ecstatic when the news hit the airwaves. On the Internet, and including on some mainstream media houses, a celebratory frenzy broke. According to many accounts, the former premier had it coming all along and actually needed it.

Then on September 31, hardly three days later, the International Criminal Court (ICC) rejected a request by President Uhuru Kenyatta to appear at a hearing on October 8 via video link; instead directing that he appear in person.

Following the announcement, another lot of Kenyans picked drum and flute and conducted a blissful Internet orchestra celebrating the ICC decision or more precisely, the troubles the president is facing.

When I first read some of the unpleasant comments via the net, particularly on Facebook, my immediate instinct was to blame the medium.

But lo, the medium is only a conveyor belt through which more and more people are expressing their true bigoted selves under virtual camouflage. It is innocent.

Let the medium be, for who is to blame for burning the food, the pot or the fire?

The thrill appears to be connected with public humiliation, the type Raila had just endured and the experience Uhuru Kenyatta would undergo as a sitting president appearing at an international Court.

In every sense, both instances betray our deep-seated obsession with bringing down our leaders, a sort of crab mentality.

The crab mentality depicts a situation where crabs are trapped in vessel and even where each could individually escape captivity; they furtively grab at the one leading the escape and subsequently bring it down.

This continuous action prevents any from escaping and in so doing, ensures their collective demise. The moral analogy illustrates human behaviour as well.

Here, members of a group perpetually attempt to “pull down”, negate or diminish the placement of any member who achieve success beyond others, out of jealousy, schemes or sometimes competitive feelings.

To our crabs, it doesn’t matter that both President Uhuru and CORD leader Raila are our senior most national leaders, who deserve an acceptable level of respect. It appears not to matter that one is the elected president of Kenya, and therefore a symbol of our national unity and the other, the main opposition leader.

Are Kenyans sadistic? If the glee we derive from the tribulations of our supposed opponent’s is a yard stick, then we are a sadistic lot as the two paradigms aptly indicate. Indeed, if the crabs who prowl the net, posting nothing but toxic venom against tribes and leaders, without a thought to their actions, or the cumulative outcomes of their actions, then we have also become irresponsible.

Could the manifestations of virtual sadism in our midst partly explain our inclination towards violent crime in real life? Probably yes.

The national Police Service Annual Crime Report 2013 shows that overall crimes reduced by 8 per cent, with a total of 66,188 cases reported compared to the previous year’s 72, 091. Robberies however rose 10 per cent to 2,490 cases while rape cases increased by a whopping 22 per cent.

Such statistics worry, yet even if it were that internet sadism is the virtual face of violent crime, disrespect for leaders should not be condoned, let alone be accepted, for a single moment by anyone in Kenya. Hiding behind the screen should not be reason enough for anyone to spew hatred and abuses.