How Democracies Die

How Democracies Die is the title of a book I read recently by its authors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt. The authors focused their attention on American democracy during the presidency of Donald Trump, "the precarious state of American democracy"... and how, in recent years, the core American values that unite the American people have been eroded by certain measures taken by President Trump such as his attacks on opposing media and the government shutdown, sowing seeds of discord between the two ruling parties in the United States, and concentrating the making of important decisions... through social media such as Twitter... etc. — part of a series of measures that nearly topple American constitutional institutions.....

In their book, which consists of a preface and nine chapters, the authors address a descriptive and analytical approach to the final moments in the fall of a large number of democracies in Western Europe, South America, Africa and even the Arab world.... and compare those experiences with American democracy and the clinical death that has threatened it since Ronald Trump entered the American political scene..... to show the methods used to kill democracy in the world... which, as they explained, occur either through the military via military coups as happened in the last century, or through politicians by striking constitutional institutions that ensure the durability of democratic conditions... and by dominating political life by elected politicians, and closing down opposing media... they kill democracy but "with velvet gloves"..!

The book represents a call to contemplate and think about the future of a world in which democratic experiments are collapsing... The phrasing of the title about the death of democracy represents “an attempt to assail the basic convictions of the American statesman”..
- And by contrast, the authors call to contain such a killing of democracy by “doses of mutual tolerance and institutional patience”... Yet the authors made clear in their book that democracies in general do not die, because they are human and political values, and values may suffer setbacks in America or assassination attempts in another country... but they return to flourish again "after the enemies of democracy die" ....!!

As for our Arab world, reading the current situation in light of the most important ideas contained in the book leads us to affirm that the prevailing general environment in Arab systems of governance is characterized by the language of "personal rule." All the roots of democracy in the Arab world have been eroded....!! The media are controlled, or have been tamed or had their mouths shut.... Likewise, the system of oversight, monitoring and checks and balances is being weakened.. or disabled if it exists, exactly as in the representative councils of the people, and corruption is rampant in most Arab countries.. The status of these states ranks at the very bottom of indexes classifying countries by the presence of democratic foundations,... and appointments to positions are made on the basis of loyalty to the regime before competence, in sweeping and unjust security campaigns.. Laws are being bent to serve the personal impulses of rulers!! Not to mention customary judicial systems that operate continuously in some Arab countries, and in another form the continuous extension of emergency laws in some of them!!.. And it is clear that the "gatekeeper of democracy," which is embodied in the constitution, is not resorted to, but is circumvented or disabled or amendment laws are enacted or laws by decrees.... or what can be called "outside the text"... and there is no guaranteed integrity in elections or referenda conducted... Not to mention continuity in rule for open-ended periods until the term expires...! Moreover, hereditary succession and rule by unchangeable families... and many rulers hold or occupy more than one office.. in more than one position of responsibility... their occupied posts are a story of occupation, as the English word (Occupy) suggests.. Meanwhile the people have been exhausted; any efforts to institutionalize these attempts have been scattered through impoverishment and oppression, confining what is available to them to the simple bite to eat... only... There is no longer vitality or energy for unified work in some countries in the Arab world...!!
Yet what recently happened in Tunisia with the presidential elections gives a ray of hope that the night may clear, that the chain may be broken, and that dawn may break, it may arrive..!!

And as a conclusion... Despite all that, the people have a responsibility to cultivate democracy, to weed it and to create a climate and culture of freedom and democracy through collective and individual effort, for the rulers alone are not the only ones to blame for killing democracy and choking freedoms, but we the people are also to blame, and to a greater degree, for diverting the compass of systems of governance away from justice and democracy. For example, there are among the people those who are corrupt in their public or private jobs, or who incite corruption, and some who are selfish and pay no attention to any connection with their surrounding society. Some are oppressive in the family, school, field and factory.... Some are oppressive in pricing their goods or property in the market.. Some give their vote in any election out of flattery or in response to a clan, tribal, party or factional call. The result is an elected council that will be unable to meet demands for progressing toward justice, freedom and democracy.. as a result of voting in municipal, parliamentary or union or any kind of elections... in Arab societies.. We do not always speak honestly, at times when our opinion is sought about an official.. the majority of responses will not be candid and will deviate from credibility.. either out of fear or flattery or in response to ties of family or tribe....! Some do not exert effort in their public work.. nor respect working hours.. when they are backed by someone at work or a group of influentials.... and many other cases... Therefore, the people must realize that freedom, democracy and change are largely based in them.... and are in their hands... and through their hands they live ....!!