Democracy isn't never completed and immutable. Depends on freedom and on the ability of citizens to fight for it. Democracy in the West was born with English, American and French revolutions but in Europe had also a very troubled history. Several European states have slipped easily in fascist or communist dictatorships in the twentieth century.
Communism itself was an ideal of democracy and freedom in the original intentions, and even in written constitutions of the various communist countries, but in practice it has proved very different. Even Western countries after the II world war onwards have seriously limited freedom and democracy in the name of fighting communism. The 1968 seemed the beginning of an irreversible path towards a truly free and truly democratic world, but was not quite the case, and similarly also the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 has not brought all the positive changes that were expected. Democracy and freedom are closely linked to the ability of citizens to know and understand what's happening and their willingness to fight for their rights. Many aspects of today's world are a direct threat to democracy and freedom.
One of them is the economic system itself, which is called liberal capitalism but it's not always such. Now is rather a financial and monopoly capitalism which by its very nature has some deteriorate and dangerous elements. The trend of large corporations to act outside the rule of law and in total disregard of human rights. The unscrupulous financial speculations that have created the global economic crisis and give a great contribution to hunger in poor countries. The extensive involvement of the mafias in international economy.
Another dangerous aspect to democracy is the religious fanaticism, which at best merely unjustified in the legitimate civil rights of many people and at worst encourages violence against those who think differently.
A serious threat to democracy is the ease with which democratic governments accept without too much protest the repressions of dictatorships in the name of economic convenience. It's a even greater threat that the inhabitants of democratic countries are careless about it, even if doing business with a dictatorship without ask nothing is actually a way to help it stand quietly while continuing to repress the population.
Then there are governments that manage the power and by their very nature do not like to be challenged and opposed. That is why democracy must have different control systems that prevent the government to do anything without having to respond to the people. But sometimes these systems do not work. it happens that a president elected in a very dubious way is able to seriously restrict fundamental freedoms of one of the oldest democracies in the world in the name of fighting terrorism while the media do not dare argue with this for fear of sounding unpatriotics. It happens that a television entrepreneur is elected by popular vote and use his TV to get the consensus of the population, so that he can survive even a serious scandal simply because many people do not know or does not understand what he has done, because they are daily indoctrinated by the media that belong to him.
Happens increasingly often that police beat demonstrators during public events, even in the West. And if they do that it's because they think they can do it, because their governments approve.
Another dangerous aspect to democracy is the religious fanaticism, which at best merely unjustified in the legitimate civil rights of many people and at worst encourages violence against those who think differently.
A serious threat to democracy is the ease with which democratic governments accept without too much protest the repressions of dictatorships in the name of economic convenience. It's a even greater threat that the inhabitants of democratic countries are careless about it, even if doing business with a dictatorship without ask nothing is actually a way to help it stand quietly while continuing to repress the population.
Then there are governments that manage the power and by their very nature do not like to be challenged and opposed. That is why democracy must have different control systems that prevent the government to do anything without having to respond to the people. But sometimes these systems do not work. it happens that a president elected in a very dubious way is able to seriously restrict fundamental freedoms of one of the oldest democracies in the world in the name of fighting terrorism while the media do not dare argue with this for fear of sounding unpatriotics. It happens that a television entrepreneur is elected by popular vote and use his TV to get the consensus of the population, so that he can survive even a serious scandal simply because many people do not know or does not understand what he has done, because they are daily indoctrinated by the media that belong to him.
Happens increasingly often that police beat demonstrators during public events, even in the West. And if they do that it's because they think they can do it, because their governments approve.
These examples show just how fragile democracy is, how fragile is freedom. Because what most of all put them in danger is the indifference of the people, which live in their private little world and don't care about what the political and economic power do. It's a folly, because what the political and economic power do has a direct and serious impact on the life of every individual.
The world today is at a crossroads, and so far are too few those who realize it. One way goes to a facade of democracy, more and more emptied of meaning and freedom through the manipulation of information and the people. The other one could go to a real change in the world, with people able to protest and act against the few who seek to make the world a collection of personal fiefdoms. But internet is not enough to be able to take the second road instead of the first. The truth can be said clearly, and yet easily get lost and disappear into a sea of lies, as the current situation in Italy shows. The world might be saved from the totalitarianism that we risk more and more if people wake up and always check what the power is doing and why it's doing something. It's necessary that people are always willing to mobilize to defend freedom and democracy when someone tries to destroy them.
Because if freedom is not won every day you end up losing it without even knowing.
Francesco Defferrari
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The world today is at a crossroads, and so far are too few those who realize it. One way goes to a facade of democracy, more and more emptied of meaning and freedom through the manipulation of information and the people. The other one could go to a real change in the world, with people able to protest and act against the few who seek to make the world a collection of personal fiefdoms. But internet is not enough to be able to take the second road instead of the first. The truth can be said clearly, and yet easily get lost and disappear into a sea of lies, as the current situation in Italy shows. The world might be saved from the totalitarianism that we risk more and more if people wake up and always check what the power is doing and why it's doing something. It's necessary that people are always willing to mobilize to defend freedom and democracy when someone tries to destroy them.
Because if freedom is not won every day you end up losing it without even knowing.
Francesco Defferrari
{sharethis}
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