Goodbye, Democracy
Democracy isn't what it used to be.
Once upon a time, about forty years ago, what people decided in the voting booths was pretty much what came about politically. Yes, even then there were interferences from special interests, and politicians who said one thing and then listened to their cronies and friends instead of the people who voted for them. But they were the exceptions, not the majority.
Once upon a time, the intent of democracy was to enfranchise as many people as possible, so that ALL the people would be represented in government. Everyone was supposed to have a say, everyone was supposed to be able to participate in public affairs. That idea originated in Western countries, and was transported to many others. In some countries, things got twisted and "everybody" came to mean only a certain elite, but, in general, the idea travelled well.
Now, the idea is dying or dead. The most obvious and sad example is what is happening in the United States. Politicians no longer serve their constituents, they serve their own pockets and the friends who line their pockets. Those of the Republican persuasion venerate their god Trump, without thought to what is actually good for the people they represent. That millions are dying because they can't access affordable health care? Too bad. That millions will die because clean air and water regulations are being scrapped? Won't affect them. That they will accelerate global warming by continuing mining and pumping fossil fuels? They'll be dead in a few years and their cronies can't lose any money.
In European countries, the far right is making a comeback. People are forgetting history, and deciding that the far right will make their lives better. But better for whom? For those who have white skin and profess Christianity? Or for those with white skin, who are whited sepulchres, and have fat bank accounts? In Hungary and Poland, only thirty years after deciding that the dictatorship of the left was something to be left behind, they are embracing dictatorship of the right, under the guise of free elections and mandates of the people. But how many actually went to the voting booths? And how many will be able to go next time there are elections? In Britain, a no-deal Brexit is being rammed through, even when only half the electorate wanted Brexit, and of those, more than half don't want a no-deal which will affect them negatively. Who elected Boris Johnson? Not the people, but his political party. Does his political party represent the people who elected them? Not from the looks of things.
In Spain, we've gone through I don't know how many elections, a vote of no-confidence, and attempts to create a working government in the last three or four years. We are most likely facing new elections in October or November, because no one party got a clear majority, but the party that got the most votes wants to govern in solitary, only no one wants to let them do so. People don't want to go back to the booths. Participation will drop, and the ones who always vote, the rich and the conservatives, will get their way and elect the far right parties, which means we'll be back where we started forty years ago. Not overtly, but subtly, measures will be implemented, others rolled back, and, voilà, laws will probably be changed to make it difficult for other parties to get into power.
Sometimes, it seems that no matter how hard the people in the street cry out, we have no power. But the problem is that we don't get together. We don't come together massively to protest. Yes, we have had protests of a hundred thousand people, sometimes. But in one city. And the population is over forty million. Leaving out the old, infirm, and children, we could still garner probably twenty or thirty million people to protest at the same time. We could easily topple a government. But the problem is, we're too complacent. As long as we can find a job, however cheap it is, have entertaining (!) shows on television, rile up people by comparing football teams, have the latest "famous" person create a scandal, and see the homes and lifestyles of the rich as they show off on television, we don't really care whether or not our freedoms are taken away.
Marx wrote that "religion is the opiate of the people." In today's Spain, football, social gossip, and admiration of the rich are the opiates. Get rid of those pastimes, and people might start noticing the realities surrounding them and realize they need to do something because no one else will. The Roman emperors knew what they were doing when they made sure the masses had enough panem et circem to take away attention from their abuses.
Once upon a time, about forty years ago, what people decided in the voting booths was pretty much what came about politically. Yes, even then there were interferences from special interests, and politicians who said one thing and then listened to their cronies and friends instead of the people who voted for them. But they were the exceptions, not the majority.
Once upon a time, the intent of democracy was to enfranchise as many people as possible, so that ALL the people would be represented in government. Everyone was supposed to have a say, everyone was supposed to be able to participate in public affairs. That idea originated in Western countries, and was transported to many others. In some countries, things got twisted and "everybody" came to mean only a certain elite, but, in general, the idea travelled well.
Now, the idea is dying or dead. The most obvious and sad example is what is happening in the United States. Politicians no longer serve their constituents, they serve their own pockets and the friends who line their pockets. Those of the Republican persuasion venerate their god Trump, without thought to what is actually good for the people they represent. That millions are dying because they can't access affordable health care? Too bad. That millions will die because clean air and water regulations are being scrapped? Won't affect them. That they will accelerate global warming by continuing mining and pumping fossil fuels? They'll be dead in a few years and their cronies can't lose any money.
In European countries, the far right is making a comeback. People are forgetting history, and deciding that the far right will make their lives better. But better for whom? For those who have white skin and profess Christianity? Or for those with white skin, who are whited sepulchres, and have fat bank accounts? In Hungary and Poland, only thirty years after deciding that the dictatorship of the left was something to be left behind, they are embracing dictatorship of the right, under the guise of free elections and mandates of the people. But how many actually went to the voting booths? And how many will be able to go next time there are elections? In Britain, a no-deal Brexit is being rammed through, even when only half the electorate wanted Brexit, and of those, more than half don't want a no-deal which will affect them negatively. Who elected Boris Johnson? Not the people, but his political party. Does his political party represent the people who elected them? Not from the looks of things.
In Spain, we've gone through I don't know how many elections, a vote of no-confidence, and attempts to create a working government in the last three or four years. We are most likely facing new elections in October or November, because no one party got a clear majority, but the party that got the most votes wants to govern in solitary, only no one wants to let them do so. People don't want to go back to the booths. Participation will drop, and the ones who always vote, the rich and the conservatives, will get their way and elect the far right parties, which means we'll be back where we started forty years ago. Not overtly, but subtly, measures will be implemented, others rolled back, and, voilà, laws will probably be changed to make it difficult for other parties to get into power.
Sometimes, it seems that no matter how hard the people in the street cry out, we have no power. But the problem is that we don't get together. We don't come together massively to protest. Yes, we have had protests of a hundred thousand people, sometimes. But in one city. And the population is over forty million. Leaving out the old, infirm, and children, we could still garner probably twenty or thirty million people to protest at the same time. We could easily topple a government. But the problem is, we're too complacent. As long as we can find a job, however cheap it is, have entertaining (!) shows on television, rile up people by comparing football teams, have the latest "famous" person create a scandal, and see the homes and lifestyles of the rich as they show off on television, we don't really care whether or not our freedoms are taken away.
Marx wrote that "religion is the opiate of the people." In today's Spain, football, social gossip, and admiration of the rich are the opiates. Get rid of those pastimes, and people might start noticing the realities surrounding them and realize they need to do something because no one else will. The Roman emperors knew what they were doing when they made sure the masses had enough panem et circem to take away attention from their abuses.
Wow! Well said! Thank you for this!
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