We've Discussed the Ideology of Fascism. Now Let's Talk About Democracy
The values and norms that we want to protect
When Progressive creators like myself talk about current events, we often have a terrible habit of venting about problems without discussing solutions.
I try to be better about presenting alternatives, pointing out ways we could improve on society’s current problems, and raising the dream of a better world to the forefront of our minds. But I am only human, and there are plenty of times when I’ve fallen to the temptation of ranting without offering better paths forward.
I don’t want to do that today. It’s snowing out, I’m bundled up and cozy with a mug of hot coffee and a soft blanket, and I find myself in an uncharacteristically optimistic mood.
Instead of talking about horrible things, I’d rather talk about hope.
I would rather talk about the values and ideals we should be striving for, instead of the ones we’re fighting against.
The world is in terrible shape right now: wars, genocide, a global shift towards authoritarianism and away from liberty and justice. The evils of the world are on full display, and everybody — at least those of us with the capacity for empathy and compassion — is living in fear and helpless grief.
I think I speak for most of us when I say that equity, justice, safety, liberty and autonomy are things we’re craving the most right now.
The tenets, in other words, of democracy.
We’ve spent a lot of time here on World-Weary discussing the history, ideology and practical impacts of fascism on society. But while I’ve often cited democracy as a counter to it and talked up the benefits of voting and an engaged populace, I haven’t really given it the same level of care and attention.
So, let’s do that today. Let’s talk about what democracy is, why it’s better than fascism, and why we should fight so hard to preserve it.
For most people in North America, democracy begins in an election year and ends when the election is over.
Most people think of it in terms of having the right to vote for who they want to represent them, and that’s it. As such, when people feel like their vote doesn’t count or that their representatives are shirking their responsibilities and acting in their own self-interest, it’s no surprise that they begin to doubt the entire concept.
In reality, democracy is a complex system of government designed to maximise personal freedom, limit government overreach and ensure accountability and transparency.
At its most basic level, democracy is a system that places political power and authority in the hands of the people.
It can take different forms, such as direct democracy — where each vote is given directly to policies — and representative democracy, where people vote for representatives who then make decisions on their behalf.
Regardless of form, democracy insists that all human beings deserve equal rights and freedoms. This includes the right to criticize the government, assemble for protest, and make their wishes known through voting and civic participation.
Imagine being a boss at your job and having no ability to explain your requirements to your employees. In a democratic system, the government is your employee.
Ideally, everyone living under the power of a particular government should have an equal say and an equal degree of authority in that system. Since the power is in the people’s hands, the government needs to be accountable to them.
If somebody in the government commits a crime, for example, they must face the justice system at an equal level as a common citizen; otherwise, the government official has more power and fewer checks on that power than everyone else.
This is what we mean by accountability and transparency; the government exists to serve the people, not rule over them. If it messes up, it must own up to it and face consequences.
I should emphasize; it exists to serve all of its people. No matter where they were born, no matter what their voting record is, no matter if they have a job, what their opinions are or their skin colour or their gender or sexuality, no matter their religion, age, or level of ability.
The government exists to take care of everyone, with equal regard for their concerns and needs. A government that fails at that basic measure is in danger of losing legitimacy.
Democracy functions on the backs of its citizens. It requires the people to engage actively, be informed, and motivated to participate. Freely available information in the form of public access to knowledge, accurate journalism with strong integrity, and transparency in government is vital.
It also requires that the right to vote be sacrosanct and applied equally to all. When democracy comes under threat, that tends to be what comes under fire first.
The easiest way to destabilize democracy is to create an imbalance of power in the public.
That’s where voter suppression comes in.
Now, like I said earlier, voting is not the end-all-be-all of democracy.
Being politically active doesn’t start nor end at the voting booth; it begins with making the decision to be properly and reliably informed about current issues, and taking every chance to state your opinions to the government and hear others.
It can involve taking part in protests, making donations, volunteering on the ground, and so many other methods. Whatever you do to take an active role in your community is part of what keeps democracy running.
