"Democracies" Deny the Popular Will While Suppressing Protest and Dissent

The nations that brag the most about "democracy" routinely ignore the will of their people. Support for Israel's war crimes in Gaza is but one example of this phenomenon.

What is democracy? Dictionaries provide a variety of meanings but in general, they define it as “rule by the people,” which includes the election of representatives in a legislature or a parliament. This simple definition is easily understood but when one takes a closer look at the nations which call themselves democracies, it is clear that the word is now little more than a “get out of jail” free card to cover for what is, in fact, oligarchic rule. No one has to look very far to see the discrepancies between democracy as advertised and how states really function.

Most people here in the United States, 61% according to one poll , want a ceasefire in Gaza. That number is significant but it shows no correlation whatsoever with how the state acts. Only 69 members of the House of Representatives and 5 members of the Senate have publicly called for a ceasefire. Even worse than the sparse number willing to speak up for what the people want, those who say they want a ceasefire are duplicitous in making their own case. Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland has visited the Rafah border crossing and was incensed that Israel is preventing aid from getting through to Gaza. In a speech on the senate floor he called Israeli officials war criminals but when push came to shove, he was pushed and he voted to send $14 billion in aid to Israel. It seems that elected representatives see no need to actually represent their constituents.

{I talked about this very same nature in regards to Bernie Sanders, AOC, and the squad last week. They highly resemble the Pauls who were/are the republican version of deception of fake opposition of policies, hiding behind the claim of being Libertarians. The lips service becomes astoundingly fake when they eventually end up voting in favor for what they spent days opposing or abstain from voting.}

A leaked letter from a cabinet level ministry in the Netherlands read in part, “What can we say so that it appears that Israel is not committing war crimes?” The outgoing prime minister is angling for the NATO General Secretary's job and wants to stay on the good side of the U.S., hence the need to give the appearance that Israel isn’t committing crimes that the whole world can see.

Dutch civil servants protested against their own government’s support for Israel and yes, they were ignored. That nation has been ordered by its Supreme Court to stop selling F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel but the elected government has chosen to appeal their court’s decision.

Not to be outdone, France is forcing any organizations receiving governmental aid to repeat debunked allegations that Hamas committed atrocities on October 7.

The U.S. and European nations are not alone. Canada, neighbor to the north with an undeserved reputation for being more humane, actively pursues a campaign of suppressing protest and dissent. El Jones and other members of a delegation were scheduled to speak to members of the Canadian Supreme Court about anti-Black racism in that country. Just one hour before they were scheduled to meet, they were informed that unnamed social media posts made court clerks feel “unsafe” and that some delegation members such as Ms. Jones would no longer be allowed to speak. She was never told what the offending post was, but she has concluded that pointing out Israel’s genocidal policies was the cause of the rescinded invitation.

This same Canadian government paid homage to a Ukrainian Nazi in the parliament elected by its citizens. Fallout from the scandal made clear that Nazi worship is not what the people there want to see at all.

[blackagendareport.com]

{This missive is an examination of responses to the U.S.com/Israeli/NATO war crimes being committed against the popular will. But the same questions can be asked about the lack of a public health care system or a shredded welfare state or increases in homelessness. None of these issues are addressed by electoral politics. The F word, fascism, comes to mind. Neo-liberal corporate power, including corporate media power, is combined with militarism to disappear the disaffected and to intimidate others into being silent.}