It is time to ask one’s self this question, after the dramatic farce of the assault on Capitol Hill. The matter goes beyond the North American borders. It concerns all countries who call themselves democratic and it has an epochal and urgent significance. Trump’s potential imitators are roaming around Europe and its surroundings: Le Pen, Salvini, Vox are just some examples not to mention Orban and Erdogan.
There is a spread of “social” lies and frenzy which feed violent and conspirational fantasies of the most retrograde sectors of the population. Maniacs who would like to negate the feminine gender and to abrogate history with its traces, are gaining grounds. Male chauvinist arrogance and killings are multiplying. Armed racist or integralist gangs are lurking around. The violent and unilateral actions of the repressive forces has never stopped, on the contrary.
Such events, which can be found everywhere and anywhere, are related to the authentic depths of every democracy such as: the patriarchal, war-mongering and authoritarian nature of governments; all different kinds of discrimination among human beings; economical systemic exploitation to the detriment of the majority; the political hoax of formally taking part in electoral rituals which decide very little, the unmanageable flow of information which is often false and always confusing; the arrogant imposition of schooling from above in order to shape the new servants of the oppressive powers; the shattering of fossilized or forgotten ancient cultures and the irreparable breakdown of proclaimed values which were never achieved.
The recent events in the U.S.A are a summary of this story and pre-announce its ending: warmongering violence is engraved in the DNA of democracy just like with any other statal form. The attempt to reconcile formal freedoms, which are relative and increasingly false, with a substantial and ruthless power is becoming more and more complicated. It is the thirst for such power which unites the tweeting tycoon with the brute violent rioters. They must be stopped. However, this will be difficult if defending the very same democracy which nurtures them.
This gigantic muddle of social engineering, which we call the global democratic system, has lasted for a brief historical period under the thumb of the U.S.A. It can no longer stand: each and every single one of its aspects shows irreparable cracks and contradictions, as a whole it is decadent. Balances will have to change and they are already changing for the common people for the worse. A majority of them seem not to be aware or they remain indifferent. On one hand, an angry and retrograde minority wants to take advantage and push towards further accentuating the dictatorial trait. On the other hand, a different minority would like to try to change for the better, given that resisting is not enough and maybe they are asking themselves about it. We are both part of and alongside this last minority, we have some things to say to them and to offer. We have much to listen to, to understand and to learn. It is time to look together at our humanity and its beneficial possibilities, beyond oppressive state-oriented societies including its democratic variant.
January 7, 2021 Dario Renzi