Open Popularity
I read the following quote and was unsettled...
Kenya: Deep lessons for South Africa
THE events of the last two weeks in Kenya have exposed just how fragile democracy is when it does not enjoy the protection of a country’s political leadership.
I am unsettled because I believe the onus of responsibility lays not on the political leadership but on the people. I contend that we are the keepers of our democracy, not our leaders. If we as a people do not agree with our leaders then it is our democratic responsibility to 'vote the bums out of office.' If, through a democratic process, we do not then the conclusion must be drawn that we accept a given leader.
If a leader assumes power through a means other than the democratic process then it is our, the people's, responsibility to address the matter. Social unrest, as seen in Kenya, is an indicator that the democratic process is still just that, in process.
I believe that the author and publication above are confusing democracy with economic stability. I believe a more apt observation might be, "THE events of the last two weeks in Kenya have exposed just how fragile an economy is when it does not enjoy the protection of a country’s political leadership."
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