Democracy and our engagement with it over the last ten years has undergone significant upheavals. The pace of political and social change aligns itself with the rapid dominance of technology in our society and the blazingly fast economic growth and disparity that permeates through the world. Both of these lead the way towards a world that is more globalised, more interconnected, yet has alienated and left people behind who are sceptical of democratic institutions. To understand the history of the past decade, though, we have to cast our mind earlier to 2007, where our global political landscape fundamentally changed forever with the release of the first modern smartphone, the iPhone, and as markets worldwide plunged into the Global Financial Crisis.
Ten years ago, my friends and I had simple Nokia or Motorola mobile phones, if any; I had memorised all of their home phone numbers and would just call them over to hang out. The iPhone had just started making waves in 2010 when the immensely popular fourth-generation was released, and every other phone manufacturer was clambering to release a clone that would be the ‘iPhone-killer’. Facebook had just started to enter the scene and peers in my grade were coming online or switching over from MSN, we were all still getting used to having an online presence alongside our social interactions in the real world.
Technology was seen as the great equaliser, providing everybody the ability to contribute to the conversation. It was claimed that technology had enfranchised many people, democratising news so that rather than just being passive consumers citizen journalism became a powerful tool for sharing local news and stories or opinion. Smartphones amplified all of this as the power of the internet now was literally in your pocket all the time and wherever you went. Democratic participation was claimed to have been enhanced as it provided a medium for more effective organisation, political candidates who could harness this could succeed in building a movement and spreading ideas.
Masterfully using this new wave of technology, Barack Obama entered the White House as the first African American president of the US, recognising the social and economic conditions of vulnerable Americans he put forward a vision of unity, progress, and hope. The 2008 presidential election saw the highest voter turnout since the 1960s, leading to the Democrats sweeping both houses of Congress. America was on the precipice of enacting bold progressive policies from universal healthcare and reforming the international image of America after the disastrous Middle East wars waged by President Bush. Alas, it was not to be that easy for President Obama as the American electorate backlashed, more Americans increasingly saw him as an ineffectual and disappointing President and Republicans kindled racial and social divisions. They took back Congress in 2010 for eight long years, until the Democrats gained a majority in the 2018 mid-terms.
Across the Atlantic, the United Kingdom entered its own election cycle in 2010. On one misfortunate day in April, Prime Minister Gordon Brown, still on mic after a public event, called a Labour supporter a ‘bigot’ for making anti-immigrant remarks, albeit remarks that came from genuine economic concerns that had set themselves in the UK after the GFC. Little did Brown know that these sentiments voiced by the citizen were prevalent across the Labour heartland, a product of the rise of neoliberal economics through the 1990s, as blue-collar work went offshore and the working class felt more like they were in the backseat of globalisation. Come election day in May, 13 years of Labour government come to an end as David Cameron of the Conservative Party walked into Number 10 on the back of a centre-right coalition.
In Australia, the 2010 federal election produced a hung parliament after the sitting Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, was knifed by Julia Gillard and his colleagues. This event sent waves through the Australian political landscape and has influenced the course of our national politics ever since. Over the last ten years, Australia has had five different prime ministers over the course of three governments. Scott Morrison may well be the first prime minister to carry out a full term since John Howard was defeated in 2007.
Ten years ago, the developed world was still recovering from the wrongdoings of financial markets in the United States, something that was too complicated for my young teenage self to understand. Australia, and New Zealand where I grew up, remained relatively unscathed through these events but the Occupy Wall Street movement took the United States by storm in 2011 as peoples grievances against the existing system were exacerbated by the recession. The economic and political systems seemed self-serving and failed to adapt as millions of Americans lost their jobs, homes, and livelihoods. This was even more damning when Americans saw Obama bailout the banks on Wall Street which had produced the GFC, banks which saw their own executives receive bonuses while homes were foreclosed and families were left stranded by financial institutions.
The online social networks that had driven President Obama’s election and re-election drove another series of revolutions on the other side of the world. The Arab Spring erupted in 2010 as social and economic crises bubbled to the surface, populations rose up against oppressive and authoritarian regimes, social media providing the tools to organise and communicate ideas. The first uprising occurred in Tunisia when Mohammed Bouazizi lit himself aflame in protest of the inherent corruption and injustice within the Tunisian legal system. Within weeks the government was ousted and a provisional government was established. Since then Tunisia has successfully undertaken multiple parliamentary and presidential elections, and has been enjoying relative democratic stability.
The success of the Tunisian protests rippled through the Arab world and soon every country had an uprising in 2011. Libya descended into a civil war as NATO intervened and Muammar Gaddafi was killed by rebel forces, conflict between competing claims to authority continue to divide the country. Tahrir Square filled with Egyptians in 2011 protesting against the long-serving President Hosni Mubarak. With his resignation, democratic elections were held and Mohammad Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood was elected President. Violent protests erupted again as Morsi attempted to enact Islamist and authoritarian policies, this time the military intervened and undertook a coup d’état. In Syria, protests envisioning a free and democratic country quickly gave way to civil war and Bashar al-Assad remains the leader of the country despite more than eight years of multi-faceted conflict between rebel forces, the Islamic State, regional powers, Russia, and the United States. Other uprisings in the Arab world were suppressed and put down.
