Zuidamerikaanse toestanden

 

Op 10 juni jl kwam The Economist met een special over Latijns-Amerika en schreef een commentaar over de betekenis van de politieke ontwikkelingen voor de westerse wereld onder de kop How democracies decay - a vicious circle op economic stagnation, populare frustration and polarised poliltics. Citaat "The consolidation of democracy usde to be seen as a one-way street. But Latin-America shows that democracies can easily decay - and that is a warning for democrats everywhere. Its politics are now marked not just by polaristion but also by fragmentation and the extreme weakness of political parties, making stable governing majorities hard to assemble. This downward spiral is accelerated by the malign influence of social media and the import of identity politics from the north. Technocrats are disccredited and jobs in governments are increasingly seen, on both the right and the left, as perks to be doled out rather than crucial responsibilities to be reserved for capable administrators. Organised crime, already a big factor in the region's epidemic of violence, is starting to taint its politics too.