Democracy is Facing Challenges

The future of democracies in the world is something that I have tackled on occasions and in many articles. One of them was my article about the World War II, the horrors it caused, and the lessons we ought to learn from it to avoid a new war. One of the outcomes of the war was the democratic system that kept the world united, instead of the splits that led to the war. I also discussed in May 2020 the crisis of democracy and the dangers it was facing.
Is seems though that democracy has lost its place in favor of populism. This has been caused by exceptional circumstances the world is going through, such as the pandemic, economic crisis, and health crisis, which have revealed many flaws in the global system. We are now living in a world where there is neither a global system nor a global leadership.
That was what President-Elect, Joe Biden, said after the acquittal of his predecessor, Donald Trump, in the Senate, “Democracy is fragile and needs to be defended”. His statements were published in an article on BBC Arabic on 14 February 2021. He reiterated the fragility of democracy in an article that was published on Al Khaleej Website on 19 February 2021 by saying, “The Kremlin is attacking our democracy and working to undermine our European project and NATO by undermining our will. It is easier for it to terrorize isolated countries rather than to negotiate with a strong, united, transatlantic community.”

Biden also indicated Washington's determination to restore Europe's confidence, warning against the return of the Cold War blocs. This is what I had warned of before when I talked about the importance of learning lessons from World War II to prevent a third world war from breaking out.
The spread of populism may lead to the demise of democracy, especially if the US, the birthplace of democracy, leaves it undefended. We should not forget that we are facing a populist wave that is invading the world that is linked to patterns that are not associated with prevailing ideologies, such as socialism, liberalism, or others.
There is no doubt that democracy requires hard work. The more we marginalize the societal elites, the more we are convinced that the groups of people who want to switch sides are not equipped with the required knowledge. As for the Unites States, the birthplace and defender of democracy in the world, it should stand up and defend it so that it does not lose its prestige and eventually fail. The populists are crouching and claiming that they are centrists, not left nor right leaning. Their popularity is on the rise and their rhetoric is attracting more people. If we draw a comparison, we find that in 1945, the golden age of democracy, the number of democracies did not exceed 12. By the end of the century, the number rose to 87 countries around the world. Unfortunately, things have changed in the second decade of the 21st century where democracy has been losing to populism.
Democracy is not a game. Adopting it requires mutual respect of different opinions. It also requires distinguishing good information from the bad. In an age where social media platforms are controlling the global scene, it is difficult for bloggers to praise or shame whomever they want. They also busy people with fake news that leaves people confused. While democracy has many requirements and requires a lot of work, populism only has one requirement, namely public loyalty.

I am pessimistic about the return of democracy to its previous levels and the hope that people put in it to provide them with a better life. I fear that future of democracy is in danger not because of what President Biden thinks or what I have mentioned repeatedly, but rather because of people’s fear of the uncertain future that awaits them in their nations. After the lockdown and curfews, slogans that promote self-centeredness and shun affinity for one another have taken root and are gaining traction. This has nothing to do with democracy. This is a world that belongs to all of us, with no state being superior to another. We are all responsible for our own future and prosperity.