n 2024, an inflection point in global politics emerged as billions voted. Disillusionment with political elites is palpable throughout democracies, from Italy to the United States, Argentina to France, as voters turn against elite power structures.
In democracies everywhere this year, voters turned against elite power structures in a display of long–simmering dissatisfaction. The path to reclaiming the soul of democracy lies in our leaders embracing open conversations about disillusionment and rebuilding trust, writes Lisa Gable.
Since the defeat of the Soviet bloc, politicians and leaders became complacent as wealth and influence grew and aligned with corporate and billionaire–driven special interests. Election polls showed that ordinary citizens prioritizing safety, economics, and family values felt sidelined.
After the fall of the Berlin Wall, democracies thrived. Global finance and manufacturing driven by auto manufacturers, high tech, and food and beverage created supply chains intertwining democratic economies in ways that lifted 1.5 billion people out of extreme poverty. Philanthropic organizations like the Gates Foundation championed health initiatives that aimed to eradicate diseases across entire continents. Yet, these successes sowed the seeds of discontent as the benefits became increasingly concentrated among a few. Middle and working classes felt left behind by family offices, government bureaucrats, and invitation–only forums.
Meetings like Davos and events surrounding the UN General Assembly annual gathering became exclusive as those deemed the most powerful in government, business, and philanthropic fields moved from solving problems to imposing solutions. Leaders no longer spent time in the field but arrived in private jets with entourages to have “convenings” in regions with little understanding of the needs of everyday humans.
This detachment from ordinary lives was not unnoticed. The pushback is now reshaping democratic institutions.
One example of this schism emerged over a decade ago with the 2014 introduction of soda taxes supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, which would directly impact small stores in the top 10 global beverage markets, including the United States.
Starting in 2014 in Mexico, the tax aimed to curb obesity by taxing sugary drinks. However, this policy had unintended consequences, such as devastating small businesses like las tienditas, leading to the closure of 30,000–50,000 shops and disproportionately impacting low–income communities. The push expanded to U.S. cities in 2016–2017, impacting corner stores and disproportionately affecting immigrants and family–owned stores. While designed to address public health, these taxes highlighted the unintended harm of detached policymaking, planting early seeds of alienation with elite–driven agendas that would grow over the decade. These well–intentioned public health policies were compounded by pandemic policies and shutdowns, which once again failed to account for the realities faced by those they claimed to help.
Today, we stand at a crossroads. The path to reclaiming the soul of democracy lies in our leaders embracing open conversations about disillusionment, acknowledging their role in it, and committing to rebuilding trust through transparency, empathy, and action.
a global affairs media network
In 2024, a decade of dissatisfaction comes to a head
December 5, 2024
In democracies everywhere this year, voters turned against elite power structures in a display of long–simmering dissatisfaction. The path to reclaiming the soul of democracy lies in our leaders embracing open conversations about disillusionment and rebuilding trust, writes Lisa Gable.
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n 2024, an inflection point in global politics emerged as billions voted. Disillusionment with political elites is palpable throughout democracies, from Italy to the United States, Argentina to France, as voters turn against elite power structures.
In democracies everywhere this year, voters turned against elite power structures in a display of long–simmering dissatisfaction. The path to reclaiming the soul of democracy lies in our leaders embracing open conversations about disillusionment and rebuilding trust, writes Lisa Gable.
Since the defeat of the Soviet bloc, politicians and leaders became complacent as wealth and influence grew and aligned with corporate and billionaire–driven special interests. Election polls showed that ordinary citizens prioritizing safety, economics, and family values felt sidelined.
After the fall of the Berlin Wall, democracies thrived. Global finance and manufacturing driven by auto manufacturers, high tech, and food and beverage created supply chains intertwining democratic economies in ways that lifted 1.5 billion people out of extreme poverty. Philanthropic organizations like the Gates Foundation championed health initiatives that aimed to eradicate diseases across entire continents. Yet, these successes sowed the seeds of discontent as the benefits became increasingly concentrated among a few. Middle and working classes felt left behind by family offices, government bureaucrats, and invitation–only forums.
Meetings like Davos and events surrounding the UN General Assembly annual gathering became exclusive as those deemed the most powerful in government, business, and philanthropic fields moved from solving problems to imposing solutions. Leaders no longer spent time in the field but arrived in private jets with entourages to have “convenings” in regions with little understanding of the needs of everyday humans.
This detachment from ordinary lives was not unnoticed. The pushback is now reshaping democratic institutions.
One example of this schism emerged over a decade ago with the 2014 introduction of soda taxes supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, which would directly impact small stores in the top 10 global beverage markets, including the United States.
Starting in 2014 in Mexico, the tax aimed to curb obesity by taxing sugary drinks. However, this policy had unintended consequences, such as devastating small businesses like las tienditas, leading to the closure of 30,000–50,000 shops and disproportionately impacting low–income communities. The push expanded to U.S. cities in 2016–2017, impacting corner stores and disproportionately affecting immigrants and family–owned stores. While designed to address public health, these taxes highlighted the unintended harm of detached policymaking, planting early seeds of alienation with elite–driven agendas that would grow over the decade. These well–intentioned public health policies were compounded by pandemic policies and shutdowns, which once again failed to account for the realities faced by those they claimed to help.
Today, we stand at a crossroads. The path to reclaiming the soul of democracy lies in our leaders embracing open conversations about disillusionment, acknowledging their role in it, and committing to rebuilding trust through transparency, empathy, and action.
