Liberal Democracy: a Euphemism for Anarchism in Today's America?
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Scienc al e tic & li P o u P b f l i o Journal of Political Sciences & Public c l A a f n f r a i u Nkere, J Pol Sci Pub Aff 2017, 5:2 r o s J Affairs DOI: 10.4172/2332-0761.1000243 ISSN: 2332-0761 Short Communication Open Access Liberal Democracy: A Euphemism for Anarchism in Today’s America? Nkere NN* University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo *Corresponding author: Nkere NN, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tel: +243 993 855 252; E-mail: [email protected] Received date: March 01, 2017, Accepted date: April 12, 2017, Published date: April 17, 2017 Copyright: © 2017 Nkere NN. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Short Communication All things considered, this paper is about looking into different ideas on reshaping societies when necessary. So, my take on this issue As I sojourn in America in this autumn season of 2015 through that is just an approach and proposition amongst many out there; one that of winter 2016, I can’t help but feel very concerned about the future of may, for that matter, differ from what might be expected by some of this land I so much love. My fear and frustrations are grounded in you, the readers. It’s in this context that this article is also an invitation what appears to be a real trend in this country today, which is founded to wisely and courageously acknowledge what is going wrong with the on what I would identify as “extreme liberalism” whereby the American youth today and find a way to fix it. The aim is about coming enjoyment of happiness by some few is becoming a serious threat to up with a suggestion or suggestions on how to redefine the the happiness of the many. In the name of liberty America is relationships between individual rights and the State. In that context, progressively but surely drifting from a sane, free and responsible this article is just a mere exploration of alternatives to what I consider society into one that is putting the whole future of the land of the free to be failing America as a State. into a land of the insane, the irresponsible and the lazy. All this drifting stems from the way children, our future, are being brought up in their That’s why the fundamental contention in this paper will consist in respective communities, churches and schools. Communities that are acknowledging and postulating that this negative trend must be allowing their kids to disrespect, insult, and beat up their parents and urgently stopped if America is to remain at the top of the world teachers while crucifying anyone who dares to stand in their way. It’s tomorrow; in terms of leadership, wealth, democracy, mannerism, and simply a shame, disgusting, and quite revolting to witness such overall well-being. Clear conservative clues with respect to faith, social decadence in the most powerful country in the world. relations, discipline, hard work for the creation and retention of wealth, and overall descent human behaviors must be reconsidered, re- Today in America, it’s common to hear responsible adults in examined, and re-infused in the American social psyche today, in positions of authority as parents, teachers, policemen and women, order to prepare and guarantee a better future to all American youth, government officials; suggest that teens must not be blamed for their irrespective of their credo, color, and class. stupid and irresponsible behaviors, however appalling and dangerous they might be; and that it’s rather the adult population that needs to understand and adjust to them. That punishment, of any kind, is not Introduction allowed and is definitely not the way to go about disciplining our kids, The drop that led to the spillover from the glass, as far as I am because everything must be resolved through dialogue, discussion, and concerned, can be traced to a Monday, October 26th, 2015 in a understanding with teens involved in irrational, rude, impolite, unruly classroom at Spring Valley High School in Columbia, South Carolina; and antisocial behaviors. This skewed approach to bringing up where Officer Ben Fields, a Richland County sheriff’s deputy, was seen American kids is outright wrong and pretty scary for a country whose on a footage world widely circulated, talking to and later manhandling ascendance has evolved from disciplined, God fearing, organized and an unruly and rude black female student from her seat. The officer had hardworking ways of living. This gives the impression as though been summoned by the school because the student had refused to stop everybody has given up on showing to our children that any successful using her cell phone while the class was going on, and had been life requires a great deal of discipline, respect for one another, warned by her teacher and by a school administrator for interfering hardworking, fearing and believing in God, living a life that should be with the normal learning ambiance in that classroom. With the seen as descent in any context. exception of the students from this very high school who had This sad American social reality of today, which is clearly produced organized a march to protest the firing of the officer and reclaim his by the disciplinary “laissez-faire” attitude of the adults vis-à-vis the reinstatement in his job from which he was dismissed only two days youth, is at the heart of the violence that is killing these very kids in after the event; all the local authorities, including the leaders in endless bloodbaths every day; and one that is making this wonderful Richland County, the mayor of Columbia and the governor of South country to be identified, from every corner in our planet, as the most Carolina; had come out to demonize and accuse the officer of having violent country in the whole world, with the most unruly children. The acted in an unprofessional manner. Not only that but the Legal Defense line between liberty and libertinage is continuously becoming blur and Fund of the local chapter of the National Association for the the words ethics and discipline more and more a taboo. Virtually, it’s a Advancement of Colored People, NAACP, was planning to file a non-state situation tantamount to a state of nature in which people lawsuit against the school and the officer for violating the civil rights of generally satisfy their immoral impulses and often act as they please the undisciplined and impolite student. Isn’t this “le monde à l’envers?” instead of as they ought. Where is America going with this awful social as the French saying goes? That is, Isn’t this the world upside down? environment? Is this the legacy of the founding-fathers when it comes While it would be very naïve and truly an illusion for any to the interpretation and enjoyment of liberty? Isn’t this outright responsible mind living in America today to deny the existence of Anarchism that this country has so much fought against and avoided widespread institutional racism within the police and in America in for so long and which is now being unconsciously entertained? J Pol Sci Pub Aff, an open access journal Volume 5 • Issue 2 • 1000243 ISSN: 2332-0761 Citation: Nkere NN (2017) Liberal Democracy: A Euphemism for Anarchism in Today’s America?. J Pol Sci Pub Aff 5: 243. doi: 10.4172/2332-0761.1000243 Page 2 of 6 general, and even more so in the South; this still remains a déjà vu kind upon any consent of the people to whom it is applied; and that of a case that clearly illustrates what I am referring to as an American unfortunately this is the only arena of the only legitimate power of youth going berserk versus an American adult population giving up on state or regal activity1. its future. Instead of focusing on the “why” of the alleged aggression According to Murray Bookchin, an eco-anarchist; Anarchism opens being displayed by the American law enforcement officers during the to what he calls Polissonomos or the management of the polis (city) by endless arrests of the unruly and the drifters in this land of the plenty; a body politic of free citizens2. The ideal, in this case and as it has been the American society is constantly putting its blame in the wrong suggested by Anarchists like Dimitrios Loussopoulos, is about place. The focus in America is constantly on the effects of many achieving decentralized, stateless and collectively managed troubling situations like the one being referred to than on their causes. communities that are rooted in nonhierarchical ethics, a unity of Of course, with such an approach, it will always be difficult to identify diversity, self-management, complementarities and mutual aid3. This, what is wrong and correct it. most Anarchists would contend, is possible because, not only naturally But as one observes this society more strictly and genuinely; as I mankind contains within him all the attributes that make him capable tried to do, it doesn’t take long to realize that the key reason for this of living in freedom and social concord; but he is naturally social!4 collective “unconscious” deviation can be found in what I consider to Therefore, rulers and their rules, economic, cultural, sexist and any be a twisted interpretation and enjoyment of individual rights in other form of domination are unnecessary5.