Elections in the West are masking an irreversible hidden process

Elections in the West are masking an irreversible hidden process

RT

One of the signs of the times is the global trend towards personality cults and the irremovability of leaders. And apparently, liberal societies in the West are also moving in this direction.

The current situation in the leading Western countries may be called a crisis of their political systems, but this is only the tip of the iceberg – in reality, we’re observing a far bigger issue. This is not the first time it’s happened since World War Two (recall the situation in the 1960s and ‘70s), but the depth and scale of the changes which are taking place in the world today suggest that the time is ripe for major changes in global institutions, including the electoral system.

Western propaganda has convinced us that elections are the result of fair competition and almost anyone can come to power as long as their ideas are supported by a sufficient number of people. Of course, this is not the case – no country would be able to function if it radically changed course every few years.

In reality, these elections are the final stage of the legitimization or, so to speak, public approval, of ideas and people that have undergone a long selection process by the ruling class. In an ideal world, this system supposes a perfect feedback loop – if the country and society are moving in the wrong direction, this is reflected in the elections; then, new people with new ideas make their way into politics, and the country adjusts its general course without suffering unnecessary shocks. Since healthy societies prefer stability and predictability, any populist or extremist forces would have no chance of coming to power.

However, in fact the political system is aimed at self-preservation, and for the sake of long-term stability it doesn’t want to bring in new blood. As a result, once meaningful and fundamental political ideas eventually mature into a set of mechanically repeated dogmas. Public discontent accumulates over the years and eventually gives rise to counter-elites, which grow stronger and could come to power in the end. The popularity of extreme right or left forces is the first sign of a crisis in society.

This is exactly what happened in the West after the Cold War. Over the past 30-40 years, Western elections have turned into a sham. Of course, it doesn’t look as bad as the Soviet system with its single candidate. But a competitive atmosphere doesn’t necessarily mean that there are alternatives – and until recently all Western candidates had to fit into a single mainstream liberal agenda. 

A candidate or party could be slightly more “rightist” or “leftist,” but the general political course was never adjusted and any such attempt was considered heresy. As a result, these votes have lost their main function: to monitor popular sentiment and smoothly adjust the political course. 

The weakening of the electoral system has led to the loss of public feedback. These days, any Western politician can understand the words of late Soviet leader Yuri Andropov, “We don’t know the society we live in.”

MORE...