Democracy or what? – and then climate
Most of us were appalled to see what happened in Washington ten days ago when a ‘mob’, incited by Donald Trump’s address,
stormed the Capitol building to prevent the presentation of Joe Biden as the next President. He gave voice to a possible fraudulent (in his mind) election, by putting suspicion on the postal ballot long before the election took place, and tried to ‘engineer’ the ballot by putting his ‘own’ man in control of it. He tried to manipulate the Supreme Court by replacing vacancies with people he expected to follow his lead and must have been disappointed, if not shocked, to find that the court unanimously rejected his claim that the votes had been rigged and should be thrown out. His unruly term of office saw the greatest turnover of people of any previous presidential term as staff could only hack the unusual behaviour of a disordered mind for so long. And so on and so on. Much will be written about the 4-year aberration that was Donald Trump. On a lighter note, his escapades in golf have given rise to a book, ‘Commander in Cheat’!
Concerned people have written and spoken about the state of democracy today. Those of us who have spent some time stateside appreciate the immensity of the country, how one is made welcome, but also the prejudices that one finds and the general unknowing of the world we live in by large swathes of the population. Some are still steeped in attitudes that pre-date the civil war. Donald Trump played to all of those and gave them voice. That is a big challenge facing Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to get America back on track and if not ‘great again’ to stand up and join the rest of us and share and appreciate that there are billions of other people that are working away with hopes and dreams and looked to the US as a beacon.
That should be the meaning of ‘great again’, and if they can look up and truly be the land of the free and welcome the weak and
downtrodden who are fleeing war and violence, as was once the way, then we can say that once more ‘you have earned the right to be the leader of democracy’, and democracy, for all its imperfections, is still the least bad form of government. It is well that the US re-joins the world as totalitarianism, in all its forms and at all levels, is on the rise again. Countries that espouse democracy and heed its precepts need to speak up loudly and be heard once again.
In November of this year is the World Climate Meeting, COP21, in Glasgow, Scotland at which the latest news on climate will be debated. Hopefully, the coronavirus will be on the decline and the US election will no longer be an issue. We can then get together on the one matter that should concentrate all our minds and separate the wheat from the chaff because there is some said that is wrong that muddies the waters, and leads the politicians to make incorrect decisions. But change is around us.
Climate is a highly complex issue, arguably the most complicated, that not all the modelling can get right, but study must go on. It is strange that it has only come to our notice since the population of the world over the past 60 years, has increased dramatically from approaching 3 billion to 8 billion.
Mankind has thus significantly increased breeding himself, and thus his use of natural resources, for example cutting down trees, which need carbon dioxide to live, and vastly increased the pollution of the seas and the seas cover 70% of the planet. It has only been in comparatively recent times that we have started to pay attention to the seas and are alarmed at what we see. However, we have the tools to put things right. We just need the will and ability to spend money wisely.
About the author:
Dr J Scott Younger, OBE, is a professional civil engineer, he spent 42 years in the Far East undertaking assignments in 10 countries for WB, ADB, UNDP. He published many papers; he was a columnist for Forbes Indonesia and Globe Asia. He served on British & European Chamber boards and was a Vice Chair of Int’l Business Chamber for 17 years. His expertise is infrastructure and sustainable development and he takes an interest in international affairs. He is an International Chancellor of the President University, Indonesia. He is a member of IFIMES Advisory Board.
Ljubljana/Glasgow, January 2021Footnotes:
[1] IFIMES – International Institute for Middle East and Balkan Studies, based in Ljubljana, Slovenia, has Special Consultative status at ECOSOC/UN, New York, since 2018.
