The temptation of a world leading for and by individual action


Libertarian’s position, a matter of anarchy? Or a turning back the clock to a system based on direct democracy? Actually is it the only logical way to fulfill commitments that current political system is failing to achieve. In the framework of an institutional and leadership crisis the citizenship has lost power and ownership. While elites and bureaucratic State machines gain control, individuals lose empowerment and influence on the decision-making process.

Current crises (migration, security, financial, political, ethical, etc.) are the consequences of the failure of leaders and institutions at national and global level. For decades citizens have relied on the transparency and accountability of the system, a fact that has contributed to create global structures and the concept of integration in itself. To have global structures means to trust that leaders will represent national interests and build new bridges that boost national growth. Currently, political systems are not reliable and leaders do not hold accurate accountability and transparency process that assure reliability to the citizenship. Which has a direct impact on credibility and trust in the system, hence on the need to be involved. Individuals get the feeling of being governed by a powerful State machine without capacity to be real agents of change.

A fact that contribute badly to make the necessary transformations of political structures -particularly global e.g. U.N.- and the selection of transparent leaders. The boycott to global institutions would never be the solution, but the reshape and boost of accountable systems in which individuals become essential in the decision-making process. This perspective means a drastic change of current focus particularly in terms of the expectation of individuals that are seeing the political system as something given and crises out of their control and action.

Individual action becomes the only genuine tool for overcoming the myth of a Super State that moves without direct influence of citizens and leaders and performs without being accountable. Is in this framework that global institutions play a relevant role of counterbalance political relations. On the absence of this role is that violence and extreme nationalism grow with an appearance of a “new wave” defence of national interests. It becomes exposure with recent US campaign based in xenophobia and isolationism and anti-European movements like Brexit, that hide the need to protect private interests by undermining integration and more control.

Is it true, get rid of the State in current shape (as welfare State) seems to be the easy and effective political campaign message, however how about corruption, revolving doors and bureaucratic structures? Indeed, an in-depth reshape of the State by engagement from citizens is a complex but more effective process for a revolutionary change than a reshape of the State from top down initiatives.

In addition, one of the most important pillar for a truly citizens engagement is a powerful Media, however,  instead of delivering information that contributes to transparency, is making of the political stage an entertainment business in which voters perceive politics as a game that its not part of them. In fact there are millions of people (e.g. U.S.) that do not vote, however there are informed about the “amused” part of this show. This is the “tragicomedy” that politics has been transformed without acquiescence of their real actors: citizens. In fact they have lost capacity of action against unaccountable messages and promises during campaign. Investigations to Hillary Clinton or the no release of Trump´s tax return release represents the most paradigmatic facts that the citizenship is totally disempowered and the political stage is running a different race in which there are not democratic values.

We could see it  on environmental issues in which the expectation of a public initiative has not a powerful impact as the change on individual attitudes. Recycling, reduction of water uses, transportation, etc. There is a clear not better way to illustrate the power of individuals than through a change of their habits and their impact on the society.

The role of individual action in the absence of leaders and institutions enough reliable is key to overcome political institutional/leadership crisis. The best tool at our disposal is: social media, which need to be maximised in its potential and boost a real platform of accountability.

Eating the world! with the power of socialmedia in the absence of accountable political systems.  


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