A Wake Up Call For Democracy

Brexit and the Trump election have now forced a double shot of reality down the throats of all democratic nations. We can no longer take pride in the inherent wisdom of voter-directed government. It's not a perfect system, and the future isn't necessarily as bright as we once imagined. 

Democracy is fragile, easily corrupted by money, and oft ignored by a casually blissful electorate. Unscrupulous actors from within and without can disrupt and pervert the course of elected government with well-organized self-serving agendas. Disinformation, so rampant in our electronic age, impacts the ability of voters to make reasonable choices.

2016 has been a wake up call. Democracy is not infallible. It's not impervious to threats, nor is it destined to reign supreme for all eternity. If we the people do not remain vigilant and steadfastly committed to our principles, democracy will be replaced by something far less altruistic. We now find ourselves at the frontier of a new era of nationalist fascism and oligarchical corporate rule. Our collective choices over the next few years will shape politics for centuries to come.

Copyright © 2016 Daniel R. South 

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