The rise to power of Donald Trump, a billionaire and celebrity from New York, shocked the world. People around the globe keep asking the identical query: “How did a rustic hailed as a beacon of democracy and freedom find yourself with a presidential candidate like Donald Trump with such a rare and narcissistic profile?”
But in reality, this shouldn’t be an exclusive case. Regardless of whether Trump wins the election, Trump’s emergence as a presidential candidate is the results of ongoing social and cultural unrest within the U.S. that can be happening in other parts of the world. Good examples are the recent victory of the Brexit camp within the UK and the growing popularity of populist politics. What is exclusive about this phenomenon is that it takes place in lots of developed countries which were characterised by political stability for years.
All over the world, people complain that politics has change into an exclusive domain, reserved just for a small group of elites. While democracy, essentially the most widespread political system on this planet, can provide everyone with an equal opportunity to actively take part in the system of presidency – that’s, to decide on and be elected – the fact is usually very different. Using democracy as a tool to legitimize their power, often the old political establishment and officials work hand in hand to make sure that the system stays complex in order that it’s difficult for average people to enter the political arena.
An identical situation also occurs in Indonesia, where our political hemisphere is excessively controlled by political parties, consistently blocking political access to independent candidates and neglecting the continuing expansion of political dynasties throughout the country.
“It’s the economy, silly!” a phrase popularized in the course of the 1992 US presidential campaign perfectly sums up how essential economic prosperity is within the eyes of voters.
Although capitalism, which if it were humane can be one among democracy’s best friends, could have reduced poverty around the globe, many now blame it because the reason for today’s global economic slowdown and, most significantly, the widening gap between wealthy and poor.
It’s easy to be misled, however the economic divide shouldn’t be only a textbook theory, it’s really happening. A recent report by Oxfam, an anti-poverty organization, revealed that the richest 1 percent are richer than the remainder of the world’s population combined. The same report also identified that the 62 richest people – on a brief list that features Bill Gates, Warren Buffet and the like – have as much wealth because the poorest 3.5 billion people.
Earlier this 12 months, the Indonesian government announced that the country’s Gini index had improved from 0.01 to 0.4. As with many other emerging countries with large populations, the distribution of wealth poses a big challenge for Indonesia. According to the most recent data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), about 28 million people, or about 10 percent of Indonesia’s total population, live below the poverty line.
Economist Joseph Stiglitz, a former Nobel Prize winner in economics, is one among the few experts who consistently complains in regards to the malfunctioning of today’s capitalism-driven global financial system.
system.
Among other things, he blames government policies based on a trickle-down economic mindset – a long-held economic argument that granting economic privileges reminiscent of tax breaks to large corporations, investors and wealthy entrepreneurs will help spur economic growth and ultimately profit all members society. The global financial crisis of 2008 proved this to be unfaithful.
It is the close links between politicians and businessmen which might be increasing the anxiety of individuals around the globe. For example, many individuals within the US won’t forget or forgive their government’s decision to offer a $700 billion bailout to distressed banks caught up within the subprime mortgage crisis in 2008. It is not any public secret around the globe that deep-pocketed corporations use lobbyists heavily to influence legislators and governments to adopt laws and regulations that suit their business interests.
The boom in information technology has made the exchange of knowledge extremely easy, without boundary lines or limitations. Any trend that takes place in a single country might be easily mirrored by people in other countries. It won’t be surprising if extreme changes within the US or European political landscape spark something similar in lots of other parts of the world.
In Indonesia, we already had an anti-political and systemic moment in 2014, when Joko “Jokowi” Widodo won the presidential elections. Little known on the domestic political landscape, Jokowi suddenly emerged as a political heavyweight when he was elected governor of Jakarta two years earlier. When he ran, together with his practical communication skills and his trademark impromptu visits to fulfill peculiar people, people saw him as the other of the boring old politicians that individuals were bored with.
As our country approaches next 12 months’s simultaneous elections for regional heads, the cases within the US and other countries should function a reminder to our flesh pressers and government officials that they have to abandon the old political tricks, stuffed with lies and deception.
It can be essential to do not forget that societal demands are dynamic, as are the challenges that individuals face. To gain relevance, politicians and governments must have the ability to develop good policies that can improve people’s lives in tangible ways.
And remember, today’s voters are smart and equipped with rather more advanced communication tools than previous generations. When they’ve had enough, make certain that they may punish you.
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Tasa Nugraha Barley
The creator holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in business and finance from Strayer University in Washington, DC.
Source : Jakarta Post Office