The Syrian Civil War also produced the largest movement of refugees since World War 2 which had massive implications for the politics of Europe. The European Union had been the first democratic and economic experiment of its kind, binding together the destiny of 28 European countries, each with a different history, culture, and language, in pursuit of peace and common prosperity. This decade, however, saw the pervasiveness of Euroskepticism with doubts being cast on the legitimacy of European institutions and on the extent of the democratic nature of the supranational body. The big question was how, if at all, can the role of the EU and its obligations be reconciled with national sovereignty. This question has routinely saw Euroskeptic parties be elected to the European Parliament, to national parliaments and executives. The greatest response, however, was from the most reluctant European country, the United Kingdom, which led to a complete paralysis in national politics for more than four years.
In 2014, Scotland went to the polls to decide whether they were to become an independent country. The referendum was rejected by a majority of 55%, the primary argument of the ‘No’ side was that by remaining within the UK, Scotland would remain within the EU—an independent Scotland would have to endure a long and difficult process to regain membership of the EU. However, Prime Minister David Cameron had already committed to an EU membership referendum. EU membership had never been an entirely popular idea with the British populace, centuries of history and a sense of British exceptionalism had always questioned the European identity and whether Britain was truly European. This sentiment was fuelled by Euroscepticism, most prominently spewed by Nigel Farage, and other interests which anticipated personal gains if the UK were to leave the EU. In 2015, UK went to the polls and a majority of 52% of the electorate had voted to exit the EU, contrasting all projections and polls. The morning after the results David Cameron resigned from the premiership, leaving behind the mess he helped create.
Since then, the UK has undergone two election cycles and two more prime ministers, forever changing the political identities and the cultural landscape of the country. Last week, Boris Johnson and the Conservatives regained an absolute majority in Parliament, flipping seats that had been Labour for at least half a century. This gives Johnson a carte blanche on how and when to move forward with exiting the EU. UK Labour has now been out of government for nine years and they are asking themselves what avenue is there, if any, to forming government at the next election in five years. Brexit has divided families, villages, and the country, and has only made the case for an independent Scotland stronger than ever, which had overwhelmingly voted to remain within the EU, which raises a question mark over the future of the Union itself that has existed for centuries.
On the other side of Europe, protests erupted in Ukraine in 2013 as it appeared President Viktor Yanukovych had stalled relationship negotiations with the EU and instead moved closer to Russia. The ‘Euromaidan’ movement was born in Maidan Square in Kiev, social media connecting supporters across the country and enabling rapid organisation and mobilisation, and thus, Ukraine was thrust into a revolution as the square was barricaded and central Kiev turned into a battle zone. During early 2014, the national legislature relieved Yanukovych from the Presidency, recognising this as an illegal coup Russia provided political asylum to Yanukovych. A counter-protest took off in pro-Yanukovych regions of Ukraine, particularly in the south and east, which soon escalated into armed conflict between Russian-backed forced and the Ukrainian armed forces. During the latter days of the revolution, armed but unmarked soldiers appeared in Crimea, allegedly Russian special services. A Crimean secession referendum was announced, unconstitutional and illegal, but within weeks the referendum was carried out and a majority of nearly 97% supported Crimea and Sevestapol joining the Russian Federation, soon thereafter Crimea and Sevestapol were annexed by Russia. While Crimea operates as a de-facto constituent region of Russia, it has not been recognised by any other country. These series of events mark the first annexation that has occurred in Europe since World War 2. It was also the first pro-EU movement that resulted in a revolution, a vote of confidence in the EU showing that neighbouring countries had aspirations of gaining membership into the supranational body.
In 2016, against all predictions and polls, Donald Trump won the American presidential election against Hillary Clinton. The first African American president was followed by a person who despite all evidence of his racist and sexist behaviour in the past still managed to tap into the electorate who had felt disenfranchised and alienated through the eight years of the Obama administration. Many Americans who had voted for Obama, believing his message of hope and change and trusting that he could make progress on bettering their livelihoods, did not experience the change they anticipated. They were still losing their jobs, they were still seeing their towns shut down with businesses closing door and leaving, and they still saw poverty and everything that follows permeate through their communities. Trump managed to capitalise on these sentiments and offered the alternative of ‘Make America Great Again’.
In the lead up to election day, suspicions were raised of foreign interference, something which the US itself is very familiar with. The years following have continued to produce evidence of foreign interference carried out by Russia in order to set the scene for Donald Trump to win the election. As the 2020 election cycle looms, reports were released about a phone conversation between the American and Ukrainian presidents, Trump had pressured a foreign head of state to investigate a domestic political opponent. Many view this as an impeachable offence. As I write this, the House of Representatives has impeached Trump on the basis of ‘abuse of power’ and ‘obstruction of Congress’, the House has carried out its constitutional responsibility, however, its seems impossible that the Senate trial will be successful as Republicans outnumber the Democrats. The entire playbook of democracy in America has changed since 2016, with social media now playing an even more dominant role than in 2008 and 2012, online echo chambers have fostered a tribal and partisan political landscape where rationality and reason is met with a race to the bottom of who can shout the loudest and the most. This phenomena has rippled through western democracies over the past decade as cynicism and distrust in our democratic institutions gain a larger presence in our political discourses. People are more wary of our democratic systems capacity to change and provide change for the better. People are also campaigning differently now, placing emphasis on building personal connections and telling stories, engaging with individual voters trying to win them over, a proven and true method mastered by the Obama ‘08 and ‘12 campaigns.
