SOCIETIES that don’t embrace democratic enlightenment become tyrannical. The creation of a true democracy requires both citizen’s understanding of democratic norms and values and the government’s commitment to promoting democratic culture. This is referred to as democratic enlightenment. Bertolt Brecht conveyed in his play Galileo that a country that doesn’t require heroes is fortunate, suggesting that people shouldn’t depend on leaders to create a peaceful and secure environment calling for an informed citizenry to protect their interests.
Democratic governments bear the responsibility of teaching the population the fundamentals of democracy, given that the concept of power concentration fades away from social strata as this theory strictly applies in a democracy. When governments do not foster critical democratic thinking, they become enablers of democratic failure. To understand the importance of democratic principles, citizens must be intellectually strong. Citizens’ understanding of equal rights in the economic, social and political arenas strengthens democracy. When equal rights are not provided, a society cannot gather the democratic strength necessary to uphold its state.
Democratic citizenry fosters citizen participation in a democratic setup. Before gaining more democratic rights, Black people in America were largely uninterested in their state’s global achievements. In 1968, when American astronaut Neil Armstrong landed on the moon, the majority of White Americans stayed up that night to witness the historic moment, making the fact resonate in reality. The ratio of Black Americans showing similar interest was disappointingly low, though. Disparities in a democracy leave citizens feeling disconnected and unable to enjoy the state’s accomplishments. The foundation of a thriving system lies in true democracies that ensure equal civil and political rights to all citizens.
When citizens are enlightened and democratic, they serve as a natural defence against undemocratic forces, leading to prosperity for all segments of society. Accusing populist leaders of destroying democratic principles is just a way to deflect responsibility and overlook the real reason for their popularity. When core democratic values are disregarded, a void is formed which is occupied by populist leaders.
During the 20th century, dictators used democratic pretences to remain in power. Adolf Hitler’s ascent was a remarkable occurrence. The public gave him massive support which made him very popular. He didn’t seize power, rather he was elected as the President. Many German elites, large landowners and industrialists never accepted the democracy that was established after their defeat in the war in 1919. Economic and political chaos led to its downfall, particularly after the Wall Street crash of 1929, which paved the way for the emergence of Adolf Hitler. The public’s lack of enlightenment led to his rise to power, which later became a nightmare for the world.
In the contemporary world, the democratic decline is evident from the report of The Economist on Democracy Index 2022 which shows that only 24 nations are fully democratic, meaning that democracy shines on only 8% of the world’s population. The lack of democratic wisdom among state citizens has enabled democracies to restrict democratic rights in the name of security concerns, even with the approval of the majority of the population. In 2015, France implemented the International Electronic Communications Law. The UK and Germany passed laws in 2016 that enabled security agencies to increase surveillance on citizens.
On the other hand, developing states display a horrific picture of this phenomenon. In most developing states, the current democratic model exploits the underprivileged 99% and is based on the rule of the powerful 1% Governments’ intentional neglect to educate their citizens has transformed the democratic model in many developing countries into one that benefits the elite and the powerful. Democracy is in a dismal state in many developing states as many countries are failing to promote democratic values. Autocrats have been in power for many years in countries that have failed to educate their citizens about democratic principles.
Extremism and rejection of democratic debates are the strategies politicians in these states use to maintain power. The mechanism compels enlightened individuals to withdraw from society, allowing power-hungry individuals to take advantage of the disadvantaged masses. A citizenry with a vision for democracy arises when people attain democratic enlightenment and gain the moral strength to oppose the feudal and clerical order. In a democratic citizenry, values of freedom, equality and universal brotherhood are preferred over traditional social inequality and exploitation of weaker segments of society.
Abandoning democratic enlightenment stems from straying from the path of moral and ethical knowledge intensification in democracy. In true democracies, citizens must empathize with those facing disparities and exploitation. The absence of an enlightened citizenry in a democracy becomes evident when victims of autocratic rule raise their voices to receive attention and protection. It happens when the well-being of the wealthy and influential is prioritized over the common people. This ignorance of the dangers of upholding a prejudiced social system causes a continuous cycle of harmful societal shifts that can lead to social collapse via a revolution.
True democracies prosper when citizens can determine their destinies by employing the wisdom of their enlightened mindsets. The survival of autocrats and populist leaders is threatened by an enlightened public with a solid knowledge base. Sadly, this reveals that many self-proclaimed leaders deliberately impede the public’s awareness of democracy’s genuine values, causing people to hero-worship them merely for their vested interests. This practice is prevalent in many countries, resulting in residents living in extreme poverty and lawlessness, making their lives worse than death.
The decaying state of democracies worldwide is an indication that unless the world population can discern the malevolent motives of their populist leaders and dictators, democratic decline will be constant. For this to take place, an enlightened citizenry is necessary. Unless citizens become enlightened, the disparity between democratic and non-democratic states will continue to grow and could lead to blatant violations of citizen rights in non-democratic states. Citizens need to become truly enlightened and democratic to transform the fate of such states. The absence of these traits in societies will lead to violent, extremist and intolerant behaviour, resulting in the inevitable downfall and destruction of such states.
—The writer is CSS Officer, based in Sargodha.
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