Peter G. de Krassel

Opinion | Real democracy is still going strong, despite pandemic crisis and US election ugliness

The much-discussed collapse of liberal democracy has raised questions in some quarters about whether managed democracy or authoritarian rule is superior

However, evidence from the US, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan suggest real democracy is alive and well as people turn out in force to support the rule of law

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People gather at an opposition rally to reject the presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus, on October 4. The size and resilience of the protests suggest the people of Belarus are no longer satisfied with their managed democracy under President Alexander Lukashenko. Photo: Reuters

Peter G. de Krassel

Published: 1:30am, 31 Oct 2020Updated: 6:15am, 31 Oct 2020

The global Covid-19 pandemic is dominating and dictating daily life in all countries, regardless of wealth, geography or political system. Thus, the crucial concern for many today is which system has dealt with the pandemic efficiently – real democracy, managed democracy or one-party authoritarian rule?

The answer seems clouded. Both US President Donald Trump, the commander-in-chief of the land of the free, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the totalitarian master of the world’s first communist society, have mismanaged the pandemic.

The frequently asked follow-up question, since the death toll from the pandemic continues to rise, is whether liberal democracy is losing its grip and crumbling, giving way to managed democracies modelled on Putin’s Russia. More specifically, have the ideals of democracy envisioned by America’s founding fathers lost their allure to Putin’s style of government?

These questions have been raised in recent weeks because of the ugly, hate-driven US presidential election campaign. In particular, over the possibility that if Trump does not win re-election, he would refuse to vacate the White House, much like President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus, sparking a constitutional crisis and street violence.

More than 80 million Americans have already cast their ballots through early voting in person or mail-in ballots. It speaks to the level of passion that this election has unleashed – a measure of people polarised in favour of or against letting Trump remain in command for four more years.

11:15

Trump vs Biden: The 2020 US presidential election

Much has been written about the demise of real democracy since Trump assumed power, and much more since the Covid-19 pandemic infected millions of Americans and killed more than 225,000. Both the traditional press and social media have trumpeted the failure of democratic governments in America, Europe, India and elsewhere in dealing with the crisis.