2011 Year of Democracy

2011 is not even 1/3 gone and already the world has seen changes that assure that history will record this time as a turning point. It is an open question as to what is turned to and exactly how much of the world participates in that change. The zeitgeist is clearly in the direction of more democracy and a willingness to take action to get it. To those who have hoped and prayed for something like this, it almost seems as if it came from nowhere, but such is not the case.
The first that American media reported of something significant happening on the world stage was the story of Tunisia’s Jasmine revolution. That was not really seen as that significant – no oil in Tunisia. Then word spread of protests in Egypt which seemed to spring up in imitation of what had happened in Tunisia. That was not quite true, the Egyptians have had a significant (though still small) portion of their population advocating against the dictatorship for some time now. That struggle was not reported here in America for a variety of reasons, the main one being that our media does not think that Americans care about what is happening in the Arab world unless it causes gas prices to go up, or changes in regimes.
Now the zeitgeist of democratic urges is big news. None can deny that it has spread throughout the Arab world and likely beyond. China is seeing increasing activity aimed at democracy. What is going on in Wisconsin might also be benefiting from the general mood, maybe Americans are thinking that we could use a little more people powered democracy also.
This time is exciting but it should be remembered that there are risks that we need to be aware of. When there is a popular uprising and a mood for change, it can go either way – a determined and charismatic man/group can hijack the direction of the people, think Lenin or Adolf here. Not that I am predicting that, I am optimistic and believe that we have a good solid core of people able and willing to “lead” us in the right direction. This is not any single group or party, we are talking about activists who have long worked to educate people on conditions, to change those conditions and mitigate the worst effects of those conditions.
We should not expect any one great leader to arise and save us from our problems – that is the meme that history books and the media would have you believe, but it is not the truth. Chang comes from thousands of “little people” who set up meetings, make signs, brew coffee, print flyers and organize! Every “great man” you can name was really just a face that was put on such a movement to simplify it for the great unwashed who the media believe cannot follow such a complicated story and need to have it made simple (what level of reader are news stories written for?).
So what’s next? What do we do? If you are not already working to make democracy alive again in the US – start! If you are – now is the time for us to redouble our effort! Be prepared for hard times – the joy usually follows suffering. But there is the joy to look forward to.