Commentary- Democracy: Double- Edged?

Who could ever forget when Singapore broke out of its colonial shell and democracy set the direction for Singapore’s future endeavours? I think like any other political ideology, democracy has its pros and cons, but whether it’s more pros than cons depends on the way one handles democracy. Nevertheless, democracy is an excellent platform for a country to achieve greater heights and I shall examine the benefits of democracy both socially and economically, under two different scopes- national and global grounds. I chose social and economical impacts because I feel that these two aspects of society are more relevant to the general community, as the world erupts into its delusion of capitalism while peace of society stills need to be maintained.

Firstly, I would examine economic benefits of democracy. As democracy is formed on the basis of equal electoral rights, it is a good representation of the community’s vote. This means that the community has reviewed the local political scene and made a wise choice as to the leader to vote for. With a capable government supporting the ranks, the citizens will feel assured, happy and will feel motivated to contribute more towards the economy in terms of work efficiency and productiveness. This would result in a flourishing of the local economy, which would increase the global economical status of the country. When this occurs, multinational corporations would have the confidence to invest in the country and from then on, many other multinational companies will follow suit as they realize the potential. This thus creates a healthy cycle of foreign investment and ensures economic stability as a whole. Furthermore, democracy restricts the amount of power held by the political elite and ensures that the economic interests of the nation are protected.

Next up, I shall examine the social impacts of democracy. Democracy can create social stability in a society because it recognizes the rights of every individual and allows freedom of expression for the people, media and political parties. This means that citizens would not feel oppressed or restricted when they express their views. Not controlling the media, as contrasted to authoritarian rule, enhances the media appeal of the country, while ensuring that a variation of viewpoints are presented instead of massive governmental propaganda. Therefore, with no suppression of rights, the citizens see no need to resort to violence to resolve any issues they have with the government, because there are other ways that one can exert an influence like forums in newspapers, political activism and voting. This ensures that there is a peaceful medium of communication between the government and the community, where they can debate issues freely and seek to resolve any conflicts. Therefore, with words and not war, social stability is maintained. Globally, it heightens the status of the country as a stable, peaceful and happy society such that foreign talent have the confidence to impart their expertise in this country. This aids the economy as a whole too.

Singapore is an excellent example how democracy can be socially and economically beneficial. With democracy, citizens have had the free will of speech and this has led to social stability. I recall the example of Chek Jawa, where the Nature Society actively campaigned against its reclamation due to the rich biodiversity present. Peaceful ideas were exchanged and in the end, the government acknowledged the biological value of Chek Jawa and stopped the reclamation proces. With no limits as to the expression of views, consensus on many fronts has been reached between the community and the government, resulting in social stability. When peace prevails in the society, Singapore citizens can fixate their minds and attention upon working and boosting the economical scene locally. This would attract foreign investors to set up companies here, elevating the economic status to a global playground.

The late S. Rajaratnam firmly believed in democracy and saw the potential of Singapore as a “global city”. Look at how his words have turned true as Singapore continues down its path of success, with economic and social stability flanking its progress.

Nevertheless, democracy functions under the assumption that voters will make the right decision and elect an efficient government to represent them. The concept of rights and freedom of expression is a double- edged sword because it can both confer stability and cause conflict. Allowing free expression of media and no limitations pertaining to the number of political parties would result in divergence of nationalism. With varied viewpoints, people would stick to their respective beliefs and cannot reach a consensus as to the general running of the country.

Take for example, the case of Taiwan. The difference in ideology between the two parties, Kuomintang (KMT) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), has resulted in incessant and unnecessary bickering, which has led to economic stagnation and social instability in Taiwan. Potential conflict may also erupt as a result if the level of belief has reached extremism, where citizens are ready to use violence to defend their viewpoints.

Besides that, there is a probability of elections being boycotted which might mean a misrepresentation of the community’s choice. Then again, democracy is somewhat biased against minority communities, because a leader is elected based on percentage of votes and evidently, minority communities do not have the numbers to back up their representatives. Since rights are not represented here, minorities have no choice but to resort to desperate measures such as rioting, looting and other violent actions, to impress upon the government their viewpoints. As a whole, democracy offers many alternative perspectives but the long- term consequence would be that of probable unrest in community due to inefficiency of government, which would negatively impact the social and economical scene.

In conclusion, I feel that democracy can create stability in a society but only if citizens are able to make informed decisions and use their rights responsibly. This means that democracy’s impact on stability depends largely on the circumstances in which it is used.