(Modest Thoughts with Ayuba Yilgak'ha, July 24, 2022; SMS: 08116181263)
Theoretically, democracy is defined as a form of government organised in accordance with the principles of political education, popular will and majority rule. Therefore, the denial or suppression of political education, popular will of the people and majority control which are critical ingredients of democracy, at any point in time, constitutes serious distress on the political system.
In the words of Madeleine Albright, former US Secretary of State under Bill Clinton, 'democracy promises that each person should be able to go as far as her or his talents will allow'. She further added that, 'faith in the democratic promise reflects America at its best and the world at its most hopeful.' These assertions make the promises of the system look promising. However, when democracy becomes distressed, it assumes a new meaning and realities that are unacceptable within the context human civility. Democracy in its distrestressed and altered meaning is the reality many developing countries of today.
A renowned poet observed that, "universally, democracy is an award winning failure of this generation... Democracy is a system of lying, cheating and stealing; dictating and manipulating, promising and failing in which no one is ever held responsible to account." In other words, the system holds bogus promise with no guarantee for practical fulfillment.
One major cause of distress in a democracy is the absence political education regarding the phenomenon itself. Democracy as a concept is a working progress. In order to deepen Democracy and make it work for the betterment of all, the citizenry must be educated enough to raise the level of their consciousness about possibilities, tendencies and prospects of the grossly free moral system. With such consciousness, the people who ought to be the centre of the system, would have been capacitated to exercise their fundamental rights in dictating the tune of the political culture and practice.
The will of the majority, if not deliberately asserted, could be tempered with, thereby constituting another source destress in the system. It is, therefore, imperative to note that the expression of the will of the majority in a democracy is not automatic. Key democratic stakeholders, especially, the political elites must realise they are the moral consciences and custodians of the system. They must show extra vigilance in checkmating and moderating ultriustic but metamophosing tendencies of power and influence of those in position of authority. In this respect, any elite who is found to be docile is a moral and political liability who cannot aid the survival of the democratic system.
Another source of democratic distress is a quantitative majority that is bereft of morality. When the majority of the people lacks quality to the extend of becoming inconsiderate, unkind, selfish and immoral, they will use their numerical strength to load it the minorities. This, I call zombie or fraudulent democracy which remains the greatest downside of democracy since the system emphasises the issue of 'majority rule' without defining the quality of the threshold majority. Zombie democracy is a recipe for extended domination and violent contestation for equity and justice which might result political instability and in extreme cases civil war.
Rent seeking and excessive monitisation of a democratic system is another source of distress in a democracy. Money is said to be the root of all kinds of evil, therefore, when capitalists, merchants and money bags takes the lead in the political space, democracy becomes transactionary. In such circumstance, Greek gift becomes a strong tool for political manipulation. Money inducement in a largely impoverished economy like Nigeria distorts any sense of reasoning as how get food by any means becomes the only consideration in political decision making. This make it possible for transactional leaders to hold on to power as long as they pleases.
The thesis that "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely" as postulated in Shakespeare's Macbeth is not just a theory but a practical reality. The behaviour of Macbeth exhibited this reality throughout the play. The play demostrated there is strong correlation between the amount of power Macbeth gained and his resultant corrupt actions. In other words, when Macbeth was having no title or, at most, the title of his father (Thane of Glamis), no corruption was exhibited by him. However, as he got more power, that is, becoming the Thane of Cawdor, his corrupt tendencies became more and more glaring.
Corruption becomes emboldened if there are no strong anti-corruption institutions to stem it as it is the case in Nigeria. The excessive use money during the recent presidential primaries of the ruling and main opposition parties in Nigeria is classical example of transactional democracy which constitute huge source of democratic stress but who is seriously complaining? The institutions charged with the responsibility of fighting crimes and corruption and even the electoral umpire the regulates the process seemed to be looking the other way. This silence against criminal use of money to buy votes is so loud!
Generally speaking, people in power might have been democratically elected or appointed and assumed position of authority with ultriustic intentions, but if not properly checkmated, could turn out to be despots or tyrants and still live with the self delusion that they are on course and, for the people they are governing. This is more likely to happen when they are surrounded by bootlickers or praise singers whose only interest is to earn dubious and unmerited means of survival, even if, at the expense of the generality of the citizenry.
It is instructive to note that in the absence of good counsel; fake ones spread. This means that the conspiracy of silence of the moral majority has negative consequences. Hence, profound and timeless hypotheses like: Evil spread when good people keep silent (Edmund Burke); The price good people pay for not participating to to govern by their inferiors (Plato), etc..