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9965 (Research ● Dr J Scott Younger: Democracy or what? – and then climate)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9964 (Research ● 2021 Early Elections in Kosovo: End of an Era)
- Link (BSH): https://www.ifimes.org/ba/9963 (Analiza ● Prijevremeni izbori na Kosovu 2021: Kraj jedne epohe)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9962 (Research ● Academician Prof. Dr. Mirko Pejanović: Lessons learned after the implementation of the Dayton peace agreement)
- Link (BSH): https://www.ifimes.org/ba/9961 (Analiza ● Akademik prof. dr. Mirko Pejanović: Lekcije naučene nakon implementacije Daytonskog mirovnog sporazuma)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9958 (Press release: Lamberto Zannier becomes the new Director at IFIMES for the Euro-Mediterranean Diplomacy and Intercultural Affairs)
- Link (BSH): https://www.ifimes.org/ba/9960 (Saopćenje za javnost: Lamberto Zannier novoimenovani direktor za Euro-mediteransku diplomaciju i interkulturna pitanja IFIMES-a)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9957 (Research ● 2021 Balkans: Who jeopardizes Balkans?)
- Link (BSH): https://www.ifimes.org/ba/9954 (Analiza ● Balkan 2021: (T)ko ugrožava Balkan?)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9956 (Research ● Montenegro 2020: Đukanović’s war with the USA (and the West)
- Link (BSH): https://www.ifimes.org/ba/9945 (Analiza ● Crna Gora 2020: Đukanovićev rat sa SAD (Zapadom))
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9955 (Research ● Josip Juratovic (SPD): Time for clear words and actions)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9953 (Research ● Matthias E. Leitner: Conflict Resolution in Northern Ethiopia and Geopolitics)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9952 (Research ● Dr J Scott Younger: Of BREXIT and all that)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9950 (Research ● Prof. Dr. Anis H. Bajrektarevic ● Living Antifascism: There is no Health without Freedom)
- Link (BSH): https://www.ifimes.org/ba/9948 (Analiza ● Josip Juratovic (SPD): Vrijeme je za jasne riječi i jasna djela)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9947 (Research ● 2020 Albania: Edi Rama takes Albania closer to Latin America not EU)
- Link (BSH): https://www.ifimes.org/ba/9946 (Analiza ● Albanija 2020: Edi Rama Albaniju približava Latinskoj Americi, umjesto EU)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9944 (Research ● 2020 Bosnia and Herzegovina- Croatia: Relations in the shadow of recent history)
- Link (BSH): https://www.ifimes.org/ba/9943 (Analiza ● Bosna i Hercegovina – Hrvatska 2020: Odnosi u sjenci nedavne prošlosti)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9942 (Research ● 2020 Bosnia and Herzegovina: There will be no rule of law without the comprehensive reform of the BiH judiciary – Fadil Novalić case illustrates the state of the BiH judiciary)
- Link (BSH): https://www.ifimes.org/ba/9940 (Analiza ● Bosna i Hercegovina 2020: Vladavine prava nema bez temeljite reforme pravosuđa – slučaj Fadil Novalić oslikava stanje u bh. pravosuđu)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9941 (Research ● 2020 Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict: Return of Russia to Caucasus – end of war between Armenia and Azerbaijan)
- Link (BSH): https://www.ifimes.org/ba/9938 (Analiza ● Sukob Azerbajdžana i Armenije 2020: Povratak Rusije na Kavkaz – kraj rata između Armenije i Azerbajdžana)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9939 (Research ● 2020 BiH: Stumbling Judiciary is the cancer of BiH Society)
- Link (BSH): https://www.ifimes.org/ba/9940 (Analiza ● Bosna i Hercegovina 2020: Vladavine prava nema bez temeljite reforme pravosuđa – slučaj Fadil Novalić oslikava stanje u bh. pravosuđu)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9937 (Research ● Maria Maria Smotrytska: European logistics hubs of Belt and Road Initiative. Aftermath of the BRI implementation in CEEC)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9935 (Research ● Prof. Dr. Anis H. Bajrektarevic: Binarization of Foreign Policy Conduct)
