DEMOCRATIC FASCISM

Today, India celebrates the Republic Day. The day when the constitution came into effect on 26 January 1950. For the past few hundred years, world over, the choice form of governance became, parliamentary form of democracy, where people of the nation vote the government of their choice into power. 

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India comments thus about governance, “Democracy and socialism are means to an end. Not an end in themselves.” In other words, democracy should be for the benefit, upliftment and empowerment of the people being governed. Governance has to be people centric – this is the end of such an exercise. The same is reflected in the oft quoted, Abraham Lincoln’s words –  “Democracy is the government OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE.”

Great ideals and noble intentions. Theories ought to be visible, tangible and measurable.  If not, they remain merely theories, however good the intentions. Democracy is a success, only when, Liberty, Equality and Justice are not only desired and enshrined in the constitution, but are actually implemented with enthusiasm and energy, regardless of the forces working against it.

1- LIBERTY is where, the citizens enjoy, the Freedom of thought and expression, without any restrictions, nor any fear of retribution.
2- EQUALITY is where, Everyone, regardless of who they are, are considered absolutely equal before the law.
3- JUSTICE is where, when anyone, whoever they are, commits a wrong, the justice should be meted out quickly, fairly and uniformly.

When the above three are practiced dispassionately, then, it can be called as a functioning democracy. Sadly the human heart is terribly sick, wicked and evil – “5 The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” – Genesis 6:5. This is all too visible in the lies, people in power disseminate, to subvert the truth and transparent form of governance, with selective and conditional implementation of Liberty, Equality and Justice, in every country.

Mahatma Gandhi, who is fondly called the Father of the nation, says, “What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or in the holy name of liberty or democracy?” How true!

The greed for power, position and money by the politicians, when mixes with the interests of businessmen and other interest groups, the desired democracy becomes fascism. Franklin D. Roosevelt, the President of USA, in the 1940s, says, “The first truth is that the liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism — ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power…. Among us today a concentration of private power without equal in history is growing.”

The ideal of LIBERTY, EQUALITY and JUSTICE, can be implemented, when the heart of the one who sits in the seat of power desires so. Even if the form of governance is ‘dictatorship’ it can still work well, if the heart desires to do good and just towards the citizens.

WHAT FORM of governance is CHOSEN, BECOMES IRRELEVANT, WHEN THERE IS NO DESIRE FOR LIBERTY, EQUALITY and JUSTICE for the people being governed. Simone Weil, a French philosopher says, “Whether the mask is labeled fascism, democracy, or dictatorship of the proletariat, our great adversary remains the apparatus—the bureaucracy, the police, the military. Not the one facing us across the frontier of the battle lines, which is not so much our enemy as our brothers’ enemy, but the one that calls itself our protector and makes us its slaves. No matter what the circumstances, the worst betrayal will always be to subordinate ourselves to this apparatus and to trample underfoot, in its service, all human values in ourselves and in others.”

Everything boils down to what the Bible so clearly states. The problem with man is not his ideas and ideals, but his heart and his motives – “9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” – Jeremiah 17:9. John Adams, the second President of USA, profoundly says, “Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.” The problem here is man’s heart, visible in his selfish and insatiable desire and greed for power, position and money. It is self-defeating and self-destructive.

We are seeing, the world over, very clearly, how a small group of power-brokers, who are so alienated from their citizens, and are implementing things which are not in the welfare, upliftment and empowerment of its citizens. There is a clear forming of power-centres, which are willingly surrendering to the concept of world dominance and governance. Those who are resisting will fall in line. If not, they will be removed from the line, and replaced by someone more pliant and willing to cooperate. The world is moving towards democratic fascism, where, some form of one world governance is thrown up, as the panacea for all our ills.

May we, as Christians, focus more on being a faithful and obedient follower of the LORD Jesus Christ, and be a good citizen of our nation. May we always seek its good, and pray for our fellow citizens, and all those in power – in line with the teachings of our LORD. Let us never forget, we are merely passing by through this world. We are pilgrims and sojourners.