The greatest threat to democracy
By Alexander Xing, St Kevin's College
I’d like to begin with a little bit about me. Coming out of Covid, I have been contemplating my future in this shambolic world. Just 18, I consider my life fortunate having lived in London, Singapore, Hong Kong, Beijing, and Melbourne. As a student of classical history, I have come to value what is important for our world: democracy.
What is My Concern about democracy? Democracy relies on a healthy relationship between politicians and voters. The current relationship is unhealthy. It makes me question that important freedoms and rights are on the verge of extinction. Am I the only one with the Concern? That liberal democracies are on the threat of extinction is not a new concept. The Canadian professor of politics, Crawford Macpherson asked the same question in the 1970s. Fifty years later, writing for the New Yorker, Evan Osnos proposed that this very politician-voter relationship can be thought of like a volcano.
Now, this image of the volcano is worth exploring. At its base, our democratic volcano is filled with the collective culture of its peoples, which in 2021 unfortunately promotes ignorance. Recently we have seen in America the dangers of this ignorance. Disillusioned with the system, Americans violently protested at Capitol Hill. With the build-up of this pressure, the accumulation of ignorance placed the volcano under too much strain. So, what did it do? Erupt. Ignorance burst forth and the volcano caved in on itself. But who in our culture revels in such dangerous ignorance?
Traditionally, we liked to think of all voters as one average person, representing everyone. Australia traditionally used to have the character of Norm. Nowadays that name has changed, someone new represents this modern Australia.
So, let’s meet Kristian. Who is Kristian? He’s the new average Australian. Internationally known as “one punch man,” the Sydneysider who tried to knock out a horse. Kristian represents a large portion of Australians in one way or another. White, working-class - and loves watching the footy with friends. They care deeply about big issues but only when they affect them. They are not open to new ideas or adapting to the times. Trusting in Kleitman, a professor at Sydney Uni, many Australian’s just don’t want to have to ask the tough questions. If it’s not affecting them, it doesn’t exist.
Kristian, as one of the many white people in Australia who went to a school but didn’t go to university and doesn’t really see the need for tertiary education, embodies such Australians. Borrowing from Ruling class, Ruling Culture, its author Connelly suggests that many of the working class are happy to work for the bosses, provided they get decent pay, annual holidays, and can vote. Kristian’s happy with this arrangement as long as it protects the “normal” Australia he knows and loves. Big issues like, gender equality, taxation reform, constitutional reform and heaven forbid whether Australia becomes a republic are just that, big issues. Let those who are meant to be responsible get on with it.
But why does Kristian revel in this Ignorance? To put it simply, it’s because he doesn’t know anything else. Kristian gives off the impression of ‘no thought,’ because he listens to the loudest and most convenient voices, voices which don’t need to be questioned. Kristian remains ignorant because politicians have adopted a type of language that aims to limit the conversations he can have when talking about bigger issues. Think of Craig Kelly on Vaccines or even worse the entire Liberal party on lockdowns.
Claims from Frydenberg that lockdowns are unforgivable and being made up as they went by a man, as Tim Smith put it, who is a control freak wowser. The PM claimed that Victorian must get their freedoms back and stop locking down. For the leaders of the nation to say that lockdowns steel away freedoms and are being made up, suggests that they are dangerous, bordering on authoritarian. For Kristian, why shouldn’t he believe what the PM is saying, why shouldn’t he take action, protest and storm the streets? The Kristian’s of Australia are hearing something that sounds so simple, stop lockdowns, and because of this, they aren't questioning what they’re being told. Offered a simple solution, offered control over their destiny; they embrace ignorance.
As Don Watson, a political commentator and speech writer put it, politicians have been using language befitting weasel like managers.
They have fashioned a discourse that encourages Kristian to turn a blind eye, to be ignorant and to believe that the only political action they do, is work, vote and trust in leaders. So, I want to share a vision for the future.A future where the warnings of the recent anti-lockdowns protests are heeded. Where the rumbling of our Australian volcano is silent once more. It might sound like a fantasy, but we can attain that future.
All we need is a culture of accountability. It’s already started with #BLM and cancel culture more broadly. Professor Anne Hudley from the University of California defines cancel culture as the ability for someone - like Kristian - to boycott. At its heart, it is about forcing politicians to be responsible for their actions. We saw this in the social media storm that demanded the truth from Christian Porter, the storm that demanded the government address rampant sexual harassment in parliament. This culture of accountability isn’t limited to just keyboard warriors, News sites can, and digital platforms should embrace this same attitude. As YouTube did, call out and delete Craig Kelly’s Sky videos spreading misinformation. A culture of accountability stops Kristian from being trapped in the fog of ignorance.
So, if we believe in the power of thought and of voice, we must rescue this shambolic world. We must challenge ignorance and embrace a culture of accountability. We do so, because when we address ignorance, we save what’s truly important, democracy.