- Link (BSH): https://www.ifimes.org/ba/9936 (Analiza ● Prof.dr. Anis H.Bajrektarević: Binarizacija vanjske politike: Tko je izgubio Nesvrstane?)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9933 (Research ● 2020 United States of America: Foreign Policy of the New US Administration for Europe, Middle East and Western Balkans)
- Link (BSH): https://www.ifimes.org/ba/9929 (Analiza ● SAD 2020: Vanjska politika nove američke administracije prema Evropi, Bliskom istoku i Zapadnom Balkanu)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9932 (Research ● General (Rtd) Corneliu Pivariu: The Great Powers’ Competition in The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) in the First Half of the XXI Century. Eventual Possibilities of Cooperation Among Different Players)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9931 (Research ● Viola Christian: To Achieve the SDGs, We Must Eliminate Violence Against Women and Girls)
- Link (BSH): https://www.ifimes.org/ba/9930 (Studija ● akademik prof.dr. Mirko Pejanović: 25 godina Daytonskog sporazuma: Pretpostavke ubrzanja integracije Bosne i Hercegovine u EU)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9928 (Research ● 2020 Morocco–Western Sahara: One of the oldest conflicts in Africa on the verge of a new war?)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9925 (Research ● 2020 Local elections in BiH: Introduction into tectonic changes on the political scene)
- Link (BSH): https://www.ifimes.org/ba/9923 (Analiza ● Lokalni izbori u BiH 2020: Uvod u tektonske promjene na političkoj sceni)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9924 (Research ● 2020 Bulgaria: Bulgarian ‘certification’ of identity of Macedonians and Macedonian Language?)
- Link (BSH): https://www.ifimes.org/ba/9922 (Analiza ● Bugarska 2020: Bugarsko „certificiranje“ identiteta Makedonaca i makedonskog jezika?)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9921 (Research ● Araz Aslanli: Brief History of Ceasefire in the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9920 (Research ● Donald Johnston: Taking for granted… be wary)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9919 (Research ● Marie-Christine Ghreichi ● Perceiving corruption: Rethinking accountability, revolution and challenging the status quo in Lebanon)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9918 (Research ● Gabriela Bernal: Netizens Alliance over the cup of Milk Tea)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9917 (Research ● 2020 Local Elections in BiH: Wave of political changes moves from Montenegro to Bosnia and Herzegovina)
- Link (BSH): https://www.ifimes.org/ba/9916 (Analiza – Lokalni izbori u BiH 2020: Talas političkih promjena seli se iz Crne Gore u Bosnu i Hercegovinu)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9915 (Research ● Marie-Christine Ghreichi: The death of the Second Republic: Understanding the spark for social mobilization in contemporary Lebanon)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9914 (Research ● Dr Jožef Kunič ● 2020 Slovenia: Slovenian Foreign Policy – Way ahead)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9910 (Research ● General (Rtd) Corneliu Pivariu ● Libanon 2020: From “The Pearl of the Orient” to failed state?)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9909 (Research ● 2020 Azerbaijan –Armenia conflict: Historical conflict or conflict with geostrategic dimensions)
- Link (BSH): https://www.ifimes.org/ba/9907 (Analiza ● Sukob Azerbajdžana i Armenije 2020: Historijski sukob ili sukob sa geostrateškim dimenzijama)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9908 (Research ● 2020 Bulgaria: Bulgaria exports its problems to North Macedonia)
