The morning began with news on Syrian army capturing Aleppo. The United Nations representatives from different countries started fighting over human rights violations, notoriously the ones from the US and Russia. The former cried foul while the latter claimed credit for an amazing and humane victory against terrorists. For semi-aware listeners who constitute the majority, it was an open and shut case one way or other. The reality is not in the middle but somewhere outside. The fight for and against democracy continues.
Democracy is the best amongst all the bad options we have got. To me personally, a democratic government is one which recognises the views of all and ensures the civil rights of all citizens are protected equally. What does this translate to?
1. Protection of human rights irrespective of sectarian and religious beliefs.
2. Rejection of discrimination as a privilege
3. Implement policies for collective growth
4. Elected by people and governed by constitution
The Governments even the democratically elected ones of the first world still don’t stick to it. What gets termed democratic, communist, autocratic, monarchic or dictatorial has become a very subjective term when it is actually not.
A random sample of such non-democratic governments is below.
1. Saudi Arabia is a rogue state governed by dictators. It has singularly been responsible for the spread of terrorism through its Wahabi Salafi ideologies. It is bombing Yemen as we speak with the support of NATO and there is no discussion on that as Syria or North America. It is a bane for moderate Islam.
2. China’s fetish to its One China vision has been destroying civilisations. It is a totalitarian regime where dissent means death.
3. The Cuban regime under Fidel Castro had been no different. It’s development has been marred by human rights violations in spite of the astonishing developments in medicine and education sectors.
4. North Korea is an Orwellian society where the dead dictators are worshiped by the living dictator and his subjects.
Each of these governments are looked differently. Saudi Arabia is looked as a western ally in spite of all its human rights violations. People talk about it but never ever call for any action against them. China is an international bully and countries want to be on their good books. The fact that protest is concerned as treason and such activists are subjected to strong sedition laws is of least importance to sycophants. Cuba and North Korea though are not a lot different but have huge sanctions imposed on them.
There is an obvious cord that connects all these. The elite and privileged force us to believe that regimes are dictatorial only when they are not rich in natural resources and question their authority. That is why Saudi Arabia and China become acceptable while North Korea and Cuba are not. Every dictator has been hailed as a leader by countries like the US or UK. Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan praised Osama Bin Laden and Mujahideen as freedom fighters. Idi Ameen was able to fly to the UK and get a royal welcome. The same holds good for Gaddafi or Saddam Hussein.
So how do I understand dictatorship or a dictatorial regime? To me, a dictatorial or authoritarian regime is one which satisfies one of the below conditions
- A government which commits human rights violations against its subjects including genocide
- A government which promotes Geneva conventions
- A government which suspends Habeas Corpus
- A government where dissent is not acceptable and can be punished with treason
- A government which is not run by constitution and an official elected by the people
- A government where the constitution cannot be amended
- A government where an unelected person has unilateral rights to dismiss an elected government
Using these rules, here are examples where even democratically elected government acted authoritarian and dictatorial.
- The US and UK government selling intelligence and arms to the Saudi Arabia to kill civilians in Yemen
- The US government using force against water protectors in Standing Rock after taking sides with the Big Oil
- The Sri Lankan Government under Rajapaksa committing genocide on tamil population
- The suspension of Habeas Corpus during the unwarranted emergency declared in India
- Pakistan government taking sides with international terror organisations killing innocent civilians in Pakistan
- The unilateral government which suppresses dissent in Singapore
- Governments of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh which instigated killings of minorities in their own countries
- The NDAA (especially sections 1021 and 1022) and Patriot Act giving permission for mass surveillance and suspension on Habeas Corpus, providing dictatorial powers to the president of the US
- The Philippines government murdering drug offenders
- Governments like Malaysia where the monarch can dismiss the government
It is paramount for progress of civilisation to ensure we keep identifying and thwarting any dictatorial streak irrespective of whether it is a democratically elected government or the one run by a ‘Supreme Leader’. The result of the intellects surrendering their critical faculties and not protesting against these primitive urges to control and oppress has never resulted in good results.
Demystifying a skeptic's world 