Unspun

President SBY announced his cabinet reshuffle today. Hurray. Apart from the gratification factor of seeing two  dropped for their involvement in helping Tommy Suharto recoup his money, there is little to cheer about. Different names in different ministries but there is no evidence that thing will be different than before.

That is because the real barrier to getting anything done in the government does not lie with Ministers. Many of them are sincere, well meaning and earnest in wanting change. But they do not have the political clout to move the layers below them to move in a new direction. That layer is resistant to change, have vested interests up the wazoo and downright complacent. Unfortunately the sub-Ministerial layers hold the key to the success or failure in the implementation of any initiative.

The only thing that will make a difeerence is if the President decides to exercise his political will to make things happen. Or empowers the Ministers to make wholesale changes. But that is not likely to happen soon so its business as unusual, which is usual. Yawn.