José Luis Ortiz
Electoral times are approaching, and we, as families, companies and society, have two main responsibilities by convenience: 1) to vote; and 2) to remain united.
We are living a strange year: quarantine, face masks, businesses shut down, and on top of that, electoral processes that, in countries run by populist governments, tend to divide societies (https://redintegralis.live/2020/04/23/tiempos-de-escenarios-ineditos/) .
For some people, polarization leads to a political fatigue, which leads to apathy. That apathy is the first obstacle to defeat in the following times, by going to vote. In some countries voting is an option you may take as citizen, but it is also a responsibility we must take for our own convenience.
If we don´t participate in the election process, we don´t express our preferences, so we will live on the other´s will. This is a basic responsibility, that we must assume, and all it takes is to vote (www.voteamerica.com) (www.votolatino.org).
The second one is a more complex and defiant responsibility. As we have already stated, populist governments require polarization of society in order to divide, identify “enemies” and in consequence allow them extraordinary (or even illegal) actions; it is a key piece on their day to day way of government (https://www.proceso.com.mx/nacional/2020/10/4/financial-times-amlo-es-el-nuevo-hombre-autoritario-de-america-latina-250389.html) .
But, as polarization target to our visceral reactions, that is why it is a more complex and defiant responsibility to remain united as society, for our own convenience. Populist governments goal, using polarization of societies, is to allow them to do what they want to do, it does not matter if it´s moral or immoral, if it´s legal or illegal.
Polarization comes on different presentations and topics: racial, religion, immigration, even wearing or not wearing masks to prevent contagions, an “airplane” lottery… Topics are diverse, so populist governments play with them and it´s very easy to get in their game and be part of their polarization strategy.
So, there comes the balance of not being apathic, but remaining united as society. We may have different opinions and points of view, and that is fine, that is ok; it is an important part of democracies, these differences enrich societies. The art, and our responsibility, is not being confronted, living respecting our differences (https://edition.cnn.com/2020/10/25/world/trump-fake-news-legacy-intl/index.html).
In the following times try to remember these two basic responsibilities, as an individual whose actions do impact our society.