Radical Democracy
Blog #5: Radical Democracy
As we witnessed how political activism made its way to the internet, the concept of radical democracy is also gradually being embraced by society. The political engagement between people is not about reaching the consensus but rather it is about forming their own concept of the good and organizes their ways of living in terms of their chosen ends. And our present situation under the Duterte’s administration is ripe for such type of political reflection.
From the perceptual reactions of the citizens towards the solutions to societal issues, the use of unorthodox language in speaking to national and international stakeholders, are just some of the circumstances where President Duterte seeks to deviate away from tradition. And this behavior changed the country's political landscape — and also, it caused some serious issues because of these sudden changes.
While social media have been the popular platform in enabling radical political discussions, there are still issues that we needed to address. Like for instance, although radical democracy gives a path in challenging existing political ideas, it is also prone to producing false information or conspiracy theories. And we know how rampant fake news is in these social media platforms. The vulnerability of the Filipino citizens to be baited on this fake news will always be there. And what is the result? A high probability of undermining radical voices.
Radical democracy is a good concept but since there are still people who are hesitant to accept and respect other people’s rational perspectives on a particular matter, we are not still ready to adapt to this kind of democracy.
References:
Dahlberg, L. (2013). Radical Democracy in Contemporary Times. Retrieved from https://www.e-ir.info/2013/02/26/radical-democracy-in-contemporary-times/
Maboloc, C. (2020). President Rodrigo Duterte and the Birth of Radical Democracy in the Philippines. Retrieved from https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/ijps/issue/54229/672597