In 2009, when Obama was elected the first black US president, the world was stunned by what democracy could achieve.
Back then, I recall attending a keynote speech at a university in Lahore by Peter Oborne; a well known British journalist who has a rich experience of writing on issues of not only his own country but also the Middle East, Iran and Pakistan.
The discussion following the speech expressed great hope and optimism in the coming of Obama. To many, he seemed to be a symbol of a new world emerging. I had asked Oborne back then whether we were being too hopeful and tying too many hopes in Obama considering that a new world emerges with a changed collective conscience and action.
Oborne agreed and had said that indeed in tying our hope to one man, we could be compromising on our own duty and struggle to uphold the values we want to see in our world.
Fast forward 7 years, and we’re watching the arrival of Trump onto the grand stage. Most of the people I know are experiencing a range of emotions from shock, anxiety, disbelief and even outrage. Given the rhetoric used by Trump during his wooing days, a lot of people in the US and elsewhere have admitted being worried. The only silver lining some say is the onslaught of jokes and memes on the social media making fun of Trump.
I too felt surprised at the results yesterday. However, seeing the surge of reactions, I felt the same question arise in my mind. Are we reading too much in this situation?
Yes, Trump will be the face of the USA for the next four years. Yes, it’s a shame that he won in spite using a racist, divisive, exploitative approach. Yes, his arrival might affect the lives of people around the world. But surely, it had to come to this for the ordinary US citizens to realize how they’ve slipped up on their personal duty towards citizenship and upholding the values they want to see in their world.
It just might take a Trump to help us see that a system in itself holds no ground unless it’s worked by individuals with an intent to serve others, by people who have the generosity to accept and learn from diversity, who have the courage to stand up to and fight against cruelty even if it isn’t directed at them.
Democracy is not the answer. The answer is collective conscience, determined purposeful action to do what is right consistently, even if it is against one’s individual or group’s self-interest.
If you have that, any system can work. If you do not have that, you get trumped by the best system you think there is.