I came across a funny tweet on the on going US elections which read “Obama should consider following the example of some African heads of state and amend the US constitution to run for a third term!” I mean he’s talked proudly about how he would get elected had he wanted to run for a third term including during his speech at the African Union. But he then said that it would be wrong for him to do that, hinting at his disapproval of what was happening in Rwanda and Burundi. Considering what is happening in the US right now, he might be giving that thought some serious consideration.
All jokes aside, at he heart of what is happening in Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Senegal, Uganda, US, UK, Greece and other parts of Europe: the will of the people vs what’s “right”. I put the word right in quotations because of the varying interpretations and perspectives of what’s right. Is it right for Greeks to no longer want a government that will succumb to EU’s demands and represents Greek interests to the detriment of EU bank’s interest? What if that is what the Greeks want? What about adding another presidential term? What happens when the will of the people is not “right”?
There has been a surge of laws and political candidates who follow ideologies that are anti-immigrant and sexist and extreme right/left in Europe and the US. There also seems to be a group of people who have power and privilege and would like to keep that all to themselves. We have been taught and preached that there are clear lines of what’s wrong and right and that laws and democracy will keep fighting this good fight. However, we have not discussed what happens when democracy or laws no longer do that?
Capitalism preaches individualism which in turn makes people self-centered. People think about what is important to them, they become the center of their own universe and forget the impact of their decision on their neighbors let alone the rest of the world. This has created an electorate that is short sighted, xenophobic and even racist, etc… All in all, an electorate that does not exhume the values we have been preached for so long. Is it wrong? Should this electorate not be allowed to get what it wants even if it is the voice of the majority? The will of the people?
The main point is, people can and will be wrong. You do not have to take my word for it, just take a look at recent history. But what’s even more dangerous, is governments being wrong. Just look at colonization, genocide and slavery, a few examples of what we the people have suffered or lived through. Now, when we get to a place where the systems of governance we are relying upon today validate these trends, it should be cause for concern.
Might is right and in elections might is the majority, whereas in democracy, might is the government. So once elected, the government does what is right to maintain itself, even if it means going against the will of the people. The challenge is that the interest of the government and the people are different and at odds.. The people want to have their wish respected and the government wants to continue existing.
The challenges faced by the world today are difficult and in my opinion they have a lot to do with economic struggles. The more the middle class shrinks, whatever the scale countries use to calculate it, and wealth is concentrated in a small group, frustration and anger builds up. As the number of those unhappy with the system grows, reactions become more violent and politically incorrect to say the least. There is always a scapegoat, and often they are the minority, i.e. Women, refugees, children, immigrants, etc…
I sometimes do not know what scares me the most, the fact that wealth seems to be concentrated in a very small group or the way we think we can fix it. It seems that people and governments feel the right thing to self-preserve by denying the most vulnerable protection rather than looking into a practical way to spread the wealth around.
All I can say is, it is a scary thing when the majority is agrees on ignoring or even getting rid of the minority. But it’s even scarier when the government agrees to it.
