We Really Do Not Deserve Democracy Do We?

So the average voter turnout for the Ontario municipal elections was less than 30%. The turnout for the last Ontario provincial election was only around 40% and the last Federal election pulled less than 60% of eligible voters into the polling stations.

Pathetic!

In order for democracy to work the citizens of a democratic country have to minimally participate by voting. They should participate much more between elections but at least they should drag their asses to a polling station when they have an opportunity.

I know many believe that their votes does not mean anything. The powers that be have worked diligently over the last few decades to reinforce that perception but of course it is not true. 

I have mentioned in this space before that democracy is not the default form of government. Authoritarianism holds that distinction. The past 300 years have seen an impressive run for democracy in the West but it is showing signs of breaking down everywhere, some places faster than others.

Part of the reason why is ordinary citizens have given up on it while some who have embraced authoritarianism are hijacking the language of democracy to push their objectives. The trend could be reversed if citizens would reengage but that is not going to happen. Those who fear the power of voters have successfully convinced those same voters that they have no power.

If I live long enough it will be interesting to see these new authoritarian regimes butting up against the impacts of climate change in 20 years or so. I have also stated in this space that we could see revolutions, in the current democracies, before the middle of the century and it is realistic to assert that it will be triggered by the impacts of climate change and automation on peoples lives and livelihoods and the lack of the political relief valves that are a natural feature of democratic systems.

But I digress. What it comes down to is we have the ability to change our world because we live in democracies. The most basic way to make those changes is to vote when given the opportunity, which although it happens regularly it does not happen that frequently. Being involved in politics between elections would be even better but barring that people have to minimally participate in the process by voting.  If we are unwilling to do that then the fall of the democratic systems is the inevitable result and the people who decided not to participate will have no one to blame but themselves for it.