If it is true that Philosophy is supposed to rescue society from itself, is it then not time for philosophers to begin to engage in discussions and serious thoughts about election/votes as bases of advancement of society? I am concerned about the recent not-so-pleasant effects of elections across the world. Rather than leading the world out of poverty (both of the minds and of the pockets), elections and votes have continued to lead us more into confusions that we become poorer at each election outcome. There are plenty of examples:
1. In Nigeria, a popular election wholesomely believing in radical changes in the polity, defense of the poor, return of human sanity and prosecution of the corrupts, brought in Buhari as a Change agent. Two years plus down the line, his government is worse with the worse form of corruption and confusion. This was because voting powers were invested in the hands of commoners who think only from their basis of pains and fears
2. In UK, voting rights invested decisions of serious matters of crucial nature in the hands of “commoners” and they used their common sense to vote for BREXIT, woke up the following day and wondered if it was true they voted or it was a joke, because they meant it as a joke (that was why they laughed going to the pools and the nobbles who should know better stayed home to watch TV). By the afternoon of the following day, there were protest that they thought it was a joke. The key figure of BREXIT resigned that his evil task was done, votes vindicated him.
3. In US, baskets of deplorable supporters (Hillary Clinton) use the power of electoral college votes to bring in a universal disaster called Donald Trump who has since been beating his chest that he won in spite of his assaults on women, lack of evidence of paying taxes and unimaginable bigotry. He has single handedly brought the world back to thoughts of a potential nuclear world war.
4. In France, elections percentages brought a young immoral boy who coveted and married his primary school teacher against other seasoned and matured politicians
5. In Iraq, it made the Kurds to conduct 93% vote referendum to secede, and the world condemns them for daring to rely on votes- condemned for audacity of hope. The same fate is in Catalonia Spain.
6. In Austria, former Pro-Nazi elected Chancellor Haider has resurrected in a baby-faced guy who rose to stardom on the back of denying desperate human refuge in Austria. This lard created fears in poor Austrians that their doom would be guaranteed by immigrants and poor people. And blindly, Austrians used votes to rise up Haider from the grave. Fate through car crashed saved Austrians once for bad election choice, now they have repeated the choice again.
Should we continue to rely on votes? It is fast becoming inadequate and a potential medium for destroying the world as we have it.