If you read the news, fact-check the information you hear, discuss it with your friends, occasionally write to your representatives or make a donation to local shelters or food banks, congratulations; you’re participating in democracy.
But while all of this is part of democracy, voting remains one of the most direct and intentional methods of getting involved.
Depending on where you live, the power of your vote may vary.
For people in the United States for example, whether you live in so-called Blue states, Purple states or Red states can often determine the perceived value of your individual vote. If you feel like your state is going to go one way or the other no matter what you do, and your voice is a tiny drop in the bucket, you probably feel like voting is a waste of your time.
Regardless, you should still vote. I promise, even if it feels pointless, it isn’t. If your vote didn’t matter, certain parties in the government would not be spending millions of dollars every single year to convince you not to bother!
One drop on its own may not raise the water level, but a thousand certainly will. If everyone who doesn’t bother voting suddenly decided to give it a hook, I’ll bet the voting maps would suddenly look a lot different!
Going by the principles we’ve already discussed, this runs counter to the basic tenets of democracy. Every voice in a truly democratic system should be given equal weight.
Further, in particularly corrupt systems — even ones that attempt to play the public role of being democratic — it’s common to see vote tampering, manipulation and disenfranchisement when election time rolls around.
Once you reach the point of intentionally negatively impacting the ability of your people to vote, you lose the right to call yourself a democracy. If the government wants to exert power over people and give them no recourse or ability to dissent, then you’re not a democracy.
You definitely lose democracy status when you start infringing on people’s rights based on immutable characteristics.
When people are singled out for persecution and oppression based on something they cannot change — i.e. skin colour, place of birth, gender identity, sexuality, sex, et cetera — then they are no longer being treated as equal in society.
Democracy requires equality in order to function properly.
If your citizens don’t all have equal rights to have their voices heard and their needs recognized by the state, then the principle of equal rights and liberty is not being observed.
When the rule of law becomes a cudgel rather than a shield, the government is abusing the trust that the people have given to it. If the people have reason to be afraid of their government, then you no longer have freedom.
You no longer have democracy.
In my prior article on the ideology of fascism, I discussed the 14 characteristics often cited in the definition.
Here is my paraphrased list from that article, based on the ones compiled by experts Umberto Eco and Laurence Britt:
Nationalism: Frequent use of symbols and buzzwords and an emphasis on the greatness of your nation. Your country is the only one that matters, your flag is a sigil to be worshipped, and criticism of the nation is treated like a betrayal.
Disregard for Human Rights: Individual freedoms and liberties don’t matter; what matters is cracking down on the perceived enemy of the people. Establish an ‘other,’ convince the people that the ‘other’ is a threat, and strip away rights on the pretense of preventing that ‘other’ from undermining the nation’s safety.
Creating Unity By Identifying an Enemy: Beware. Beware of Mexico, beware of China, beware of the LGBTQ+ community, beware of Antifa, beware of the socialists and commies, and the Woke Left. The enemy will keep changing, but there will always be one, and you will always be in a war against them.
Supremacy of the Military: Strength is the ideal that the country should live up to. A show of force is necessary to maintain the safety and security of the nation. Emphasis on military parades and the militarization of law enforcement. Funds are given to the military even when serious domestic problems need money.
Sexism: Traditional gender roles are emphasized. The past is idolized, stay-at-home mothers and the ‘tradwife’ concept are idealized. Living outside of the gendered norms of society is considered extremely taboo. Homosexuality and gender non-conformity are viewed with disgust.
Suppression of the Free Press: The press is the enemy of the people. The accusation of fake news and falsified reporting instills a lack of trust in the media. Censorship is common, if not outright control of what gets written and shared.
National Security: The idea that the country is under attack from all sides is used to instill fear in the people. In conjunction with nationalism and identifying an enemy, this is used to pacify the public and prevent them from pushing back.
Government and Religion Combine: God and country. Fascism’s goal is to control the masses, and the best way to do that is by preaching to the choir. Using faith as a means to legitimize power and authority becomes common and expected. Loving the Bible and reciting its passages becomes a legitimate way to argue your point in the political arena.
