It has been emphasised repeatedly by those who spend their lives studying such matters, that a democratic system of government can become a tyrannical dictatorship if citizens allow that to happen. Experts agree that a democracy is the best system yet devised by the human species. A real democracy is fair, and is characterised by distinctive cornerstones including freedoms of assembly, speech, and association; inclusiveness; equality; the right to choose leaders through voting; and supremacy of the rule of law. Further, the experts say, when a democratic government leads a society in such a way that each person enjoys the greatest amount of freedom, compatible with the common good, then, that society is said to enjoy a liberal democracy. Clearly, such a system of government is the most desirable one. As such, citizens — in their own interest — should strive to achieve that ideal, and, maintain it.
The political scientists, philosophers and other analysts agree, too, that the extreme opposite of a liberal democracy is a tyrannical dictatorship. Under such a system, every aspect of the lives of the majority of people is controlled by the heavy hand of a supreme political power that rules with an iron fist; a fist that would have stripped citizens of all rights, freedoms, and even their basic dignity, Instead, the majority of people would exist under the unbearable burden of oppression. Of course, one recognises that between those two extremes — liberal democracy and tyrannical dictatorship — there is a spectrum of possible systems of government under which citizens may have varying degrees of freedom. The important questions are: how does a democracy degenerate into a dictatorship, and how do we prevent that from happening in our country?
Political Scientist Arch Puddington, former U.S. Labor Secretary Professor Robert Reich, and Dr. Kuehnelt-Leddihn of the Foundation for Economic Education, are among recognised scholars who have studied the issue of how a democracy may become a dictatorship. Those respected experts have all written extensively on that subject, and, they agree on several key points.
First, there are only three paths from a democracy to a dictatorship: there could be a coup, where the democratic government is overthrown; or, citizens could elect a known tyrant, such as the election of Adolf Hitler as Chancellor of Germany in 1932; or, finally, most importantly, citizens could elect a political party that pretends to be democratic, but, secretly intends to set up a dictatorship once it is elected.
Second, the experts agree that in modern times, the third path to tyranny — where a “democratic party” is elected, and, once it is in power, sheds its false-skin of democracy and reveals its dictatorial colours — is the most likely path to dictatorship. As such, it is with this idea that citizens should be most concerned, and, people should be extremely vigilant and look for the signs that an elected democratic government is, in fact, setting up a departure from democracy while moving to create a tyrannical dictatorship.
Professor Puddington wrote, “Central to the modern authoritarian strategy is the capture of institutions that undergird political pluralism. The [dictatorial government’s] goal is to dominate not only the executive and legislative branches, but also the media, the judiciary, civil society, the commanding heights of the economy, and the security forces. With these institutions under the effective if not absolute control of a dictatorial leader, changes in government through fair and honest elections become all but impossible.” In other words, the government would seek to spread its cancerous tentacles into every sector of society, so as to exert control over every aspect of life, and set up conditions to prevent the dictator’s removal.
Professor Reich explained how the government would create a dictatorship step by step. He said that the dictator would, “destroy labor unions, so people have no way to bargain for higher wages and less capacity for political organisation.” The professor said that the government would, “cut deals with rich business executives and billionaires,” while “filling the airwaves with big lies.” The expert said that once the government had control of everything, political opposition would become almost impossible. The experts pointed out that this process is well advanced in Russia, China and our neighbour to the west, Venezuela, in addition to other territories.
Many Guyanese are aware of what happens when a tyrannical dictatorship is established: political imprisonment and assassinations become common, censorship of information is established, and citizens’ rights to assemble, associate, speak, travel, and live a happy life are all taken away. Food may become scarce, and society could collapse or people may become prisoners in their own borders. Considering what is at stake, Guyanese must — for our own survival — examine what our government is doing. Do we see any of the signs that the experts describe? Is there any indication that government (at any time) is moving to set up a dictatorship, and, establish conditions to ensure that it cannot be removed from power? Clearly, If we are to remain free, safe, and content in a democratic society, we must ensure that any government that shows signs of becoming dictatorial is actively opposed, and removed at the earliest possible opportunity.
