October 24 :
One of the favorite slogans from the Left during the current American Election campaign is that Donald Trump, the Republican candidate for the Presidency, is a threat to democracy. America is indeed the world's oldest democracy, and the founders of this great nation have put together a system of government that protects individual freedom and liberty that is unmatched in the history of the world. Those of us who are recent immigrants are in awe of how relevant those provisions still are to protect the life and property of every citizen today, though they came into force in 1789 when most of the world was alien to those noble concepts.
Democracy is the rule by the people. It is a system of government in which the people of that country directly or indirectly decide laws, policies, leadership, and other polity. Essential elements of democracy also include pluralistic political parties, fair elections, transparent governance, civil liberties, and free media. Some studies state that 24 countries in the world are full democracies. The United States exemplified a multifaceted democracy that led the world in this grand experiment. However, today, questions are being raised about whether the country is fully living up to the letter and spirit of its Constitution or sliding fast toward the category of flawed democracies worldwide!
When one talks about threats to democracy in the United States, the January 6, 2021, riots at Capitol Hill by Trump supporters are foremost in anybody's mind. It was an effort to prevent Congress from certifying the election, which Trump and his followers claimed was stolen from them. Undoubtedly, it was an egregious violation of the Constitution that would have subverted the rule of law and prevented the continuity of the government. A failure of peaceful transfer of power would have severe repercussions on the affairs of the State, and the ensuing power struggle would have destroyed the democratic fabric and destabilized American society. However, the system of government was resilient to thwart any such threat, and the institutions proved their mettle and saved democracy.
At the core of healthy democracies are free and fair elections. Unless there is a system in place to protect the integrity and practices of the election process, democracy itself will be in peril. Whether suppressing voting rights, manipulating EVMs or electoral rules, or attempting to overturn valid election results are all tantamount to threats to democracy and its foundational principles, and great vigilance by the citizenry is in order. In addition, allowing non-citizens to register and vote also imperils the true will of the people. In some States, an undocumented immigrant is eligible to get a driver's license and has the opportunity to register to vote, thereby possibly getting into the voter rolls. The recent suit filed by the Justice Department against the Commonwealth of Virginia challenging the removal of non-citizens from voting in the upcoming election is truly bizarre. It gives further fodder to the critics who argue that the current dispensation in governance favors winning at any cost. While the system should do everything to prevent voter suppression, the popular narrative that a voter I.D. law would contribute to such an outcome is essentially baseless. In the United States today, an I.D. is required for almost everything we do; why not a nationwide voter I.D. law to uphold elections' integrity? If India can do it with 700 million voters, a more advanced society like the U.S. could accomplish that task rather easily. Persecution and killings of political opponents are not a rare occurrence in countries ruled by authoritarian governments. Respecting diversity of opinions and defending the freedom of expression of every citizen is a hallmark of a thriving democracy. However, lately, even in the U.S., the power centers are increasingly focusing their efforts on weaponizing the justice system to undermine and weaken political opponents. In India, too, there are an increasing number of cases where investigating agencies are being deployed to destroy political opponents and silence the critics. Justice should be impartial and objective, without bias or favoritism. Otherwise, it is a more significant threat to democracy.
The term fourth estate refers to the press and news media in their 'explicit capacity of advocacy and implicit ability to frame political issues.' However, as we all witness today, objective journalism is simply dead. It is the fourth estate that should hold power to account today. Responsible journalism should call for upholding fundamental principles of defending democracy and citizen's right to self-governance. Without democracy, there will not be a free press, and without independent journalism, there can be no democracy. Unless the media is willing to discover the truth honestly, democracy will die a slow death. In the United States today, there is such a partisan divide among the media that the people are not well served. Consequently, so much misinformation and disinformation across the 'Net confuse the public to the detriment of a genuinely democratic process. The failure of the press to practice objective journalism and their unwillingness to stand up for the moral code is one of the biggest threats to democracies everywhere.
The other important topic of our day is whether we should censor information to protect democracy. The spread of propaganda, misinformation, and biased narratives on social media is a growing concern in many democracies. The recent ban by the European Union on Russian TV brings that issue more into focus. Censorship is the suppression of ideas and information some individuals or groups find objectionable and dangerous. Censors would use the State's power to impose their view of what is true and dangerous. The recent disclosures of U.S. interference in social media activities are disturbing and borders on influencing election outcomes, a key democratic process. We may all agree on preventing the proliferation of hate speeches across the 'Net, yet selective censorship is contrary to the First Amendment rights of every American. The First Amendment is obvious in this regard, 'Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.'
During the Covid period, the nation witnessed far more stringent measures curbing their civil rights and the political class, which was cavalier in imposing their worldview on others. The United States has also witnessed massive violations of human rights and structural racism, driving racial disparities and spurring protests across the country. The State's failure to protect its citizenry regardless of their race or ethnic background points to a structural flaw that could threaten democracy at its core.
America is a polarized nation today. Extreme partisan animosity suits the authoritarian elements on the Left and the Right. Totalitarianism and authoritarianism are two sides of the same coin. Their goal is power, and they have little or no patience for opposing viewpoints or succinct policies and vetted procedures. For them, even the destruction of democracy is permissible to achieve their desired ends. It is up to the conscious citizenry to be awake and do what is needed.
