The much vaunted United States of America (USA) democratic principles, hailed around the world as the gold standard, now appears to be dissipating right before our eyes.
It is shocking for people in the Caribbean, in the USA’s backyard, to watch the state of democracy in that country literally coming apart at the seams. It is lamentable that the country which waved its big stick over fledgling newly independent states in the region to ward them away from establishing closer ties to socialist-leaning countries like Venezuela or Cuba, had a president who could assume office again, who sided with Russia over his own intelligence agencies.
It is unfathomable for us in the region to hear Americans, particularly black and brown voters, complain about voter intimidation, that they faced physical threats and arrest, misinformation, and voter suppression tactics.
In fact, “threats to democracy” feature prominently among the top voter concerns in the coming mid-term elections in the USA. Early voting has started and the electorate in highly competitive states are complaining that armed marauding “election watchers” who support the Republican party were positioned near voter drop boxes, taking their pictures, and questioning the legitimacy of their right to vote.
This, from a country that seeks to establish itself as the author and finisher of global democratic principles.
We are aware that the complexion of USA politics changed dramatically following the election of reality television personality Donald Trump in 2016. It was a tumultuous single term, but the effects are still being felt in the US and unfortunately around the world.
His disruptive, often racist leaning and fascist-like policy stances led to a distasteful tainting of the Republican party. Worse yet, the leaders of the Republican Party have become so supine, that they have allowed the institution to be effectively remade in Trump’s image. Those who reject this are systematically pushed out.
Trump, a master marketer and some suggest, an extremely talented salesman has managed to influence millions in the US and around the world with his lies and crazy conspiracies.
You may wonder why we would concern ourselves with American politics, which have degenerated into a low-rate soap opera with episodes of tragic comedy.
Americans too are worried about their political system, how they are viewed by the rest of the world, and whether they have lost the moral high ground from which to prescribe remedies for other nations struggling to maintain the ideals of democracy.
The respected Economist Magazine published an article in July 2021 in which it outlined the growing threat the Republic Party was becoming. It referenced the gathering of more than 200 prominent American scholars of democracy who put their names to a letter warning of the peril likely to unfold from state laws being introduced to thwart the will of the people and to diminish the votes of blacks and other marginalised groups.
They warned the actions were effectively “transforming several states into political systems that no longer meet the minimum conditions for free and fair elections” as each state runs its own elections.
They even quoted Mitch McConnell, the Republican and former Senate Leader who conceded that if an election could be overturned by fact-free allegations from the losing side, “Our democracy would enter a death spiral.”
This is exactly what is occurring, and it has set a dangerous precedent for political leaders in other countries where there is a shift towards electing heads of government who have autocratic leanings, who blame marginalised groups or other political parties for their failings, and who will use all the levers of the state to enrich themselves, crush opposition voices, and to remain in power even when the majority want them to go.
There is an important quote from a July 2021 Brookings Institute article that is perfectly suited for the issue raised here on this editorial page, and which we should all consider.
“Successful democratic systems are not designed for governments composed of ethical men and women who are only interested in the public good. If leaders were always virtuous, there would be no need for checks and balances.”
We should always remember that politicians, like the communities from which they came, are mere men and women whose feet are made of clay. They are not perfect beings, and we should not ascribe to them such a lofty moral status.
