World Review Democracy 2019: an Opinion Section
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.. THE NEW YORK TIMES INTERNATIONAL EDITION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2019 | S1 World Review Democracy 2019: An Opinion Section MATT ROTA These are tumultuous times for the world’s liberal democracies. Faced with increasingly partisan electorates, governments are tasked with bridging political divides in novel ways. Democracy’s precarious position BY SERGE SCHMEMANN The opening of impeachment a deeply divided nation. It is proceedings against President fundamental to democracy Trump offers a chance to take that elected leaders heed the stock of the state of democra- law and the will of the people; Serge Schmemann cy. Not because of the specific is it certain in the prevailing is a member of the editorial board of The accusations that Mr. Trump climate that they will? New York Times. faces, but because judging his Will the free press, now be- presidency must necessarily set by cacophony, echo cham- include all the challenges that bers and fake news, be capable liberal democracy faces in the of providing a dispassionate 21st century — from distrust view? of politicians to the power of These are the questions that social media. It is not likely to are before the contributors to be pretty. this special section, and to the That this process is taking annual Athens Democracy place in the world’s premier Forum gathering in Greece this democracy makes it critical for week. We have asked writers, every other land and people. political leaders, historians, The tumult in Hong Kong, the journalists, business leaders spread of populism around and the public to consider how the world, the agonies over liberal democracy needs to adapt and change if it is to sur- Impeachment. Brexit. Protests in Hong vive; how we can bridge the Kong. Are we at a turning point? ethnic, national and religious chasms that seem only to grow Brexit in Britain, the struggle wider with every crisis; how against corruption in Ukraine, democratic societies should the weight of colonial legacies address the ever-greater con- in Africa — in every corner of centration of wealth in the the world people are strug- hands of the very few; how we gling to determine how they can manage the dangers of should be ruled, and all will be new media without curtailing watching how the United its benefits and its freedom. States emerges from its trial. These are not idle discus- Trust is at the heart of de- sions. The current crisis of de- mocracy, and a central ques- mocracy, so dramatically on tion in the proceedings will be display in the drama of the im- whether the electorate still peachment hearings, is unlike believes its representatives any in the past. and institutions can withstand But it will not pass on its the acute partisan hostilities of own. .. S2 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2019 THE NEW YORK TIMES INTERNATIONAL EDITION World Review We need a fourth branch of government Citizen-driven democracy is the best way to In contrast to how social media works to- day, a similar platform could develop trans- combat corruption and the power of the elite parent algorithms that use artificial intelli- gence to promote wholesome debate and in- formed dialogue while fairly aggregating BY GEORGE A. PAPANDREOU citizens’ positions to promote consensus building. All who participate in this public e- In ancient times, politics was born of the be- agora would appear under their true identi- lief that we can be masters of our own fate, ties — real voices, not bots. Eponymous, not and democracy became a continuing, inno- anonymous. vative project to guarantee people a say in To facilitate debate, forums of profession- public decisions. als could give informed opinions on issues of Today, however, we live in a paradox. Hu- the day. Public television, newspapers, radio manity has created vast wealth and techno- and podcasts could enlighten the conversa- George Papandreou logical know-how that could contribute to tion. Schools would be encouraged to par- was Greece’s foreign solutions for the global common good, yet ticipate. So-called deliberative polling minister from 1999 immense numbers of people are disempow- (again inspired by ancient Athens and de- to 2004 and its ered, marginalized and suffering from a veloped for modern society by James prime minister from deep sense of insecurity. Working together, Fishkin at Stanford University) could im- 2009 to 2011. He is we have the ability to reshape the world as prove decision-making by leveraging sus- currently the presi- we know it. Unfortunately, that power rests tained dialogue among polling participants dent of Socialist in the hands of only a few. and experts to produce more informed pub- International, a The marginalization we see today is lic opinion. The concept was used by the Citi- worldwide organiza- rooted in the globalization promoted by pol- zens’ Assembly in Ireland from 2016 to 