Asa, reported the mood of Africa and Nigeria in here classic song, "There's fire on the mountain" when she sang: "There is fire on the mountain
And nobody seems to be on the run
Oh, there is fire on the mountain top
And no one is a-runnin'".
The corruption of power has become shared reality in Africa and Nigeria, particular. Examples of democrats who turned despots abound in human history, especially, on the African continent: Paul Biya of Cameroon, Yahya Jammeh of Gabon, Zimbabwean Robert Mugabe of blessed memory, etc.. This is, largely, because men of good conscience have chosen to maintain graveyard silence or shown aloofness, either, because of the fear of the unknown or just sheer indifference amongst other flamzy excuses!
When grave silence is maintained in the face of gross injustice, Van Morrison, in his poetic song, "Wonderful Remark" would ask questions as seen in the following lines:
"How would you stand the silence
That pervades when we all cry?
How can you watch the violence
That errupts before your eyes?
How can you tell us something
Just to keep us hangin' on?
Something that don't just mean nothing
When we see it you are gone
Clinging to other rainbow
While we're standing, waiting in the cold
Telling us the same old story
Knowing time is growing old.
That was was a wonderful remark
I had my eyes closed in the dark
I sighed a million sighs
I told a million lies - to myself - to myself
How can we listen to you
When we know your talk is cheap?
How can we never question
Why we give more and you keep?
How can your empty laughter
Fill a room like ours with joy
When you're only playing with us
Like a child does with a toy?
How can we ever feel the freedom
Or the flame lit by the spark?
How can we ever come out even
When reality is stark?" These are the issues, these are the questions.
The holistic freedom, democracy promises us has grown wings and flew away. Our elites are in love with their hypocritical lies or Omerta, the culture of silence. They tell us everyday, that, they are with us but, also, lie to tyrants that the people are not complaining. This cannot be true: The masses are not only complaining but lamenting what has become of their democracy, especially, in Nigeria.
If democracy is what we see our elites bring to us, then, it is a scam. If democracy is not scamming us then our elites are: Something is wrong somewhere. We are not getting the best of the system and there has to be a way out if we are, really, matured in mind and body. Warriott W.J. (1937) wrote, "If we are to grow up in mind as well as in body we have to give up our youthful habit of idiolising great heroes and great criminals." This thesis came over 85 years past but apt in view of contemporary realities.
We live in praise singing era where people, especially, youth have exaggerated the picture of public figures who are loading it on us. With the spoils of office, ones praise can be sustained forever as those who've learnt to live within their means enjoy no regards and soundly criticised by folks who see praise singing and bootlicking as meal ticket. But here, the thesis is that not all rich and powerful men are to be celebrated or paupers cursed in pursuit of what has come to be known as 'stomach infrastructure'.
There is no sense in a people burrying their freedom on the alter of unsustainable and demeaning food drive - stomach infrastructure. Also, there is no wisdom surrendering the freedom of man on the alter of fear. To be realistic, "There is no denying that there is evil in this world but the light will always conquer the darkness"(Idowu Koyenikan). Therefore, people must learn to pay attention to the historical and empirical promises of light and justice which has often outlived tyrants and their accomplices.
Functional people must be seen to be complaining when they are or the weak and vulnerable are under oppression. The man dies in him who keeps silent in the days of tyranny (Wole Soyinka). Conspiracy of silence is a dwarfing factor in a democracy and if the system is to be sustained and flourished, then citizens must be encouraged to speak out against any move that runs fault or anti-thetical to its dictates.
In 1990, Ellen Wilkie with Judith Gunn, in their book, "A pocketful of Dynamite", recited "Justice Anthem" which can make a suitable and promising conclusion for this piece. Repeating it here is desirable because the anthem is a disappointing caution and reminder to architechs and beneficiaries of unjust systems who see nothing good in challenging the status quo but preserving it.
Hear it: "You may have your say today
but justice will have the final say
Justice has a strange old way
of turning up trumps
in unexpected time or place.
Cowards will use trickery
to keep injustice as it stands
while some claim they fight for human rights
but fail to see
their glaring inconsistency.
Neutralists in fact support
through their lack of opposition
those who sit upon the fence
adopt their selfish ploy
to keep their comfortable position.
Some may have their way today
but justice will sweep all before her
justice has a strange old way
of claiming the victory
in unexpected time or place."
Injustice has definite expiry date but Justice is potent and cannot be surpressed forever. No matter how long it takes, justice like a moving river water, will have its way in time. That is the hope of the suffering masses and the nightmare of tyrants, wicked principalities and powers of this age and particularly our falling system!
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