Democracy is dead: Funeral arrangements will be announced later

Abdulai Mansaray: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 21 June 2026:

“The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig from pig to man again, but already it was impossible to say which was which”. This excerpt from George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” was published on 17 August 1945.

One month after its publication, the Second World War officially concluded globally on September 2, 1945. The novel is a satirical and allegorical fable about farm animals who rebel against their human master to create an equal, free society.

The rebellion was unfortunately hijacked by pigs who established a dictatorship. With the pigs in charge, all the initial noble and lofty ideals that formed the bedrock and manifesto-like foundation of the rebellion were corrupted into tyranny. Sounds familiar?

George Orwell painted a literary portrait of the Russian Revolution, the inherent Corruption of power and the betrayal of ideals and agenda. He showed how revolutions can be infected by lies, greed and the human’s desire for power.

Just like the end of the Second World War which was supposed to usher a new global beginning, so did Orwell’s fable satirically paint the dreams and aspirations of the revolution.

Even though it was subsequently banned because it was seen as communist propaganda, and a seditious blueprint to overthrow organised states, the novel remains contemporary throughout various genres. The rest is history.

What appears to be the ushering of a new world order popularly referred to as “Democracy, which has endured the wrath of so many political alchemists to fit their purposes. Today, it is difficult to have a definitive definition of democracy. It seems to depend on who you speak to, who is talking and about whom you are talking.

It is this backdrop against which the opening lines of this piece is based; that democracy has become so distilled that no one knows what it is about these days.

Modern day democracy no longer reflects the intended outcome of those who invented, devised and promulgated the concept. What used to be the voice of the majority now proves that quantity doesn’t guarantee quality.

With most countries professing to be democratic, they are largely dominated by two main political parties; on average. Their dichotomies are measured by the level and degree of their mutual hatred and antagonism.

Their sermons have been delivered on the altars of Conservative vs Labour, Democrats vs Republicans, Socialists Vs Communists etc., while Third parties tend to serve as refuge for the politically disgruntled or disenfranchised.

At face value, democracy gives the average voter a choice or choices. Political parties pretend to differ on policies, beliefs, visions, ideologies, etc.

Others find such differences alien and as such resort to naked tribal, religious, regional and cultural differences as their only selling points, as long as they can get voters fully enraged enough to vote against the other side along tribal, regional, religious, gender etc. lines to elect them.

Realistically, today’s political parties have shrunk so much and so far from their foundation ideologies that the differences remain only on paper. In practice, both parties remain the same. This is what seems to be creating the political apathy across many political canvases.

That is why, “The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig from pig to man again, but already it was impossible to say which was which”.

The new world order is Corporate Democracy. The world’s political democracies have been hijacked, bought, overthrown, diluted and distilled into Corporate Democracy, thanks to the Corporate Media. The oligarchs, billionaires, bourgeoisie have become the main employers of the politicians.

While the politicians conduct advance sale of strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles, the money men donate, sponsor, support and promote their preferred political candidates. In return, the politicians become their paid pipers and lobbyists for their causes and interests.

Meanwhile, the media landscape has been constricted into the hands of a handful of media moguls. From print to television, social media, data harvesters and so many forms, journalism is now in its death throes while journalists serve as disciples and echo chambers of their paymasters.

The corporate media, thanks to its journalists is the vehicle of Corporate Democracy. With the New World Order of Corporate Democracy, it is no longer about politics or power but CONTROL. Corporate Democracy is controlled by the few, for the few and of the few.

Political success is now measured by the colour and success of Wall Street and no longer by Main Street.

With their business models, Corporate Democracy works to reduce risks and maximise profits. Therefore, they make sure that they support both candidates of both political parties for the same positions. This way, they hedge their bets and engage in a win-win situation.

Whatever the outcome of the elections, the oligarchs ensure that the majority of the politicians sing from the same hymn sheet of their paymasters. This new phenomenon was most visibly demonstrated during the Israel-Palestinian debacle, one that is still raging on with all its consequential tragedies.

While the whole world, including the United Nations condemned Israel for its disproportionate response in Gaza and the West Bank to the events of October 7, how many politicians across the continents were brave enough to condemn Israel?

