Whatever label is placed on a style of governance, ultimately the proof is in the pudding. Any system that delivers on a population’s needs, providing them with security, opportunity and a decent standard of living is a good one but is rarely acknowledged as such.
Unless a system is stamped democratic, it is more often than not reviled by western powers which often cite a lack of democratic values as a battering rod to undermine geopolitical rivals or conversely to legitimise their less than democratic allies.
Israel is a case in point. Its friends never tire of presenting the Jewish state as the only democracy in the Middle East when the only people benefiting from democratic rights and freedoms are its Jewish citizens. Israel defines itself as “a Jewish and democratic state” and that is an oxymoron. Israel is more theocratic than democratic. In any event, an occupying power with its boot on the necks of millions and one that flouts international laws and UN Security Council resolutions cannot claim to abide by democratic values. Another example is Turkey, once viewed as a democratic model for the Islamic world. A country that embarks on mass purges and arrests, a country that locks up journalists for daring to criticise its leadership, has abandoned its democratic principles. Yet the champions of democracy in the US, UK and Europe are notably silent — unwilling to take a fellow Nato member to task and especially one able to unleash a torrent of immigrants onto Europe’s shores. The country generally considered as democracy’s poster child is the United States. How’s that working for its people?
Americans elect their presidents and representatives in Congress based on their campaign pledges, but how many abide by the majority’s will once in power, in particular those funded by interest and lobbying groups? According to a recent CBS poll, 65 per cent of respondents support “stringent laws on firearms sales”; a Quinnipiac University echoed those results. Yet President Donald Trump argues that teachers should be combat trained an armed — a solution that sounds like utter lunacy to non-Americans. The majority of Republicans in Congress are leery of upsetting one of their greatest benefactors, the National Rifle Association (NRA).
During CNN’s town hall on gun violence attended by students, parents and teachers clamouring for action, a young student asked Senator Marco Rubio to promise that he would never accept a single donation from the NRA. He was heckled for refusing to make that commitment.
While it is true that eloquent young students have formed a youth movement aimed at stiffening gun laws and have galvanised public opinion with their passionate arguments, whether their pleas will lead to anything other than cosmetic concessions is moot. As time goes on most popular movements lose energy and fizzle out or they are ignored by the powers that be. Millions of Britons voted with their feet against the invasion of Iraq. The nation as a whole was overwhelmingly opposed but Prime Minister Tony Blair turned a deaf ear.
We the people were right on Iraq but should ordinary folk be deciders on complex issues such as quitting the European Union that could have dire economic and security consequences affecting future generations? That decision should surely have been left to experts not nostalgically-charged members of the public dreaming of the good old days.
There are many more cracks showing up.
Firstly, holding elections every four years lacks continuity and does not allow leaders time to see longtime policies through to fruition. Trump, for instance, swiftly unravelled practically all of his predecessors’ achievements and has reneged on a host of international agreements and accords, most notable of all the Paris Climate Agreement.
His internal and foreign policy goals are diametrically opposed to former president Barack Obama’s and if he fails to get a second term, his own could be binned. His successor is unlikely to be as in awe of “beautiful clean coal” as he is. Secondly, when politicians grab votes by spouting populist, divisive messages and celebrities are eyeing the top jobs, veteran politicians with decades of experience are being cast aside. Who knows, the Oprah show could dominate the race to the White House in less than three years. Lastly, our planet’s greatest democracy may be the wealthiest and strongest militarily, but not all of its citizens are reaping the benefits.
The US Census shows that over 41 million live in poverty, one of the highest rates in the developing world. Over half a million are homeless, a statistic that is rising. The three wealthiest Americans own the same amount of wealth as the poorest half of the population. Democracy is the new opiate of the masses. It allows us to imagine we are free whereas too many are only free to flip burgers on a minimum wage. As hard as this is to hear, the only reliable route to personal freedom — freedom to give our children the finest education, health care, a comfortable home as well as freedom to relocate anywhere in the world — is cash in the bank.
Linda S. Heard is an award-winning British political columnist and guest television commentator with a focus on the Middle East.
