Democracy is very much on a knife edge

Global societies must look at the Sultanate of Oman's leadership and governance model, with its blend of hierarchical leadership and the social-democratic model of the Majlis Ash’shura, with so much admiration, than even 20 years ago. Why? Because the ancient, Greeco-Roman inspired democratic model has gone the same way as one of its most famous orators, Julius Caesar, and been struck down, stabbed in the back, by those it sought to protect.

How? Because the marginal sections of society now have reached a pinnacle, where they, the ‘vocal minority,’ are now inflicting, and being allowed to inflict their influences, lifestyles, and opinions, on the more passive, majority. By those very definitions, each section of society is not only defined, but emboldened, or conversely made fearful, by the demeanour of the other... the vocal get louder, and the quiet go silent. In a workplace it would be called out as bullying and harassment, yet, in the streets, its allowed, and often condoned by weak administrations.

Minority groups have become so active, so aggressive, and so oppressive, that politicians and political parties have become intimidated by them, and scared of losing their constituencies, therefore their power, capitulate way too easily. In doing so, they have betrayed, ‘et tu Brutus,’ the voters, ‘you too,’ that put them into parliament and power, or in other societies, senate, and power. Politicians have forgotten who they serve, and that every one of them was elected to implement the voter’s will, and not to do what their own will and judgement dictate, but to serve.

Pseudo-political and pseudo-social minorities clearly see themselves as victims, when really, they are victims only because they choose to be, and because it suits their purpose to be.

Ideologies range from the sublime to the ridiculous, and clearly need conversations, in the same way everything other candidate for social change does. What’s the indecent haste? Usually, haste is an indication of a lack of confidence in the wisdom and strength of one’s advocacy, no? Remember, it took centuries for the poor, and eventually women, to achieve voting rights.

And must everything be ‘protest-able?’ The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace has catalogued global protests for the last 20 years, and if we look at protest-centric groups, and their ‘peak size’ statistics, society’s conscience groups like Black Lives Matter (<10,000), Extinction Rebellion (<1,000), and Just Stop Oil (<100), we see the active participation as a pimple on the backside of the respective populations, not representative of them. Yet they are so disruptive, so ‘newsy,’ and so adamant they speak for all of us, aren’t they?

The message to them all must be to find yourselves, whether you are victims or not, stop bellyaching, and get on with life. We all have regrets, we all make mistakes, but sulking, moaning, complaining, rarely changes anything. Move on, for goodness’ sake. Find love, and your identity, your persona, wherever you will, in your own time, and have the strength and resilience to be truly who, and what, you are. Protesting, and pronoun bashing will only alienate you.

What we should protest about the lack of resources for the disabled, the handicapped, and those with special needs, al-iaqa, mu-aq, and alai-htiajat al-khasa. We are still light years from accepting that accidents of genetics and birth are a societal responsibility, and we tend towards ignorance in our reactions and responses to those with genuine needs. Even that slothful response, however, has greater legitimacy than the fashionable piques of gender, climate change, and racism.

The uncomfortable reality is that those we elect to represent and speak for us rarely do, and as such the reality, and future, of democracy is very much on a knife edge.