Corporate Power is Expanded: Money is power, and as fascism sets in its roots, you can expect to see more and more handshakes between wealthy business owners and the people in charge of policy.
Labour Unions Are the Enemy: Organizing on the part of the people is a huge threat to a fascist government. They do not want people banding together and practicing democracy in the workplace, or anywhere else. Any form of collective action, any way that people could push back against their structure of power, is something to be eliminated.
Anti-Intellectualism: Fascists love the poorly educated. A huge part of keeping democracy functional lies in education and the spreading of reliable information. Demonizing education and treating academics as figures of ridicule is commonplace. Actively messing with the curriculum of schools is to be expected, preventing true history from being taught to keep students ignorant.
Law and Order: Much like the obsession with national security, fascists will always be beating the drum about lawless behavior and punishing criminals. Violence on the part of the police is excused, even for minor offenses, and anyone resisting or criticising law enforcement is considered unpatriotic. Supporting the cops is a sign of a good citizen.
Corruption Out of Control: Cronyism, nepotism, backroom deals and outright lies. Never expect a fascist government to be honest, and always keep in mind that the people in power only care about keeping it. Loyalty is more important than integrity.
Election Fraud: In a fascist dictatorship, there are often elections. It’s just that the vote is not treated with the respect it deserves; the end result of the election has been pre-determined, and the act of collecting ballots is just a pretty show for the audience.
The 14 characteristics of fascism are often cited and held up for comparison to modern-day political structures. It’s not a perfect description and there is certainly room for refinement, but it’s a pretty decent litmus test.
In answer to this, the The Civil Liberties Union for Europe came up with a 14-point list of their own — the 14 principles of democracy. I highly recommend reading their list and comparing it to the one above.
The differences are stark.
Where fascism tries to restrict freedoms and force compliance, democracy allows for differences of opinion. It allows for argument and debate, for dissent and for change.
It does not hoard power in the hands of a single authority; it gives power to the people and asks them to exercise their rights freely.
In fact, it depends on them to do so. It can’t function properly if they don’t.
To be a true democracy, every vote must count. Every person must be treated equally, and the government must be accountable to the people and transparent with its decision making.
Every person must have the freedom to choose what to do with their lives so long as they aren’t hurting other people. The rule of law must not be a weapon for control; it must exist to ensure safety and stability for all.
No individual, regardless of their wealth, status or position, may be above the law.
To be a democracy, there must be freedom of choice. When it comes time to vote, there must be options; power must not rest in the hands of one party or person without competition. There must be a balance that enforces compromise, so that all people are represented.
In a true democracy, everyone must have the right and ability to speak freely and have easy access to verifiable and reliable sources of information. Education must be a right, and the government must not interfere with it beyond regulations on misinformation.
Voting must be easy and accessible for all, with no barriers or tampering to control the results. When an election ends and the result is read, the losers must accept that loss and ensure a peaceful transfer of power if applicable.
In a true democracy, the value of a human life is not based upon the numbers in their bank account, but on the simple fact of their existence. When their constituents are in need of help, there must be safety nets in place to support them and ensure they are cared for.
This ought to include healthcare and assistance for basic needs. The government exists to serve, protect, and take care of its people — it should act like it.
When you lose democracy, you lose the fundamental freedom to make choices about your life. You lose the power to speak, to impact policy, and to question authority.
You lose the expectation of safety and security and equality, and you become powerless and afraid.
Democracy functions on the backs of its citizens. It takes work, it takes time, and it is a fragile system that must be carefully maintained and protected. It’s a delicate balance that can be tipped if we fail to remain vigilant and allow it to be corrupted.
In many countries around the world, it’s tipping. In many cases, it’s already fallen.
But it doesn’t have to. And even when it does, it can be rebuilt.
I would rather live in a democracy than allow someone else to dictate what my life is going to be. I would rather deal with the inconveniences of my responsibilities than abdicate them and deal with the consequences.
As long as I live in a democracy, then the power to change the world rests in my hands.
I don’t intend to give that up without a fight.
Solidarity wins.