Democracy heads for the door
February 21 2027
Never before in recent human history have so many votes been cast by so many citizens, with so few admirable outcomes. Everywhere, people are participating in democratic elections. Some countries even have the words “Democratic Republic” enshrined in their official names. And yet, true liberal democratic governance is waning.
These days, in most democracies it’s the norm for elections to be hotly contested — and so are the results, no matter who wins, the incumbent or opposition party. Cries of foul play, vote rigging, and election stealing are often heard even before the “official” results are announced. Losers head for the courts and the streets, to challenge the legitimacy of almost every ballot. Even in the US.
In other countries it’s much more restrained, usually because the opposition has been crushed or co-opted before elections take place. Critics call those elections a sham, as there’s often only one party to vote for, and dissent is disallowed. Did someone say China? There are numerous examples of so-called democracies where political power is backed by the army or security agencies, and true opposition is only voiced on social media, if at all.
And then there are the semifailed states, with hundreds of minor parties competing for the political (and financial) windfall of getting a few seats, or swinging the majority to the most attractive suitor. And even major European states can be held to ransom by fringe parties with radical agendas, when there’s no clear majority to form a government. Horse trading and collapsing coalitions are the order of the day.
And finally, the tyranny of the crowd, where conformity to the collectivist narrative left or right is expected and embedded in the national psych by civil society, and non-followers are othered and smothered, not by the state, but by their fellow citizens, enthralled as they are by populist demagogues or liberal elites who “know what’s best for the country”.
“It’s not surprising,” says Bernd Fingus of the Freedom Institute, “that globally, democratic freedoms are decreasing in the 2020s. When everyone has the tools to influence and manipulate public opinion, and agendas are so opposed, winners will try every trick in the book to hold on!”
As democracy heads for the door, there’s hope for the future; Young Turks of the next generation are going to change everything, again. /First published on Mindbullets on February 22 2024
WE ALL BELIEVE IN SANTA December 26 2023
Let’s go back a few decades, to 1989, and the great revolt against Soviet imperialism and authoritarianism. It seemed that liberal democratic capitalism had won the day, and globalisation was the way of the future. Even China eventually joined the party, in their own fashion.
Then the rise of smartphones and social media spawned a new type of popular revolt, epitomised by the Arab Spring. Dictators and strongmen were deposed, and a new normal took hold. There was no shortage of opportunists to seize the gap, and create their own popular front.
You’d think that, with all this newfound freedom we have as individuals, and the power to connect, speak out, expose, organise and mobilise, that we’d be more informed, and choose virtuous leaders. We’ve certainly learnt how to protest!
But sadly, a new crop of strongmen has learnt to bend the disaffected masses to their cause.
With silly slogans like “Make America Great” or “Get Brexit Done”, these “political sorcerers” have used their showmanship and tweet skills to gather an unreasonably loyal following —a middle-class popular army.
It’s a global phenomenon. The old-style politics of the Left and Right are no longer relevant; now it’s all about maintaining popularity, and power. Donald, Boris, Vladimir, Modi and Xi all have it down pat, and they’re not above using levers of the state like censorship and tax incentives to bolster their position. It’s all about perceptions, and what people want to believe.
But surely, I hear you ask, we’re in the Age of Enlightenment, empowered by the internet? Why don’t we insist on personal freedom and defy this populist revolt? The answer is fear; we’re afraid of freedom, of being responsible for our own decisions and actions. We’d rather have a Big Daddy, a friendly grandfather, yes even a “benign” dictator, to take care of us.
When will we choose scary freedom, instead of the comfortable myth of Santa? /First published on Mindbullets on December 26 2019