Confidence in democracy has been taking a hammering, so how refreshing to see a politician with big ideas win hearts and minds
Democracy did not die in 2003, but a lot of people’s faith in it did. Just over 17 years ago, I was one of the millions of people around the world who marched against the Iraq war. The energy on the streets in London was electrifying; it was the biggest protest in British history. The government, I naively thought at the time, would have to listen. The government, of course, did not listen. A few weeks later, Iraq was illegally invaded. This great betrayal galvanised a few of my friends into activism. But it left me, and many others, disillusioned at best and apathetic at worst. My student idealism withered and I lost confidence in the democratic process.
In the past few days, however, something strange has started to happen: I have begun to feel hopeful about politics again. In the US, the growing success of Bernie Sanders’ grassroots movement in the Democractic presidential nominations has restored my faith in people power. It has made me dare to hope that a second Donald Trump term may not be as inevitable as I previously thought it was. It made me dare to hope that a more equitable America – and, by extension, a more equitable world – really might be around the corner.
Continue reading…
Source: US Politics - theguardian.com