The decade now closes the way it started, another wave of protests is spreading around the world off the backs of demands for greater democratic representation, for a more equal society, and for the inclusion or everybody in a nations prosperity. The people of Hong Kong have been protesting against an extradition bill since June and demanding the protection of their principle of ‘one country, two systems’; the entire city has been brought to a standstill and the once-vibrant economy risks stalling. However, this is only the latest controversy arising out of China, the sleeping dragon, which has thus far gained economic and political power peacefully, is now a geopolitical giant that sees itself in conflict with the liberal order that has existed since 1945. China has essentially undertaken a genocide against their minority Uyghur population by attempting to destroy Uyghur culture through ‘re-education camps’ so they are assimilated into mainstream Chinese culture, and allegedly forcing them into forced labour in the textiles industry relied upon by many western clothing brands. China’s flagship Belt and Road Project, which has been developed through the decade as an alternative to the western model of international development and investment, has sought to expand the economic reach of China through a vast network of trade links across the Indian and Pacific Oceans, and across the Afro-Eurasian continent. While many countries have become partners, suspicions remain about the kind of strategy being employed, whether it’s to force countries to default after failing to repay their loans to China so that they in effect become economically indentured to China, or whether they plan to create a global bloc that favours China over western countries in matters of international relations. Whatever it may be, these controversies, including the South China Sea conflict, show that no country is able to champion the liberal order to defend it against incursions from authoritarian regimes.
In South America, a surge of protests over the past month have occurred, rising from economic grievances that have accumulated through the years and the corruption that is present. Brazil has lurched to the right after years of socialist rule, Bolivia has descended into chaos as the country divides over the legitimacy of democratic elections, and Chile, despite being one of the more prosperous South American, has protested against its government for multiple weeks now.
Africa continues to move forward away from the legacies of colonialism as its many countries grow politically and economically. The generation of men which led African independence movements has reduced significantly in size. The most prominent of them, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, was taken under house arrest by the armed forces in 2017, and forced out with threats of impeachment and prosecution. Many around the world perceived that with this event Zimbabwe could move forward after decades of heightened racial tensions, growing inequality, and cumulation of power and wealth by the elite. Mugabe passed away this year. Another leader of the African independence movement, Nelson Mandela, passed away this decade, a symbol of African sovereignty and democracy.
As we’ve made our way through the decade and explored the different regions it can be seen that this has been a decade of protests. However, where the role of law prevails in liberal democratic countries and empowers citizens to assemble and share ideas, emerging democracies and autocratic countries are quick to clamp down and suppress any sign of dissent. This has happened in African, South American, Middle Eastern, Eastern European, and Asian countries. As we have discussed, the internet, the smartphone, and online social networks have provided platforms for the dissemination of ideas and to organise and mobilise through the decade. The initial response of countries from these regions has often been to shut down cellular services and the internet, preventing citizens to gather, share information and media within the country and share what’s happening to the outside world. Indeed some countries take this action preemptively if a popular response is expected.
This decade has, nevertheless, seen tremendous progress on building a more democratic and inclusive society. During 2016, the United Nations had its first Secretary-General election process in public (except for the actual voting), with a record number of women standing, with a public debate process, and an engagement with people on the ground right across the world. More countries than ever have ensured marriage equality and more women than ever represent their communities in national legislatures. Young people in every country, despite not being of voting age, have engaged with the political processes as climate change continues to intensify and as our future continues to look bleaker. Climate strikes have taken place regularly over the last two years, while more young people are having their voice heard it remains to be seen whether they can affect any change. COP 25 has just wrapped up in Madrid, many had hoped more ambitious and more comprehensive plans were adopted to mitigate climate change, it seems though that countries are willing to chip away at the progress made in the 2015 Paris Agreement. Countries leading the charge are countries who have benefited from fossil fuel industrialisation and continue to profit from it, not concerned with the livelihoods of vulnerable people in high-risk regions and the existence of small island states.
Democracy has produced ebbs and flows, as countries progress forward towards a more equal, fair, and prosperous society, so too do they retreat into one where societies are divided and in conflict, and where the powerless are trodden on by the powerful. It may seem that this decade will end in an ebb phase, the rapid rate of change in technology, the economy, and politics that has continued over the past ten years has pushed countries to look inwards, rather than create a closer world as technology envisioned earlier this century.
Now we look forward towards the next ten years. For people of my generation, this decade has been fast and produced rapid change. It may just be us growing up or it may be that kind of period in history which we look back on in the future and recognise the volatility and series of events that would forever decide the future course of humanity.
