People who recognise democracies and stand up for the rule of law are world citizens of all nations. As citizens of the world, they are also voters in their homeland. There they once voted for parties and laws that they once considered sensible and right, but which, from today's point of view, have expired or need to be reviewed in terms of application, implementation and effect.
The article by Christoph Rohland, Hinwil (ZH), 26/08/24, www.climate-solution.org
It is part of the democratic right to discuss laws and reforms and propose changes, but expressing opinions "against the tide of the silent majority" is exhausting and often frustrating. There are plenty of current examples calling for state corrections: the wealth tax, a tax that redistributes certain income classes in favour of the socially disadvantaged. The restriction of mobility, which would mean an encroachment on our personal freedom.
Government lobbying is widespread, and political power is often associated with money. Setting the cap on salaries would be a smart move to break the overburdened global wage spiral. Smaller states plead for a say on global issues because the national strategy often remains powerless. One example is Switzerland; It seeks its place in the middle of Europe, but it does not belong to the European Union, the actual political Europe. This endangers their global co-determination. Citizens of the world are trying to cope with international migration, but socially just solutions are a long way off. International law and laws on the equal treatment of all people are missing or not implemented.
Examples of unimplemented reforms can be found everywhere, but the longer the list, the more powerless the paralysis of action becomes, because we persist in the belief that individuals cannot change current politics. That may be partly the case. What citizens can always do is test a biased mindset. Together with many like-minded people, especially in democratic governments, it is possible and necessary to question, supplement or even create laws and regulations. The prerequisite is that the citizens of the world finally reach the comfort zone of the excuse "I would..., if the others too..." and rely on feasible individual initiatives.
If we want to overcome the feeling of powerlessness, the inability to act politically, then we can do it now: We talk to the people in our everyday environment and let them participate in worries and doubts about political developments. There is no doubt that reforms such as the introduction of a wealth tax, the restriction of mobility, the limitation of high salaries, etc. (see examples above) can always be openly discussed and changed. Argumentation strengthens an individual conviction. We become active ourselves. Gone are sentence killers "It is the way it is". Such excuses lead nowhere. Now even certain people are talking directly to responsible citizens and looking for facts to decide which business should be handed over to governments or which reforms a committed citizens' movement can take into its own hands and implement.
Sir Winston Churchill points us to the next step in action when he says: "There are no friends who cannot be lost, and no enemies who cannot be won."
The article by Christoph Rohland
Hinwil (ZH), 26/08/24, www.climate-solution.org
