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20.09.2021 Feature Article

Democracy Stuck Between Eastern & Western Talibans

Democracy Stuck Between Eastern  Western Talibans
20.09.2021 LISTEN

The reasons liberal democracy parties lost many electrons in the Western world has to do with how conservatives push hot emotional issues as self preservation of cultures. These hot button issues are not limited to immigration, crime, gun, abortion, and veiled class or caste system. But they are enough to dispossess the middle class and exploit the lower class voting against their own interests.

What we see in Western democracy recently is intolerance for opposite views and their determination to impose minority ideology even when they lost majority votes. Extreme right wing conservatives have driven moderate members out of parties controlled by extremist conservative Talibans. The days of reasonable discussion within the same conservative parties are coming to an end unless the pendulum swings back to civilized discussion where reasonable people do disagree without being disagreeable.

Who would expect that liberal democracy would take so much assault, not only from conservatives but from right wing extremists whose only goal is to rule like the Taliban? Well, there were so many warnings, we were either ignoring them or playing them down. Privileged vocal minorities on the extreme right are so powerful, they can impose their views with impunity for what those on the extreme left can never get away with.

Liberal democracy is fighting for survival all over the world, mainly between Taliban in the East and Conservative Taliban in the West. Democracy is in intensive care units bleeding profusely. This very existential threat from communists and conservatives Taliban is precarious not only for women they disrespect but for Union negotiating power that had propelled most into the middle class. Yet, they take out their frustrations on whoever, except the rich against Unions.

These conservative Talibans in the Western countries preach limited government to avoid intrusions in our lives only to act otherwise. Their gut opposition to taxes can also be attractive to the silent majority that make average income. But those advocating limited taxes fund organizations to legalize loopholes for the richest and corporations so that they could pay little taxes while enjoying the infrastructure and safety protections paid for out of collective taxes.

The communists used to be the ardent preachers of democracy, workers' rights and equality. As soon as they got into power they became worse than their old rulers by rigging elections, oppressing the bourgeoisie, the wealthy and royalty. Only to indulge themselves in worse opulence than the bureaucrats they replaced. Communist leaders became a class by themselves, demonstrating little tolerance for the opposition.

Like the communists, as soon as conservatives gained control of government by any means, including suppression of votes, they came out in their true colors with the worst intrusions into our private lives and business. What is worse is how conservative project their mean spirited moral actions on their opponents. They preach against abortion even at conception knowing full well, even their wives and daughters will abort for many reasons including rape and incest.

Take this feverish opposition to abortion for example. The fanatics among them actually burnt down some clinics and shot medical personnels in the name of protecting fetuses that were not viable. They are ready to take lives in the name of unviable conceptions that if ever carried to term, would be denied social and economic benefits for sustainability. They denied little children many means of sustenance and survival.

When men that have never been pregnant claim women should know by six weeks if they are pregnant, they base it on religious or moral values. Until rIch women become victims of rape, incest or genetic defects, they do see justified abortions for themselves or their daughters but not for desperate or poor women. Though wealthy women have access to abortions once they become victims like poor women, their past moral opposition become irrelevant.

Indeed, as most Western countries increase daycare and benefits for children of the middle class, conservatives want a pre-emptive strike into the treasury to reduce the amount available for benefits so that they can increase tax cuts to the rich and corporate welfare bums. It is the only time they do not care or cry about the deficit.

African Youths that refused to fight their own Talibans at home embrace conservative ideology. They hoped it would help them relocate and become part of the token few used against those before them abroad. They later find out they are not different from those before in Diaspora when they run into Western and Eastern Talibans. Your experience in the Mediterranean coast and desert will be repeated by communist and conservative Taliban abroad, even if you sell out and call those that look like you lazy.

There are emotional issues that everybody across party lines care about. This is why conservatives link immigration with crimes during elections. Crimes breed when there are no other means of survival, out of greed and hatred for fellow humans. Yet, the most venomous crimes like mass murders and enslavement in the 21st Century are not exclusive to a certain class but can be committed in plain sight by the privileged class and with impunity.

It is naive to think that most married women would see the situation differently from the privileged husbands. They would not deny their male children the privilege enjoyed by their men in the position of power, over their own daughters. It is an uphill battle for families to compete in the world market today without the active participation of informed women.

In a study, a few female teachers, some of whom are activists, could not believe they allocated different privileges to boys in their classes. If some of the majority votes come from women or some ethnic base, conservatives make it harder for them to vote. As more men realize equality is in the interest of all, more of them are taking paternity leave after birth by their wives, some of whom are in higher positions at work.

Soul searching and the liberalization of old conservative ideas by reasonable members may not come soon enough in the immediate elections but a process of sensitization of the public to the dangerous trends of obtaining electoral power by odious regulations, threats and violence against majority votes belong to past centuries.

Farouk Martins Aresa @oomoaresa

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