The Fabric of Democracy: When Power Turns Against the People

 

        Democracy is the key feature of western society that has held together the fabric of society for 250 years.  Its framework has forged a nation forward from infancy to becoming the world leader in almost every category globally.  A free and open society provides a nation and its people with the ability to exchange ideas freely, leading to economic growth and a standard of living not yet seen before.  But, what happens when that freedom is hijacked, a nation is left divided amongst itself and inevitably falls into an authoritarian state.  In such a state, the nation’s leader, known as the sovereign, decides the fate of the masses by the doctrine of friend vs foe. When such conditions emerge, the nation state fails as a democratic nation and falls into autocracy.  

    When examining such conditions, one might think, elected officials will act in accordance with law and the mutual benefit of society as a whole.   In terms of Machiavellian politics, the state or leaders of said state, will promise the world, yet deliver on nothing.  Power is acquired through legitimate means, only to fall into corrupt and brutal tactics to maintain and expand such power.  As power is consolidated and transformed into an authoritarian state, rules change and society must choose what path to take?  Friend or foe of the state.

    When such conditions exist, the authoritarian ruler decides the fate of the nation rather than the people and its elected members within the law making body.  The essence of politics lies in the distinction between friend and enemy.  To create a reality that some members of society are friends while others are inherently bad, evil, and must be destroyed creates a society of fear, paranoia, and soon enough oppression.  Such an autocratic society will stop at nothing to destroy the “enemy,” and will in a desperate attempt, spue political jargon to corral the masses to believe such enemies of the state exist.  While foe is set out to be destroyed, the friend receives financial and political power at their disposal.  Such power is concentrated, essentially splintering off the authoritarian leader.  Such power is maintained through mutually beneficial relationships between the friend and the autocrat. 

    In any democracy, disagreement is inevitable.  When disagreement leans toward polarization of politics, it leads to friend vs. enemy classification.  Such measures lead to concentration of power, which in turn, leads to fear, erosion of institutions, and inevitably falling into autocracy.  In such a state, the authoritarian system doesn’t just eliminate opponents, it creates a political economy in which loyalty is rewarded and opposition is punished.  When the pen and purse of the authoritarian leader is unchecked,  it can lead to more and more unchecked power.  

    It is the civic duty of a nation and its people to realize when such actions and measures may take place.  Political disagreements are paramount to our republican democracy, yet one cannot let the polarization of politics lead to the concentration of power under one entity.  When the concentration of power exists in a free and open society, it crumbles from the inside, leading to authoritarian rule, and essentially autocracy.  In the end, a nation’s voice doesn’t speak from one concentration of power, but millions of individual voices.