As we look throughout much of the world today (more shockingly so-called western democracies) we find an appalling democratic deficit. To put it more bluntly, our elected officials (average, everyday folks just like the people they represent) are increasingly acting like a group of ruling elites who have special privileges and are above the common person, as was the case with the kings and absolute monarchs of old.

There is no finer example of this than a recent statement made by the deputy premier and finance minister of my home province of Prince Edward Island, Darlene Compton.

When asked how Prince Edward Islanders should deal with the rising cost of living – including inflation not seen in decades – Ms. Compton replied with the words ‘you just have to tighten your belt.’

Excuse me? Am I missing something here? Elected officials (regardless of which country they happen to be in) are tasked with best representing their constituents, which means, in times of hardship, not only must they lead by example and tighten their own belts, and not continue to impose unnecessary hardships on the electorate in the form of burdensome taxation and more government red tape while living a lavish existence themselves.

Getting back to my original point, the world over, as the average person struggles to pay for the necessities such as rent and food amidst crushing inflation – much less maintain the standards of living they have enjoyed for decades – many of our elected representatives are living in luxury with big salaries, government credit cards, and cars provided courtesy of an already overburdened taxpayer who simply cannot shoulder any more of this incumbrance.

So, how did we suddenly get into this sorry state of affairs?

It certainly didn’t happen overnight. You may agree that a combination of good times, a public education system that has become more about indoctrination than teaching, and reliance on government has spurred a general apathy towards politics whereby even folks who actively vote in every municipal, provincial, state, or federal election still don’t truly understand the major issues and cast their ballots mainly out of a sense of civic duty or tradition.

For far too long, many folks in Western countries have gotten into this feeling of comfort, that the good times will never end, and that the government generally has their best interests in mind.

And now, the chickens have finally come home to roost.

Perhaps you’re not paying attention, but modern liberal democracies these days are resembling something more along the lines of dictatorships. In response – as we’ve seen during the pandemic – people who are already very desperate and cannot tighten their belts anymore – have taken to the streets in protest.

Right now, the world is in the middle of a phenomenon known as a ‘fourth turning’, a crisis event that happens roughly every 80 years, or once in a lifetime. Historically, fourth turnings tended to be very turbulent and were often the cause of civil wars and revolutions. Sadly, history isn’t emphasized in schools like it once was. George Santayana, author of the 1905 book ‘The Life of Reason’, once stated that; “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.’ And this goes for the current crop of politicians who feel that they are above the rest of us.

And, unless somebody has been living underneath a rock for the past few years, they know that the entire world is in the worst shape it’s been in nearly a century. Yet, the very men and women (not all, as there are still many good people in office) we elect to protect our rights and promote economic prosperity continue to have this arrogant attitude, as though they have a divine right to rule, and aren’t in office by the will of the people.

The $1,000,000 question is, how can we turn this around before everything goes completely sideways?

To those who are content to merely head to the polls every four years and do nothing outside of that to enhance the state of democracy in your state, province, or country, why bother? You’re wasting time and expensive gas driving to the polls.

If you truly want to hold politicians accountable you will embrace direct democracy, which includes recall legislation, legally binding referendums, as well as the right of citizens to bring forth initiatives.

In short, people must become the government again.