- Link (BSH): https://www.ifimes.org/ba/9905 (Analiza – Bugarska 2020: Bugarska svoje probleme izvozi u Sjevernu Makedoniju)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9906 (Research ● Tereza Neuwirthová ● How to Spend it: An Austro-Franco-German Proposal for a European Covid-19 Recovery Programme)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9904 (Research ● Dr. Alexander G. Savelyev: China and Nuclear Arms Control)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9903 (Research – 2020 US-Serbia-Kosovo agreement: New era of Serbia-US political and economic relations)
- Link (BSH): https://www.ifimes.org/ba/9901 (Analiza – Sporazum SAD-Srbija-Kosovo 2020: Nova era političkih i ekonomskih odnosa Srbije i SAD)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9902 (Research ● Guido Lanfranchi: Political will is needed to foster multilateralism in Europe – Dr. Franz Fischler says)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9900 (Research – Corrado Cok: Geopolitics of Somalia’s fault lines)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9899 (Research – Maria SMOTRYTSKA: Belt and Road in the Central and Eastern EU and non-EU Europe: Obstacles, Sentiments, Challenges)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9898 (Research ● Faiza Koubi: Morocco’s relentless diplomacy in the Libyan crisis)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9897 (Research – Nora Wolf: Human Rights 75 years After: Privacy respect in the EU)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9895 (Research – 2020 Eastern Mediterranean: New episode of political tensions)
- Link (BSH): https://www.ifimes.org/ba/9893 (Analiza – Istočni Mediteran 2020: Nova epizoda političke napetosti)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9894 (Research ● Audrey Beaulieu ● All for Global Citizens: President Fischer on 75 years of triumph of antifascism)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9889 (Press release: Executive Director of the WIIW Institute Dr. Holzner received the IFIMES delegation)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9891 (Research – 2020 Parliamentary Elections in Montenegro: Will EU recognize results of elections in Montenegro?)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9892 (Research ● Nora WOLF: Throwback to a powerful and timely HR message addressed to the citizens of the world)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9884 (Research – Haim Koren&Gideon Behar: Security in the Shadow of Climate Change in the Sahel)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9883 (Reseach – Guido Lanfranchi: Tee future of Europe depends on its neighborhood – UfM’s Nasser Kamel says)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9881 (Research – 2020 Parliamentary Elections in Montenegro: End of Milo Đukanović’s Era)
- Link (BSH): https://www.ifimes.org/ba/9888 (Saopćenje za javnost: Izvršni direktor Instituta WIIW dr. Holzner primio delegaciju IFIMES-a)
- Link (BSH): https://www.ifimes.org/ba/9885 (Analiza – Parlamentarni izbori u Crnoj Gori 2020: Da li će EU priznati rezultate izbora u Crnoj Gori?)
- Link (BSH): https://www.ifimes.org/ba/9882 (Analiza – Bjelorusija 2020: Bjelorusija između imperijalizma EU i okupacije Rusije)
- Link (ENG/RUS): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9887 (Research – 2020 Belarus: Belarus between EU imperialism and Russian occupation/Беларусь 2020: Беларусь между империализмом ЕС и оккупацией России)
- Link (BSH): https://www.ifimes.org/ba/9880 (Analiza – Parlamentarni izbori u Crnoj Gori 2020: Kraj ere Mila Đukanovića)
- Link (BSH): https://www.ifimes.org/ba/9829 (Analiza – „Crna Gora 2020: Steže se obruč oko Mila Đukanovića)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9879 (Research – General (Rtd) Corneliu Pivariu: What will the future look like?)
