Education key to democratic fight

I was privy to a small and private conversation with a former world leader that included discussion of ideologies and their impact on conflict or peace.

This former leader, whom I am not permitted to name, identified the power of propaganda and technology in combination, and lamented the apparent erosion of democracies.

This leader astutely pointed to Russia having the weakness that all authoritarian states share. That is, the full potential of the country cannot be realised when the whole of society cannot have a voice. By extension, if the best of your nation cannot be utilised in the areas of their expertise, then you will fail. The example provided was Hitler as leader of the armed forces.

Greek philosopher Socrates made a similar argument to point out the weaknesses in democracy, where the existence of uneducated voters in a democracy is like trusting an unqualified group to select a captain of a ship. He argued that an effective democracy is, therefore, an educated one.

Socrates further identified the risk inherent in the system, whereby a sweet shop owner selling unhealthy treats will be more appealing to an uneducated audience than a doctor who offers short-term pain in the process of maintaining your health.

Former UK prime minister Sir Winston Churchill is quoted as saying: “Democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried”. He has also made comments about voters that would resonate with Socrates’ desire for an intellectual democracy.

Former US president Franklin Roosevelt stated that: “Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.”

Current US president, Joe Biden, echoed those comments in a speech following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

“Liberty, democracy, human dignity – these are the forces far more powerful than fear and oppression … They cannot be erased by people – from people’s hearts and hopes by any amount of violence and intimidation. They endure. And in the contest between democracy and autocracy, between sovereignty and subjugation, make no mistake: Freedom will prevail.”

One can easily recall images of rallies around the world, sometimes at risk of violence or imprisonment, of people seeking to have their voices heard. There are no such recollections of sincere desires for autocratic rule.

“Repression may yield resignation, but that should not be confused with support,” Kenneth Roth wrote for Human Rights Watch in a January 2022 article titled ‘How Democracy can defeat Autocracy’.

The obvious question in the current geopolitical climate is whether these two ideologies can co-exist.

Just months before WWII, former US Department of State diplomatic officer ET Williams authored ‘The Conflict between Autocracy and Democracy’, published in the American Journal of International Law in October 1938.

“Autocracy and democracy are mutually antagonistic,” Williams wrote.

“A dictatorship … is a menace to a popular government … it has shown itself a foe to liberty, to freedom of the person, freedom of opinion and speech, freedom of the press, and hostile to religious toleration.

“Autocracy, relying upon force, is necessarily militaristic and readily assumes an aggressive attitude towards other forms of government.

“Even in our own country there are those who approve the dictatorship of Stalin, others who admire the policy of Mussolini, and some who have a good word even for Hitler. Yet the principles upon which those dictatorships are founded are the very negation of those upon which our democratic form of government relies.”

One of the greatest arguments for continued adherence to autocratic principles are the perceived failings of democracy. It would therefore be pertinent, as a form of ideological defence, for genuinely democratic nations to work fiercely to entrench the core values of democracy.

To free democracy from self-interest or undue influence. To preserve its integrity and the institutions and mechanisms that support it. To educate the voting public just as Socrates, Churchill and Roosevelt all identified.

While there is great deal of focus on defending our oceans and borders, are we willing to defend our ideology, to make it thrive? Can we pursue its perfection, exhibit its strength and protect its integrity?

As the former leader pointedly said, leaders will change but ideologies remain. It is my personal belief that defending our ideology is worthy of greater attention.

• Kristian Constantinides is the general manager of Airflite, and chairperson of AIDN-WA; the opinions expressed are purely his own