TECHNOLOGY RACES ahead, propelled by scientists and engineers, giant companies and public investment. Society rushes to embrace it without a plan, just market forces and the insatiable human desire for newer, faster, better. Politics, in contrast, still plods along. At a time when democratic institutions around the world are fraying, the mechanisms of politics—from gauging public opinion to finding compromises and voting—seem unable to adapt to the changes in modern life.
Populism was surging before the pandemic. But covid-19 exacerbates social and economic pressures, exposes government dysfunction and turns citizens’ frustration into rage. People vent their anger online and in the streets. Demagogues and radicals exploit that anger while traditional parties and moderate views founder. Lies and attacks get more attention than co-operation and compromises that would improve the greater good.
We aren’t at that point yet. Society is less prone to extremism than it may seem when scrolling through a newsfeed. Research shows that there is public willingness to agree and to compromise, especially when it comes to local and personal issues like schools, crime and health care. This reflects a “silent majority” of moderates. It helps that local politicians have to get things done, instead of spending their time fundraising and attacking opponents on television and social media.
First is “advisory voting”. It is a virtual town square that allows citizens to turn public opinion into a politically tangible thing. It can scale down to the province, state or city level, letting people debate and vote about the issues that interest them most. Fringe candidates and extreme positions often dominate conversation online but fail at the ballot box—a comforting fact, but one that is becoming less true all the time.
Another mechanism to enhance democracy is to foster issue-based coalitions of politicians aligning across party lines. There used to be right-left alliances on national security, for example, or social liberals who were fiscal conservatives, and vice versa, allowing for compromise and bipartisan policies. It is something nearly unimaginable today in America and elsewhere.
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Kasparov63 Gee, you don’t say! Any ideas? I’ll write the code for you...
Kasparov63 In most of Europe and USA/Canada, liberals have been replaced by fascist leftists. Giving the Left more control of technology leads to the dystopia that George Orwell conceived in the 1940s- he was just off by 40 years.
Kasparov63 During this tragic pandemic trump is the big bratty protagonist and all children are invisible children and the silent victims. Shame on USA Vote early, vote in person, vote for change and fire the incapable brat.
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“If liberty and equality, as is thought by some, are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in government to the utmost.” -Aristotle
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