It is not an overstatement to claim that 2024 is the year of democracy. With over 2 billion people ready to vote in more than 65 countries, it is no wonder that TIME labels 2024 as a “Make-or-Break for Democracy Worldwide.”

These elections are occurring in one of the most divisive times in recent history. The war in Gaza and Ukraine both seem to have no definitive end in sight, tensions between the East and West are becoming increasingly alarming and the traditional “models” of democracy (like the U.S. and EU bloc) are plagued with internal strife, causing people around the world to question the very foundations of their respective governments. 

Generally, this questioning is a good thing. It’s obvious that a healthy democratic society is one that questions the decisions being made and whether the participants have a proper say in what occurs in the society around them. However, the reactionist populism that is growing out of such questioning (since this questioning involves renouncement and detachment, not unification of society as a whole) is a clear example of how Western liberalism is failing. In a crude sense, both the left and right can fall under Marx’s proletariat vision in that both sides feel they “have nothing to lose but their chains.” 

And what is a better example of this than the war in Gaza? Leftist liberals in the U.S. advance the idea of multiculturalism and inclusion and stress the importance of creating a world of “equality” but simultaneously remain complicit with Israel while innocent Palestinians are being slaughtered and left without vital life-sustaining resources. 

Or, what is more, when the left appears to be hypocritical, the right comes along as the “savior,” attempting to capitalize on the contradictions of the opposition—thus ushering in a new political era of uncertainty (maybe Hegel was right?). Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek pointedly expressed this idea by discussing the elections of Javier Milei in Argentina and Donald Trump in the U.S.

“Milei follows Donald Trump, who declares himself the partisan of the impoverished (white) working class,” Žižek writes.  

“The perversity of [Milei’s] politics is that ‘devastating the working class was actually part of the plan: now that the American middle class has gone from over 60% of us down to a mere 43% of us, Republicans are trying to harness the outrage people are feeling and then use it to tear our society apart. Out of the chaos, they believe they can rebuild a nation on the foundations of hypermasculinity, racism, religious bigotry, misogyny, homophobia, and threats of violence.'” Žižek wrote, quoting an op-ed.

These circumstances, stuck between two undesirable political oppositions, represent why 2024 is so crucial. Once again, we have the opportunity to decide how our future is structured. This isn’t to say that simply electing people changes the world, although it can, and this fact shouldn’t be underestimated. It means we must reflect, especially in the West, where “our” desires of hegemony are proving disastrous, year after year. 

This must stop. At the moment, it starts with the war in Gaza. If the West continues to support bad politics, then the West’s claim of moral superiority is rendered useless. Author Arundhati Roy shares this sentiment, claiming that Western countries must push for a peaceful and honest political solution.

“If not,” Roy writes, “then the moral architecture of Western liberalism will cease to exist. It was always hypocritical, we know. But even that provided some sort of shelter. That shelter is disappearing before our eyes.” 

So, the big question is, will democracy survive after this year? It is a question with no easy answer or solution. In many ways, we have reasons to believe that it will, but not without being significantly hampered.

Change is good, and I know I am not alone in saying that it is necessary. However, I am also unsettled by what many consider to be a solution. As the old saying goes, be careful what you wish for. 

Note: The Roy article was also sourced from the Žižek article.