In the wake of Joe Biden's decision to withdraw from the upcoming election, a poignant excerpt from his speech resonated with me: "The great thing about America is here, kings and dictators do not rule, the people do."
My immediate reaction was one of incredulity. Perhaps such a sentiment held truth at the inception of the United States, but the contemporary landscape tells a different story.
Modern democracy, in its current form, seems to offer citizens the opportunity to vote every four years, fostering the illusion that they possess genuine control over societal choices. In reality, these decisions are heavily influenced by those wielding substantial wealth and power—individuals who have expertly navigated and exploited the incentives and inherent flaws within the system.
Reflecting on the astronomical sums spent on election campaigns—the lavish decor, the court cases, the tight security—reveals an astonishing amount of energy devoted to maintaining an illusion. An illusion that a growing segment of the populace views with increasing scepticism, yet one that persists by default, perpetuated by the motions of tradition.
Democracy, as it stands, is less a true representation of the people's will and more an anachronistic facade. It has become a trope, an outdated descriptor for the mechanisms through which a nation operates.
We find ourselves in a surreal, almost Twilight Zone-esque scenario, observing a political system that appears increasingly absurd, artificial, and regressive. Despite this, we are constantly pressured to treat it with utmost seriousness.
This old paradigm, this antiquated consciousness, is in its twilight. And yet, a significant portion of the population remains deeply invested in its legitimacy, clinging to the vestiges of a belief system that no longer serves its intended purpose.
As we navigate this complex landscape, it is crucial to reflect on the true nature of our political systems and the forces that shape them. Only then can we begin to envision and work towards a democracy that genuinely reflects the will and needs of the people, free from the distortions of power and wealth.
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