Jahangir Mohammed argues we no longer have democracies around the world we have oligarchies, and this sets the people against the politicians who rule on behalf of wealthy interests.

2024: The People Versus Politicians in the Era of Oligarchy  

2024 is the year of democracy.  At least 64 countries and the European Union are due for elections, accounting for 49% of the world’s population. This includes the United Kingdom, the United States, Russia, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Mexico, Pakistan, South Africa, Taiwan, and the EU.  These are key countries yet in most the outcome is already known.

Democracy is meant to represent the will and rule of the people. Holding an election once every five years provides the seal of legitimacy. Democracy is seen as working in the West and producing countries with high living standards, with a greater level of equity and accountability than previous societies. However, that progress has happened in an era of colonial and imperial exploitation of the wealth of countries in other parts of the world.  It remains to be seen if Western democracies can remain stable and prosperous without the exploitation of the wealth and resources of other countries.

For a time, democracy became the new civilizing mission of Western leaders in Latin America, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. However, the idea that the West is a supporter of democracy around the world has been thoroughly exposed as a fraud.  In all regions where it was promoted, Western governments supported rulers who served their interests in power no matter what form they came in. This has ranged from military dictators in Egypt and Pakistan, elected racists/ fascists in Israel and India, family rule in Gulf states, and imposed civilian or military rulers in Latin America. It did not matter if they were some of the greatest abusers of human rights.

Who Rules in Democracies?

Our knowledge and understanding of power in democracies has advanced significantly in the last few decades. We now know that an election every five years does not equate to either public accountability or the rule of the people.  Once in power, the people have very little control or influence over their elected officials, policies, and election rhetoric or pledges tend to become history.

Whilst parroting long-championed values such as freedom of expression, association, and secularism, laws have been introduced in most of these countries that contradict those very values.  This has been particularly the case when dealing with religious and racial minorities and has been exemplified most recently by attempts to restrict or crush support for the Palestinian cause.

Political Parties and Political Diversity

Western democracies have always pointed to the diversity of political opinion and the multi-party system as a strength over the one-party system of former communist states. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, only China remains a credible communist state (a hybrid state in reality). Yet in most democracies, there is little difference between the main political parties.

What we have in the UK and USA for example is a single ideology two-party system. There is very little difference between the philosophy and policies of the two main parties, save some micro-management of the economy.  Those marginal differences for example on welfare spending dissipate once in power. On foreign policy, there has been virtually no difference. As an example, every political leader I can recall claimed to be a self-proclaimed Zionist and the greatest supporter of Israel.

At election times the media and the political parties try and present a view of the difference between parties and a real choice, when in fact the whole debate is much the same on most issues and restricted.  There is a consensus narrative that is reinforced at the doorstep by parties with the media. So, the British public never gets to hear a different analysis of what is going on around the world or in their own country or hear alternative policy options. On Palestine, they will hear the same pro-Israeli narrative and talk of a two-state solution, or on Ukraine the US narrative. There is no real debate.

The Rise of Oligarchy and Lack of Public Accountability.

People around the world are now realising that there is not much of a choice at election times. They have little say on who becomes the leader of a party or stands as a candidate. These matters are already decided by the political consensus and external powerful interests. Once politicians are elected, there is very little accountability to the people. They become tools of external powerful wealthy elites.  What we end up with is a political structure which is a combination of those with wealth and those with political power in society.  The people and their interests become largely irrelevant.

This will be the situation in most of the countries in which elections will take place this year.  Those who will influence who rules, and whose benefit they should rule for are those external interests. This includes global multinational trade corporations (whose wealth now exceeds those of many states), military arms corporations that are invested in wars, global corporate media, global finance, banks, as well as global propaganda machines of some wealthy states. The UK, for example, is simply a proxy for US policies and trade.  It seems that the UK NHS is being gradually run down deliberately by politicians for its eventual break-up and takeover by international and US health corporations.

Some of these same global interests are behind the rulers in the Muslim world.  To deflect electorates from what is going on and impoverishing them, politicians focus on blowing up issues to create imaginary external existential threats, such as immigration, migrants on boats, and threats from Muslims, Islamists the Chinese, Russians, Iran, and more.  Demonisation and fear are used to control people.

More people in countries around the world have now realised that those in power do not serve them, but rather a small number of wealthy interests behind the scenes who benefit are leading to greater injustices and inequity in societies. As they protest and speak out, those who rule in servitude to those interests in democracies, begin to implement more authoritarian laws against dissenting voices and public protest. Some are even labelled as the enemy within.

We are now seeing a situation where it’s a case of the politicians versus the people.  This has been seen with the current mass slaughter taking place in Gaza. People around the world moved by injustice are on one side, whereas the politicians and rulers (including in the Muslim world) stand on the side of those who are oppressors. Their solution is not to call for an end to the slaughter but to call for laws to clamp down on those who speak out and protest for the oppressed and weak.

It was Aristotle who coined the word oligarchy referring to rule by the rich. Today oligarchy has come to mean a power structure by a small number of people or interests ruling through those with political positions.  That is exactly the situation we have, and with each general election even in Western democracies we see the consolidation of that power structure.

Islam the Quran and Oligarchy

The Quran speaks to this human condition. In various verses, it refers to human obsession with wealth and position. It talks about the dangers of this unchecked combination of wealth and political power and how that diverts away from Allah and ultimately leads to injustice and oppression. Whilst Islam is not against the pursuit of wealth, there must be mechanisms and institutions that confine excessive monopolies of wealth and power. This includes restrictions on trade monopoly, the hoarding of wealth, usury, and accountability of those in power.  These are designed to prevent the very political situation and oligarchy that leads to the oppression of humanity we see today. One deep chapter in the Quran even warns against the disease of obsession and vying for abundance.

Sura Al Takathur (Abundance) 102

In the name of God, the Gracious, the Merciful.

1. Abundance distracts you.
2. Until you visit the graveyards.
3. Indeed, you will know.
4. Certainly, you will know.
5. If you knew with knowledge of certainty.
6. You would see the Inferno.
7. Then you will see it with the eye of certainty.
8. Then, on that Day, you will be questioned about the Bliss.

Britain Needs a New Politics

British people are fed up with the old politics and two same-party choices.  The two main leaders are the worst this country has produced, and generally, political parties are full of poor-quality MPs.  Most MPs are prisoners to their parties fearing to utter a word outside the official mantra to protect their careers.  If you want to be a political prisoner, then join a political party.

“If you want to be a political prisoner, then join a political party

A new politics at the next election is needed, not candidates parroting the same party lines and outlook.

Any strategy should not be about winning in an election, because whoever gets in, we already know where the power rests.  We need a projection of a new vision and politics for Britain and a new movement outside of Westminster. It might be too early for that at this election, but it is possible.

The British public needs more independent candidates standing in the election providing a different analysis, solutions, and policy options outside the party consensus discourse. The goal should be to end the two-party system monopoly on political discourse and policies. It should be to expose the nature of oligarchical rule and the real interests in power.

The people are already way ahead of the politicians on issues such as Palestine among others.  It would be a tragedy if, at the next election, the electorate heard the same narratives about Palestine and many key issues that we hear on the mainstream corporate media.  The Muslim community also needs to be organised and mobilised politically, and independently outside of Parliament. For that to happen we must break the control that the Labour Party has over the Muslim community. More to come from Ayaan on this soon.