Why the global democratic alliance is nothing more than a Western fantasy
- The West likes to argue that market capitalism and political liberalism go hand in hand; in reality, the former has proved far more powerful than the latter
- Having made countries around the world economically interdependent, the West should not expect them to jeopardise their global links by taking political sides
Li Xing
Published: 3:30am, 12 Jan, 2023
In politics there is the "
us and them".
If according to the article,
one side is the Liberal Democracy, who is the other?
Before I answer the question, there is another parameter that needs to be pointed out and that is that there
should be a separation of politics from economic systems.
In answering who "we(us)" are, i.e. the followers of Liberal Democracy,
we need to understand what Liberal Democracy is, to see the differences that exist with "others(them)"
Liberal Democracy wants a sovereign state where there will be rules, so that freedom can also exist. And for a state to be sovereign, a Constitution is required, which protects the people and citizens from arbitrary government, , with a clear distinction between the three powers (executive, legislative, judicial) and freedom of the press.
Liberal democratic political systems therefore have a hybrid character: they incorporate two distinct characteristics, the liberal and the democratic.
The liberal element of liberal democracy is the belief in limited government, that is, the idea that the individual should enjoy protection from the arbitrary actions of governmental bodies.
Its democratic element on the other hand reflects the belief that rulers must somehow be accountable to the people and respond to their needs.
So, the Western-style Liberal Democracy, does the above exist?
If we take into account that in the West there are: freedom of speech, freedom of the press, accountability of politicians, free elections, advocacy and competition, then all this tells us that this is the Liberal Democracy, with its/any weaknesses.
In the next comment I will proceed with the "others/them".