The Death of Democracy — On the Edge of the Abyss
Todays piece was supposed to be a deep dive into Joe Biden’s Green New Deal and the state of a revitalised Green American Economy, however, while watching the State of the Nation given by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa I noticed an all too familiar sight.
During the president’s address the far left minority party known as the EFF (or Economic Freedom Fighters) were asked to leave the building for disrupting proceedings, to which they replied by storming the stage lunging at the president in a clear act of defiance. It was one of many recent disgruntling orchestrated outburst of dissatisfaction with democracy on behalf of “The People” with an attempt to halt a legitimate democratic processes. Not only is January 6th a perfect example of this, but so was the outrageous storming of government buildings by supporters of ex-Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. As we speak there are anti-government protests in Israel and Iran against their authoritarian leaders. So to is Putin tightening his grip on the Kremlin.
Democracy has been widely considered the epitome of political freedom and justice, with a long and rich history dating back to ancient Greece. However, in recent times, the very foundations of democracy seem to be crumbling, with many countries facing unprecedented challenges to their democratic institutions. The rise of authoritarian leaders, political polarisation, and the erosion of civil liberties are just some of the ominous signs pointing towards the death of democracy. As the world stands on the edge of the abyss, it’s important to consider what has gone wrong and what can be done to restore and strengthen the democratic values that we hold dear.
The annual edition of Freedom House’s “Freedom in the World” report has an ominous title for 2022, namely, “The Global Expansion of Authoritarian Rule” with one of the most sited quotes from that report being:
“Global freedom faces a dire threat. Around the world, the enemies of liberal democracy — a form of self-government in which human rights are recognised and every individual is entitled to equal treatment under law — are accelerating their attacks.”
It is scary nevertheless to see such an image being played out in South Africa and the rest of the world. To wonder if this will become the norm some of the worlds youngest and oldest democracies. There is of course cause for hope but the problem seems to be getting closer and closer.
So what can we do? Well the obvious answer is to vote. The 2024/25 political season is filled with national election in England, the US, India and South Africa. It is essential that grassroots political movements seize the opportunity to use the democratic tools they in the most part created for themselves to their proper use. To engage young people with the issues facing them and their democracies and to remind them why we hold our democratic traditions so close to heart.
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