Opinion:The Democracy Cycle
by Alexandra Savilo
What does democracy mean to you? Any child can raise their hand in class to answer that democracy is a style of government, “of the people, by the people, for the people” in which the majority has the right to decide who governs them. But the fact of the matter is many countries call themselves democratic in today’s day and age when they really aren’t. Democracy today is seen as a positive trend; indeed, it’s been painted with victorious colours as it fights against the “venomous archenemy” that is autocracy.
However, as the current economic situation unfolds, we can see that that there are two ways that democracy can be applied in our world affairs: politically and economically. And what once may have appeared as an international chaos may prove today as just a phase in a cycle we have created for ourselves. The key is to define democracy in both aspects, and to learn how they work together so that we can work together to create and maintain stability.
The idea of autocracy brings to mind strange anomalies in our world today such as Cuba, Russia and China-politically, “autocratic countries”. Looking at how each country came into dictatorship, though, we see no anomaly. They’re not the only ones, either. Russia at the turn of the 20th century had grown frustrated with their monarchy with regard to their citizens’ standard of life and freedom. Cuba could no longer stand its corrupt regime and revolted with the utmost passion. China also suffered from an extremely right-wing and tyrannical government. These descriptions, though extremely short, all show one common factor. There was a direct correlation between financial crisis and the majority’s willingness for radical political change. When the chips are down, you tend to become enthusiastic very quickly over any leader or political party that will put money back in your bank account and food back on your table.
I’ve always though that the reasons for the First World War were taught rather simplistically and carelessly in most high schools. They fit into four neat little categories which if correctly memorized could present you with a perfect score on a test: imperialism, alliances, nationalism, and the arms race. People forget to pay attention to, for example, the fact that Germany, in one year, suffered an enormous rise in inflation where its currency was worth less than the paper it was printed on. America was spending more money than it was earning and the whole world seemed to follow suit in a rushed pace of economic frenzy. On October 29, 1929 the world suddenly came to realize that they were not only heavily dependent on each other, but also in serious trouble.
(Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?)
At this point, people from every nation began to look for a scapegoat, or a way to resolve the problem. One of the first things that entered many civilians’ minds was who had led them into this fine mess. Not only were Japan, Vietnam and Korea suffering great economic hardship, they were also the victims of political unrest and instability. As a result, two main ideas grew and prospered in these countries: democracy and communism. If one looks closely, one can see that communism and democracy aren’t a far cry from each other. Communism’s, or rather Marxism’s principle thought was that people could all work together, and that everyone would receive equal rights. No one was above another. We return now to the definition or democracy, which was never properly defined to begin with. Democracy, initially exercised by the ancient Greeks, was power held directly or indirectly by its citizens in a free-electoral system where they received civil liberties and freedoms. Essentially, the same philosophy is applied in different practices, which overtime evolved dramatically.
What is interesting to note, and perhaps crucial in defining whether or not a country is democratic, is how a government administers its country economically. In Animal Farm there are several pigs to represent money-hungry bureaucrats. One must step over anyone they can to achieve the top spot in a capitalist country. But what has capitalism got to do with democracy? Contrary to popular belief, capitalism is the irony in democracy. It functions just as any autocratic state would - with one or few heads on top governing and dictating many who are overworked and underpaid. So while countries may consider themselves democratic, what they really should be saying is that they consider themselves politically democratic. Countries such as China, Hong Kong and Japan are far more open (or to use the economic term, closer to perfect competition markets) than most countries in the world. This is why they have been able to rise to such high global statuses. These countries can be said to be economically democratic.
Since approximately the 1970s the world has developed itself into a global economy where nations are highly interdependent. Thus one nation’s style of government directly affects another nation’s prosperity. Africa’s nations are comprised mostly of some form of autocratic government (that is to say, they are at most partially free with few civil liberties). Some are trapped in debt by more developed countries who take advantage of their poor economic state. These countries have no economic governing body because they are pulled and dragged by developed nations who demand repayment-a sort of economic manipulation, or bullying. And because their governments haven’t been able to clear their loans, civil unrest has never ceased. This may be an exaggeration of what other nations might become, through this example one can see a global hierarchy forming.
Whether or not the world as a whole is democratic, either politically or economically, is vital to know in order for the world to continue about its business. And this is where the democratic cycle comes in. Just as the economy has its booms and slumps, peaks and troughs, so does democracy. During an expansionary phase of the economy the world thrives with its new influx of money and wealth. Capitalism frolics and grows like an unkempt garden and spreads across the world. When we overspend and indebt ourselves, a change in government is then desired. In the 1920s and 30s, ideologies such as socialism, fascism and communism bred like wildfire to save countries from hyperinflation and debt. Now, as we embark on another change in the business cycle phase, many nations turn to their governments seeking a similar idea. The balance of power has begun to swing again, with nations opting now for a different political system than they once had.
The old cliché runs through my mind: history repeats itself. I want to stress to you that what we are going through is very important and much like the 1920s and 30s, and not just economically. The packages and dreams of change which will be presented to various nations may come in deceiving guises, just as like Hitler, Mussolini, Franco and Stalin appeared to those before us. The decline of political democracy may very well happen, and could have disastrous effects. Panic and paranoia caused by the state of the world can result in leaders “taking advantage of the crisis” to further their own agenda.
Wily politicians cash in on public fear and frustration to seize more power for themselves. During the Bush era and in reaction to the threat of radical Islam, the executive branch of American government amassed enormous power, especially over the rights of the people; it almost resembled a dictatorship. In Canada, Prime Minister Harper has already suffered coalition attempts and a temporary shut-down of government. There are other examples of how people are opting for a strong political turn-about in the face of the current state of the world: Iceland and Pakistan would be good examples. History is rapping at our doors and we’re oblivious. Political democracy may very well go out of fashion quickly if world leaders prove democracy incapable of surviving this current economic crisis. Remember, global citizens: whether any type of democracy leaves or enters your country, look back at your own nation’s history, and learn what worked best. There is no set combination that works best for everyone as a whole, but if we learn how to predict such changes by keeping careful attention at our economic situation, we can monitor our nation’s political stability as well.
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March 18 2009 02:22 pm | Uncategorized
February 18th, 2010 at 8:22 am
I’ve ended up looking all about for this info. Good thing I noticed it on Google.
Robert