https://youtu.be/EYiZuWA8pb4
Tuesday, January 19, 2021
Democracy in the US in clear and present danger
https://youtu.be/-oAudzgilHU
Next Wednesday, Joseph Biden will be anointed President, guarded by 20,000 National Guard troops in battle gear against not foreign enemies, but domestic threats
A week is a long time in politics. Last Wednesday, armed supporters of President Trump stormed the sanctity of the Capitol, the temple of American democracy.
This Wednesday, President Trump became the first president in American history to be impeached twice.
Next Wednesday, Joseph Biden will be anointed President, guarded by 20,000 National Guard troops in battle gear against not foreign enemies, but domestic threats.
This was supposed to happen only in Hollywood movie scripts.
Consider these bizarre facts: the pandemic is claiming more than 4,000
deaths daily in the United States; digital media like Twitter, YouTube
and Facebook have banned tweets and comments by their own President; all
US stock market indices are still rising, and bitcoin has surged by
27.9% in 13 days.
The article of impeachment stated in more stark terms than any foreign
commentator would dare to express: “President Trump gravely endangered
the security of the United States and its institutions of government. He
threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the
peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coequal branch of
government.
“He thereby betrayed his trust as President, to the manifest injury of
the people of the United States.Wherefore, Donald John Trump, by such
conduct, has demonstrated that he will remain a threat to national
security, democracy, and the Constitution if allowed to remain in
office, and has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with
self-governance and the rule of law.
“Donald John Trump thus warrants impeachment and trial, removal from
office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honour,
trust, or profit under the United States.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (pic below)summed it up as “he is a clear and present danger to the nation.”
Arguably, Trump has committed the sin of poisoning the well of democracy, not just in America, but for the rest of the world.
Although Western democrats extol its virtues back to the Greek Age, modern liberal democracy is very recent.
As late as 1978, only one third of the world lived in democracies; by 2015, more than half do. But since then, populism, Brexit and Trumpism have caused many to lament that democracy is receding.
Today, the gold standard of liberal democracy in America is being tested, if not questioned.
Work in progress
The problem is that liberal democracy based on social equality, rule of law, tolerance of diversity, is a work in progress.
Given very different cultures, history, religion and institutional set-ups, democracy is practiced differently, requiring huge efforts by all citizens.
Democracy that has no performance-accountability when what is promised is not delivered.
That became evident when the 2008 global financial crisis accentuated rising social inequality and insecurity to large segments of the population.
Democratic politics fragmented and did not seem to be able to deliver on promises.
Austrian economist and political philosopher Joseph Schumpeter became famous for his observation that the driver of capitalism was entrepreneurship, which led to creative destruction. He was equally original and sharp in his realist analysis of democracy.
In his classic Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy, four conditions must be satisfied for democracy to work: the quality of politicians in terms of ability and moral character; social consensus that democracy does not solve everything; a well-trained and effective bureaucracy; and finally, “effective competition for leadership requires a large measure of tolerance for difference of opinion.”
Schumpeter understood that democracy has difficulty in making decisions when society is deeply divided.
Vote-seeking
Vote-seeking behaviour means that policies are always for the short-term, so politicians under serve the long-term interests of the nation.
For example, democratic and rich countries like Australia cannot even agree on dealing with climate change, because vested interests in the mining industry consistently block change through lobbying. If democracies cannot deliver long-term structural reforms that are painful and unpopular, then in the long-run, citizens will seek alternatives, such as autocracies or anocracies (democracy with autocratic characteristics).
Trump put American democracy in clear and present danger by violating all four Schumpeter conditions.
First, nearly half the voting population ignored his moral issues, because they believed him calling the mainstream news as “fake”.
Second, he violated many of the unspoken rules, codes and conventions that buttressed democratic checks and balances, aided by lawyers and attorney generals whom he also threw under the bus.
Third, he questioned the loyalty and efficacy of the vaunted American bureaucracy, which then failed to protect the Capitol from violent protests.
Lastly, he openly sought division, rather than work bi-partisanly to heal social divisions.
Asians have much to learn from Schumpeter, who foresaw that democracy is about majority rule, but works in practice through an elite that deals in votes rather than in money. Since capitalism by definition values money more than labour, money under financial capitalism has a nasty habit of corrupting politics.
How to control money politics from corroding diverse rights and public goods is a perennial issue in all systems of governance.
If there is one lesson that should resonate in Asia, it is that violence cannot be an answer to the democratic process.
