21st Century Democracy
Well, what can you say really? With another “Executive Order,” remember, the Dems love using them too, the president claims to change the name of the Defense Department back to the old “War Department.” Defense was always a sad euphemism. War was always much more accurate, but the old republic wasn’t yet drowned in bullshit PR.
I’m not quite sure the word to use for Trump is propagandist. Propaganda has ends in mind. For the president, ends be damned, anything leaving his mouth is first and foremost reality TV. Nonetheless, any good propagandist knows using truth is much more powerful than whatever conjured falsehood. War Department is much more truthful than Defense.
Next, praise the lord for juries. In the shards of our republic, the jury system still seems to be one democratic tradition holding. The NYT writes, Grand Juries in D.C. Reject Wave of Charges Under Trump’s Crackdown. As I've long advocated, if we had any want to revive and reform democracy, the jury system would be at the foundation.
Finally from a global perspective, in Tanzania, the courageous democrats of Chadema continue to face a now ten year beat down from the ruling CCM socialists. Tindu Lissu, Chadema’s last presidential candidate, after being falsely arrested six months ago, is now on a trial for treason. Eight years ago, they “Godfathered” Lissu in his car, pumping 16 bullets into him. He survived. Here is a letter Lissu put out last week on his and Tanzania’s democratic fate.
In his own words,
“To Africa, to Europe, to America, to all who claim to defend democracy and human rights: Tanzania is a frontline. What happens here will echo beyond our borders.
“If you remain silent, you license repression. If you treat Samia’s government as just another partner in trade and aid, you embolden the lawfare that is spreading across the continent. Already, authoritarian leaders are watching this trial, calculating how they too can criminalise opposition under the cloak of legality.”
“Stand with us now. Insist on reforms. Condition aid on respect for rights. Support civil society and independent media. Observe, document and publicise these proceedings. Make it clear that democracy in Tanzania is not an internal affair, but a regional and global concern.”
Meanwhile, CCM goes forward with their reality TV election – Tanzania president cleared to run in October election, key rivals barred.
Elections are necessary for any sort of democracy, but they are by no means sufficient, an understanding now lost to the US, which two-hundred and fifty years ago birthed modern republicanism.