The United Nations and many other world entities described the situation in Palestine as GENOCIDE. How many politicians and especially those in the west were brave enough to make the same pronouncement?

While Donald Trump, his MAGA Cult and Republican party championed the tragedy on the Palestinians, many expected that this would be a sure bet for the Democrats to capitalise on.

Unfortunately, Democrats like their Republican counterparts are co-sponsored by the same lobbyists and paymasters. Instead of condemning the actions of Israel, Kamala Harris who was a shoe in to win the elections failed to categorically condemn Israel’s war crimes. Some people attribute her stance on the issue s reason for her defeat.

With both parties fully funded by the same paymasters, politicians who are supposed to represent the interests of their voters and constituents find themselves saddled with identity crisis. They are torn between the wishes of the masses and their paymasters. No prizes for guessing whom they have been serving lately

Why is there so much political apathy from the masses?

Given such a political landscape, it surprising that the electorates are trapped in this cycle of deceit and apathy?

In Britain today, many believe that both the Labour and Conservative parties have been bought and compromised. Even the emerging Reform party that traded its political wares on the shelves of rage, hate and anti-immigrant sentiments has been dogged by accusations of external sponsorship.

In American, the sponsorship by outside interests is so blatant that it is fast becoming a criminal and treasonous affair to criticise the paymasters.

It is obvious that the masses are now apathetic towards politics. Today, we the masses outside are looking from Republicans to Democrats, and from Democrats to Republicans from Republicans to Democrats again, but it’s becoming impossible to say which is which.

From outside, we are looking from Conservatives to Labour, and from Labour to Conservatives from Conservatives to Labour again, but it’s becoming impossible to say which is which.

When we the masses outside are looking from The APC to SLPP, and from the SLPP to the APC from APC to SLPP again, is it possible to say which is which? Any prizes for guessing why the majority has lost interest in politics in general?

How do your prescribe the treatment for political apathy?

It will be disastrous to assume that the politicians are not aware of voter apathy. It is in their interest to keep voters interested, energised and interested in politics. But how can you do that when the cost of living, unemployment, standard of living, homelessness, hopelessness and “de grun dry” are trending the social circles of societies around the world?

If you take the western world for example, the oligarchs exported large swathes of their companies, production lines, supply chains etc. out of Europe and into China, for obvious reasons to maximise profit as motivation. Trump pledged to Make America Great Again by getting China to manufacture the hats, T-shirts and merchandise.

Anti-Immigration; the perfect ploy of distraction.

Many billionaires transferred their factories, companies and even call centres out of Europe to maximise their profits from cheaper labour. While China lifted over 800 thousand people out of poverty, Europe and America peddled blame and hate.

Today, the same people who took away all those jobs will have you believe that the only reason why cost of living is high, why unemployment is high, why healthcare is on the brink of collapse is because of IMMIGRANTS.

Even when immigrants are blamed for the wisdom of the oligarchs, the colour of one’s skins plays its own part, as there are immigrants and there are immigrants.

In today’s politics, distraction has become the sharpest tool in the politician’s arsenal. Politicians know the emotive value of tribal, regional, religious, racial, cultural and class differences. They know how to use them as emotional grenades and Molotov cocktails.

They know how to wrap themselves round national flags and drumbeat their chests into rhythms of patriotism. They know how to make neighbours, who once had picnics together become suspicious of one another. They also know the power of communication.

Is it any wonder that the world’s mainstream media is concentrated in the hands of a tiny number of people? Is it any wonder that journalism has been reduced to corporate media? Why is unfavourable media coverage blasted as fake news?

Why are the few remaining “journalists” threatened with sedition and treason charges for speaking truth to power? Are you surprised that journalism has become echo chambers of the powerful and the rich? Where is the opposition is politics today?

Who will speak for the masses when our representatives have been bought and compromised?

Is this why “The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig from pig to man again, but already it was impossible to say which was which”. Is democracy dead or alive? If dead, will the funeral arrangements be announced later.

Don’t leave the lights on when you leave the room.