A true democracy is like a good marriage where major decisions are discussed, and each partner gets a vote. If this is a truly good marriage, the husband’s decision will triumph. This is because a good wife will know how to make him think that what she wanted was his idea in the first place. In government, democracy is like a food fight in a kindergarten.
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| Kindergarten Food Fight |
We think of ourselves as a democracy here in the United States but, more accurately, we are a federal democratic republic formed under a constitution. We are a representative democracy with officials elected to govern. We “govern ourselves” indirectly by electing those who will act on our behalf, or so we think.
As declared democratic objectives go, those stated in our Constitution are laudable. In practice, however, slaves, indigenous peoples, and women were excluded from voting. Women were eventually allowed to vote (1919), and indigenous Native Americans got the right to vote with the passage of the Snyder Act of 1924, but we are not a true democracy. While most Americans can vote, some are still restricted from voting. Our political parties use legislative tactics to place a “thumb on the scale” of our electoral processes. We still must constantly fight against gerrymandering, polling location placement, polling times, voter disenfranchisement, and voter disqualification schemes meant to seek political party advantages.
As George Orwell wrote in Animal Farm, “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” This is even more evident today than when George Orwell wrote his satirical fable loosely covering the Russian Revolution and Stalinist Russia. We have our own political versions of the Animal Farm pig characters Snowball and Napolean who would like to enforce their version of the “Seven Commandments of Animalism.” In Orwell’s fable, a disagreement over a new modernization plan that involved building a windmill, proposed by Snowball, has Napolean use his dogs to chase Snowball away as he declares himself supreme commander.
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| Napolean as Supreme Commander of Animal Farm |
Anyone who reads this refresher excerpt of the Animal Farm plot who doesn’t see parallels in today’s political food fight may want to pay closer attention to what’s happening in the congressional sandbox. Perhaps it would be clearer if I mentioned that after defeating Snowball and taking command, Napolean takes credit for the windmill idea. When the new windmill is blown down in a storm, Napolean blames Snowball for the disaster and begins a purge of those he distrusts. Where have we seen such shenanigans lately?
Orwell published Animal Farm just a few weeks before I was born, but not much has changed in the ensuing 78 years. Corruption of power, the manipulation of information, the emergence of an exploitive elite class, and the erosion of our democratic principles are as much a part of our modern landscape as they were on the Manor Farm run by the alcoholic farmer, Mr. Jones.
The freedoms enjoyed in our hybrid democracy are now at risk. Our tired, poor, huddled masses yearning to be free are rightfully distrustful and outraged at the poor helmsmanship being provided by our elected officials. We all see the icebergs ahead and the bickering in the wheelhouse of government.
I am reminded of a flight I took some years ago aboard a small commuter jet. Sue and I were the only passengers until one late arrival managed to make it to a seat across the aisle. The cockpit curtain was open, and we could see the two pilots at the controls. Once in the air, we went through a bad thunderstorm. Imagine how our comfort level plummeted as we watched the two pilots bickering. One was pointing to an open manual and the other was arguing and pointing at and tapping some gauges. I didn’t need to know the specifics of their discussion to know that this shouldn’t be happening as the storm was having its way with our airborne cocoon.
The problem today is that, in a blatant fight for power and control, our bickering government is causing people to rethink our commitment to democracy. Some have even expressed an openness to a more authoritarian approach. They too must see the obvious erosion of democratic norms, challenges to the rule of law, attacks on our independent judiciary, and an abandonment of support for a free press. A strongman ruler might seem like a simple solution to the chaos but much of this chaos is being orchestrated. It is being done to make the path easier for them to grab the reins of power. Cause the problem and then offer the solution that creates your advantage.
Some conservatives would point to Viktor Orbán of Hungary with envy. Hungary, like the US, is rated as a “Deficient Democracy.” They have a ceremonial President and Orbán is the head of government with the title of Prime Minister. On August 5, 2022, Orbán spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas, Texas.
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| Viktor Orbán of Hungary at CPAC in Texas |
Some US conservatives likely see parallels between Orbán’s history and that of Donald Trump. Orbán first ruled in Hungary from 1998 to 2002 when he lost his reelection bid. Then, he used a rising distrust and dissatisfaction with politicians to sweep the 2010 elections. He also got a two-thirds majority in their parliament which allowed him to make multiple changes to their constitution. He has held his current position since the 2010 election.
With his new powers, he hijacked public institutions, attacked the courts, and destroyed most independent media. He encouraged the abuse of migrants and refugees and criminally attacked any who helped them. He has banned same-sex marriages and has attacked the rights of the LGBTQ community. He has wrapped himself in a “pro-family” rhetoric while turning back the clock on the equality between men and women. He fully supports the activities of white supremacists and their “great replacement” theory. Some US conservatives envy his ability to fix elections, crush any dissent, and advance a nationalism rooted in racism.
In the US there is a trend toward a concentration of power in both national and state governments. We see governors who have already corrupted their state judiciaries and, using a party majority in their legislatures, were able to enact laws that make their power more absolute. The recent attempted coup to overthrow a national election and the subsequent campaign rhetoric that promises a major power grab if reelected, provides a clear roadmap to authoritarian rule in America.
Overthrowing our democracy, flawed as it is, would be like paving over our national forests because we sometimes have fires. Once an authoritarian takeover is allowed, any return to democracy would be doomed. These individuals are using the appeal of nationalism and populism to seize power.
An authoritarian government will quickly see an erosion of civil liberties. Free speech? Sure, if it doesn't contradict the ideology of the current leader. Tolerance of dissenting voices would be met with increased surveillance and restrictions. Opposition would be met with marginalization. With executive control of the courts, legal actions against political rivals would be too easy to resist.
This shift toward authoritarian rule has already seen an erosion of international alliances. International fences have been damaged and the current administration has been hampered by the actions of the previous one. The move toward isolationism as a political rallying point under the guise of nationalism and misplaced patriotism has been destructive. Isolation at a time when the global economy is even more important is a self-inflicted wound we should avoid.
In one ranking of democracies by quality, the United States placed 36th. The top five democracies in this analysis were Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Germany. At the bottom of their list were China, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, North Korea, and Eritrea who were all labeled, “Hard Autocracy.” The United States, in its 36th position, was described as a “Deficient Democracy.”
I, for one, would rather see us struggle as a deficient democracy than be forced to endure the rigors of living under an American version of Kim Jong Un. Quick and simple solutions may look attractive if one doesn’t assess the potential risks and consequences of the one-way street to authoritarian rule. I say, not only does Comrade Trump not deserve a second bite at the apple, but that he should also probably end up in jail. This should happen only when he is convicted of a crime under the rules of our deficient democracy. He’s lucky in this regard that we are still a democracy because an authoritarian president might have had his head on a pike on Pennsylvania Avenue by now.
At the conclusion of Animal Farm, the human farmer Jones is dead, and the leaders of the rebellion are aging. The pigs who advocated that four-legged animals are better than two-legged humans, now walk upright. Napolean holds a dinner party and invites the local human farmers to form a new alliance. During a card game, both Napolean and a human farmer play the Ace of Spades and an argument breaks out about who cheated. Animals on the outside looking at the mayhem inside the farmhouse can’t distinguish between humans and pigs. Flip on C-SPAN and see if you can see the difference.
[Postscript]
Orwell’s original manuscript was nearly destroyed in 1944 when a German V-1 flying bomb hit his London home. He luckily managed to retrieve it from the rubble.
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