- Link (BSH): https://www.ifimes.org/ba/9877 (Analiza – Bjelorusija 2020: Wagnerizacija Bjelorusije)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9876 (Research – 2020 Belarus: Wagnerization of Belarus/2020 Беларусь: Вагнеризация Беларуси)
- Link (BSH): https://www.ifimes.org/ba/9875 (Analiza – Zapadni Balkan 2020: Pokušaj ponavljanja historije)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9878 (Research – 2020 Western Balkans: Attempt at repeating history)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9874 (Research – Amb. Azzeddine Farhane: Ongoing Reforms for Prosperity and a brighter future for Morocco)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9873 (Research ● Anastasiia Pachina: Vienna Process 2020: From Culture for Peace to Culture of Peace)
- Video – Vienna Process: Common Future – One EuropeDiplomatic Academy Vienna, 01 July 2020 https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=QJHxZFaWfgM&t=10s - Video: 01 First panel Vienna International Conference 2020: The WWII legacy – Nurnberg and Tokyo trials as a direct inspiration for the Universal and European Human Rights Charter, Antifascism as the European confidence building block, mutual trust and good neighbourly relations https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=DvlGydZDj6g&t=7092s - Video: 02 Second panel Vienna Conf. 2020: From Culture for Peace to Culture of Peace – culture, science, arts https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=dfz1l26XS20&t=56s - Video: 03 Third panel Vienna Conference 2020: Future to Europe: Is there any alternative to universal and pan-European Multilateralism?; revisiting and recalibrating the Euro-MED and cross-continental affairs https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=4p2mzY2jyYw - Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9872 (Research/Speech – Dr. Manfred Nowak: Legacy of antifascism for the common pan-European future)
- Link (BSH): https://www.ifimes.org/ba/9869 (Saopćenje za javnost: IFIMES potpisao MoU sa IACA)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9870 (Press release: IFIMES signs MoU with IACA)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9868 (Research – Antonio Occhiuto&Giorgio Cafiero: Turkey and the UAE’s Dangerous Collision Course)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9867 (Research – Michael D. Barbero – The Caesar Act: An opportunity for Lebanon to get its house in order)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9864 (Research – 2020 Parliamentary elections in North Macedonia: Will the Macedonians be on the right side of the history again?)
- Link (BSH/MAKEDONSKI): https://www.ifimes.org/ba/9860 (Analiza – Parlamentarni izbori u Sjevernoj Makedoniji 2020: Hoće li Makedonci ponovno biti na pravoj strani historije?/Парламентарни избори во Северна Македонија 2020: Дали Mакедонците ќе бидат повторно на вистинската страна од историјата?)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9861 (Research – 2020 Libyan nightmare: Will Libya be divided to East and West Lilbya?)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9859 (Press release: Director of the Vienna Wiesenthal Institute received the IFIMES delegation)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9855 (Press release: Directors of IFIMES visited IACA)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9851 (Press release: Successfully organized international conference in Vienna: »75 years of Europe’s Collective Security and Human Rights System«)
- Link (BSH): https://www.ifimes.org/ba/9857 (Saopćenje za javnost: Direktor Instituta Simon Wiesenthal primio delegaciju IFIMES-a)
- Link (BSH): https://www.ifimes.org/ba/9854 (Saopćenje za javnost: Vodstvo IFIMES-a posjetilo IACA)
- Link (BSH): https://www.ifimes.org/ba/9852 (Saopćenje za javnost: U Beču uspješno organizirana međunarodna konferencija »75 godina zajedničke evropske sigurnosti i sistema ljudskih prava«)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9851 (Press release: Successfully organized international conference in Vienna: »75 years of Europe’s Collective Security and Human Rights System«)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9850 (Research – Will Marshall – Crude Oil, Conflict and COVID-19: The Political Economy of State Fragility in Iraq)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9849 (Research – Parliamentary elections in North Macedonia: Membership in NATO is a historic success)
- Link (BSH/MAKED): https://www.ifimes.org/ba/9845 (Analiza – Parlamentarni izboru u Sjevernoj Makedoniji 2020: Članstvo u NATO-u historijski uspjeh/Парламентарни избори во Северна Македонија 2020: Членството во НАТО како историски успех)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9848 (Research ● Michael D. Barbero: Hezbollah takes control of Lebanon’s judiciary in assault on rule of law)
- Link (BSH): https://www.ifimes.org/ba/9866 (Analiza – Michael D. Barbero: Hezbollah preuzima nadzor nad libanonskim pravosuđem napadom na pravnu državu)
- Link (ENG): https://www.ifimes.org/en/9847 (Research ● Donald Johnston: Of multilateralism and future to Europe Recalibration)
- Link (ENG): https://www.
europeanperspectives.org/enInternational scientific journal “European Perspectives” - Link (ENG):https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=645V9eryieI&t=5s (IFIMES presentation film)
Related Posts
China’s Reaction to the US Military Withdrawal from Afghanistan →
World of the Shipwrecked Leadership →
Afghanistan: No Peace without a Clear Vision →