2018, tion of social demo- icy models such as the Washington Consen- a riveting exercise in deliberative democra- cratic, socialist and sus, which distanced politics and govern- cy that produced breakthroughs on seem- labor parties. ance from economic power. Companies in ingly intractable issues such as abortion. the financial, pharmaceutical, agricultural, Today, we are on the verge of momentous oil and tech industries are no longer gov- global changes, in robotics, A.I., the climate erned by the laws of a single state — they and more. The world’s citizens must debate live in a separate global stratosphere, one the ethical implications of our increasingly regulated to suit their interests. godlike technological powers. The consequences of all this are huge dis- At the same time, the threat of global parities in wealth and power. There is, for TOLGA AKMEN/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE — GETTY IMAGES warming is an opportunity for us to over- example, an overconcentration of money in An anti-Brexit activist with the flags of Britain and the European Union in March near the Houses of Parliament in central London. come our nationalistic divisions and unite in media and politics, due to lobbying and out- a fight for survival and just, sustainable de- right corruption. And in many countries, velopment. democratic institutions have been captured We must nurture the citizen-driven core and the will of the people has been compro- of money at its most vulnerable moment. corporate interests on the other.” For the international techno-society. of this new deliberative branch at the local mised. This arbitrary power of globalized compa- new global economy to succeed, he says, we From my experience, an important step level, with an overhaul of our education sys- As Nathan Gardels and Nicolas nies violates a basic concept of democracy must build new institutions. toward these goals would be to create a tems. Today’s schools have severed learning Berggruen argue in their 2019 book “Reno- that the ancient Greeks called “isonomia,” We have a choice to make. fourth branch of government. from civic participation, critical debate and vating Democracy,” the social and techno- or the equality of all before the law. We could embrace reactive politics, elect This new deliberative branch, in which all empathy for our fellow human beings. To logical change wrought by globalization “is Uncontrolled global power has fueled na- authoritarian leaders, build walls, and pro- citizens — the “demos” — could participate, transcend our ethnic, racial and socioeco- so enormous that individuals and communi- tionalist slogans such as the Brexit move- mote isolationism and racism. This path of- would sit alongside the executive, legisla- nomic differences, we need classrooms to ties alike feel they are drowning in the swell ment’s “take back control.” Yet as Joseph fers a simple yet illusory way to “take back tive and judicial branches. All laws and deci- produce global citizens — not globe-trotting of seemingly anonymous forces.” Stiglitz writes in his new book, “People, control,” but in fact accomplishes the oppo- sions would first go through an e-delibera- elites, but students who grasp humanity’s Serving as prime minister of Greece from Power, and Profits: Progressive Capitalism site: It gives up control to power-hungry tion process before being debated in our city challenges and can deliberate beyond bor- 2009 to 2011, I attempted to improve tax col- for an Age of Discontent,” “the populist re- demagogues who divide us, weaken civil so- halls, parliaments or congresses. ders. lection in order to cut the huge debt and sponse, namely a retreat from globalized ciety and feed us dead-end solutions. Inspired by the agora of ideas and debate Our newfound powers can be used to deficit I inherited. But the efforts of my gov- trade through the protection of markets, is a But rather than embrace those false in ancient Athens, I set up as prime minister abuse and hurt — the ancients called this ernment fell far short of collecting what was red herring. ... The real conflict is else- promises, let us instead reinvent and deep- a rudimentary “wiki-law” process for delib- “hubris.” Or they can be used to heal, and to owed. Investors took advantage of the where. On the one side [you have] workers en democratic institutions, in order to em- erating issues online before laws are voted include others in a democratic culture that global financial system to move capital be- and consumers — the 99 percent — in both power people, tame global capitalism, elimi- on. Trusting collective wisdom brought in- supports the public and planetary good. yond Greece’s borders, draining the country developing and developed countries, versus nate inequality and assert control over our sightful and invaluable responses. This is the democratic challenge of today. A united Continent The European Union was founded in part to promote peace, security and unity on the Continent.