I came across this article in the Washington Post.
It talks about how the occupy protests that have spread internationally illustrates how globalization leads to decline of democracy.
Applebaum does not think that a national democracy is feasible when the economy has been so globalized that change cannot be made through one country's political system.
The article can be a little general and vague, but the message seems to be that in this globalized economy, a country in the other side of the world may cause a crisis at home. People will stand up and ask to fix that crisis, but a national government has no power to do so. This leads to powerless rulers in a struggling economy.
I personally think that Applebaum has taken it too far. I think democracy is definitely compatible with globalization and I feel that her article is an overreaction to all the protests that have caught on in the face of such economic hardship.
However, the article does illustrate well how widespread and serious this disillusionment is throughout the world.
The economic crisis seems to have taken a toll and the people seem restless for a fix. They wanted change, but things have only gotten worse for many families in the U.S.
It will be very interesting come this next election to see what these candidates will have prepared for their economic plan. Obama will need to first explain his first term and the lack of much improvement in the economy as well as what he plans to do different. The Republican side will all propose their own plans, and as long as they do not come up with one so blatantly offensive towards the middle class and the poor, they might have the upper hand.
Applebaum says that democracy is declining. However, I think this economic crisis will show the true power of democracy. It will show that incompetence will not be accepted and will reflect the public's anger at the government's blatant failures. Hopefully the public makes an informed decision, not an emotional decision where the U.S. might get stuck with another period of incompetence from the government in fixing their livelihoods.
Hungry people can make one scary mob. Just ask the French.
I think that the link between the Occupy Movements and the "weakening of Western democracies" is tenuous at best. As the author points out these movements have failed at even forcing their own governments to pass legislation, so I really doubt that their presence will have any serious impact on globalization or stable democracies. I think the author is overestimating the power and sway of the protesters.
ReplyDeleteThis arthur is a little extreme. When she says "...activists, if they are not careful, will accelerate that decline." this is a falsehood. When people protest it is to be heard. These protests are nowhere near big enough to have them be heard. Along with their opinion isn't shared with enough people. The protesters are on the extremist side of things and it's not extremists who get things changed. It's when majorities or the "normal" people get upset that people listen. This is because the "normal" people have more numbers than the extremists.
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