hits hard because just a few days ago i had someone in my family on the phone with a friend and they were echoing a need or desire for military rule and citing traore as a case study. it’s understandable why change is being demanded but i genuinely don’t believe that military rule especially in nigeria’s current political climate would be any better.
And our conception of democracy is not exactly ideal...I mean look at us, at our material conditions, and tell me the point okay?
The point is: there are many valid reasons to be fed up with democracy... but we must also say that we would far worse under authoritarian rule.
The solution would be ensuring that through solidarity material conditions improve. That would be for me the ethical thing to do. To save democracy we must make sure that things work because of our democracy not in spite of it. And this can only happen if society works together. Democracy will thrive in a place where there is social solidarity.
You know, your solution to propaganda is actually like going from the frying pan to the fire. Propaganda and information warfare in democratic societies are far worse than in authoritarian societies...at least in authoritarian societies there is no pretense that information is censored in favour of official narrative. In our democracies, by the very nature of democracy, it would be unethical to censor information all the more while pushing a simplified version of truth as official. If one advocates for information warfare in a democratic state, which there is supposed to be free flow of information, is to advocate for authoritarianism itself.
Isn't ironic that in order to protect democratic freedom, we must advocate for unfreedom? And what is worse than this illusion of freedom?
hits hard because just a few days ago i had someone in my family on the phone with a friend and they were echoing a need or desire for military rule and citing traore as a case study. it’s understandable why change is being demanded but i genuinely don’t believe that military rule especially in nigeria’s current political climate would be any better.
Thank you for reading!
You’re not wrong but I can’t say you’re right also
Really good research and writing
Thank you for the kind words!
Thank you for reminding me that im not immune to propaganda.
And our conception of democracy is not exactly ideal...I mean look at us, at our material conditions, and tell me the point okay?
The point is: there are many valid reasons to be fed up with democracy... but we must also say that we would far worse under authoritarian rule.
The solution would be ensuring that through solidarity material conditions improve. That would be for me the ethical thing to do. To save democracy we must make sure that things work because of our democracy not in spite of it. And this can only happen if society works together. Democracy will thrive in a place where there is social solidarity.
You know, your solution to propaganda is actually like going from the frying pan to the fire. Propaganda and information warfare in democratic societies are far worse than in authoritarian societies...at least in authoritarian societies there is no pretense that information is censored in favour of official narrative. In our democracies, by the very nature of democracy, it would be unethical to censor information all the more while pushing a simplified version of truth as official. If one advocates for information warfare in a democratic state, which there is supposed to be free flow of information, is to advocate for authoritarianism itself.
Isn't ironic that in order to protect democratic freedom, we must advocate for unfreedom? And what is worse than this illusion of freedom?