Inciting violence
Trump realised too late that inciting violence in his supporters to protect his version of electoral victory ended up with him denouncing violence in the name of law and order.
Retribution occurs to those who incite violence abroad, because violence can bounce back at home.
Next week, the Trump Reality Show will thankfully end, and life will return to some form of normality, so we can address the threats of pandemic and job losses without being diverted by another tweet.
For Trump, impeachment will only withdraw his right to hold further public office. He was made by media, and he will be haunted by media for the rest of his life. But he will go on to earn millions from book sales and paid appearances.
The clear and present danger to democracy is a distorted system where heads I win, tails you lose.
We need to change this system, but we don’t know how to do this democratically. Perhaps Joe Biden has the answer.
By Andrew Sheng, a Distinguished Fellow of Fung Global Institute, a global think tank based in Hong Kong. The views expressed here are his own.
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Friday, January 15, 2021
Malaysia's all states except Sarawak go back into partial lockdown (MCO 2.0), state of emergency declared by the King
All states in Malaysia except Sarawak under MCO from Friday ...
Sarawak to be only state not under MCO | The Star
Malaysia's King declares state of emergency till Aug 1 to curb spread of Covid-19.
https://youtu.be/Es7N1XdvXpA
COVID-19 | Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin today unveiled tougher measures to control the spread of Covid-19.
This includes the implementation of full movement control order (MCO) on eight states and territories.
They are Penang, Selangor, Malacca, Johor, Sabah, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan.
Another six states will be under the ongoing conditional MCO but with stricter rules than the existing ones.
Perlis and Sarawak are the only two states that will see the most relaxed rules as they will be put under the recovery MCO.
However, the Sarawak government today moved to place Kuching, Sibu and Miri under a conditional MCO.
Muhyiddin, in a live address on national TV, said the MCO will take effect at midnight of Jan 13 until Jan 26.
Interstate travel ban
For states under MCO and conditional MCO, the prime minister said social activities involving gatherings will be banned, similar to measures during the MCO in March last year.
“To reduce the risk of infection and to break the Covid-19 chain, social activities involving large gatherings such as wedding reception, conference, religious parades including Thaipusam, meetings, seminars, courses and group sports will not be allowed in any way,” he said.
However, he said states under the recovery MCO can still carry out social activities, but subject to strict standard operating procedures (SOP).
Furthermore, Muhyiddin said an interstate travel ban will be imposed nationwide.
As for states under the full MCO, they will see stricter rules as interdistrict travel is also not allowed.
"With the interstate and interdistrict travel ban, roadblocks will be enforced from midnight of Jan 13.
"For states under MCO, the movement will only be limited to within a 10km radius," he said.
Muhyiddin added that only two persons per household are allowed to leave the house to purchase necessities from supermarkets and grocery stores.
He said the two persons per vehicle rule also applies.
Essential services
Similar to the MCO in March last year, Muhyiddin said only businesses on the essential economic sector list will be allowed to operate.
“The government has identified five sectors that will be allowed to operate and are categorised as essential economic sectors.
“They are manufacturing, production, construction, services, trade and distribution as well as plantations and commodity,” he added.
Muhyiddin said these sectors are allowed to operate as they are needed to ensure the supply chain of essential goods.
However, he said only 30 percent of their administrative staff will be allowed to operate from the office.
The prime minister also urged those who are allowed to continue working to abide by the SOPs.
He added that the International Trade and Industry Ministry will provide further details on the types of services that are considered essential economic sector.
Muhyiddin said restaurants in states under full MCO are not allowed to provide dine-in services.
They will only be allowed to provide takeaway services.
However, he said restaurants in states under the conditional MCO and recovery MCO may continue to operate as per normal, subject to the Health Ministry’s SOP.
Elaborating on the full MCO states, Muhyiddin said supermarkets, clinics, hospitals, pharmacies and banks will continue to operate but with precautions.
He added that students who will be sitting for their 2020 and 2021 SPM papers will still be allowed to attend school.
As for religious activities, he said only a maximum of five people in places of worship is allowed.
However, religious activities in places of worship located in states under the conditional and recovery MCO can still proceed, in accordance with the SOP.
One distinction from the MCO in March last year is that outdoor exercising is allowed.
However, Muhyiddin said they may only do so with members of the same household.
He added that those going out for jogging or cycling should only do so with one other person at most.
Group exercise is not allowed.
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