Emad Barsoum writes: Another World Order
In recent years, we have witnessed a disturbing trend in global politics where many world leaders are increasingly attempting to consolidate power in their hands, ignoring the principle of separation of powers, defying the long-established concept of Democracy, and thus abusing human rights. This trend is concerning, and it has become more pronounced in the aftermath of the pandemic. But what has led to this trend and its potential implications for the future of governance, and why is this concept of separation of powers of utmost importance and primary necessity?
The idea of separation of powers, which is a fundamental tenet of modern governance, was first introduced by the French philosopher Montesquieu. He proposed that the three branches of government, Judicial, Legislative, and Executive, known as TRIAS POLITICA, should be separate and independent to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful. The separation of powers allows for checks and balances, ensuring that no one branch of government can dominate and overrule the others. Such a principle guarantees absolute justice and the preservation and protection of human rights.
However, in recent years, many world leaders have been disregarding this principle and attempting to accumulate more power in their hands. They have been ignoring democratic norms and curtailing the freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and other fundamental human rights and factors of Democracy. They have been exterminating opposition and suppressing political and social reformers. This phenomenon is a throwback to the times of monarchies, dictatorships, tyranny, and oppression, prevalent in the pre-modern era or totalitarian regimes.
The pandemic has allowed many world leaders to consolidate their power, using it as an excuse to curtail fundamental human rights and suppress opposition. The pretext of fighting the pandemic has been used to justify restrictions on the freedom of speech, the press, and assembly. In many countries, even the most to be called democratic, the pandemic has been used to justify emergency laws that enable governments to rule by decree, bypassing democratic processes.
This trend towards autocratic rule has led to concerns that these world leaders, with the aid of the mainstream media, are attempting to create a new world order where everything from government, to education systems, economy, employment, technology, and justice would become a unilateral decision and act. Such a scenario would lead to the domination of a few individuals or countries, or Corporations, leading to inequality and injustice and the end of the life we aspire for.
It is worth noting that this trend is not limited to any particular region or country. It is a global phenomenon that affects both developed and developing nations. The trend toward autocratic rule has been well-established in some countries, such as China, Russia, and Turkey. However, the movement has become more pronounced in recent years in other countries, such as the United States, Brazil, India, Hungary, Israel, and even Canada.
The implications of this trend are significant. It may lead to the erosion of democratic norms, the suppression of political and social reformers, and the curtailment of fundamental human rights. This scenario can lead to inequality, injustice, and even armed conflicts.
Therefore, we must remain vigilant and speak out against any attempts to restrict democratic norms and fundamental human rights and stand up to defend our humanity.
