No democracy without trust, no trust without sincerity

by Suzette Sandoz,* Switzerland

Democracy is in a crisis. The increasing violence in society is a clear indication of this. While the ease with which violent movements can develop can be attributed to social networks, the increasing number of these movements is more likely caused by the growing mistrust of the population towards the authorities and “those who officially know”.

This mistrust has, it seems to me, two main causes:

The increase of alleged “fake news”

The press is no longer the source of information, but social networks. Every time a news item appears on social networks, those who dislike it label it as “fake news”. This habit leads to a situation where one no longer knows what to make of all the “fake news”. One is always tempted to believe what best suits one’s own ideas, but of course that is no guarantee of accuracy.

The result is that no one believes anyone or anything anymore, or else, to reassure themselves, some people confuse information with religion, and violent fanaticism still has many good days ahead of it.

Lack of sincerity

Sincerity requires that one says things and does not conceal them, and that when one says them, one tells the truth. In this respect, the current situation is disastrous.

With the Ukraine war as well as the pandemic

Since the 2020s, citizens/authorities/patients have been faced with a bleak and socially tense phenomenon: one-sidedness of information and silence.

One-sidedness in the Russian-Ukrainian war because it is equated with a fight of good (freedom and democracy = Ukraine), against evil (political subjugation and dictatorship = Russia). However, history is much more complex and it is ignorance of history that paralyses peace treaties and poisons the future.

One-sidedness during the pandemic, when any scientist or doctor who wanted to propose a different approach to the problems or a different solution from those preached by the official side (often without any real legal basis, in our case, for example, the “task force”) was ridiculed, demoted or deprived of the opportunity to make their voice heard publicly.

Silence in the Russian-Ukrainian war, e.g. about the progress of the investigations into the acts of sabotage on the gas pipeline. Is there any progress in the investigations? Have they been completed? Have they been closed? Why is there silence?

Post-pandemic silence on the report on the completion of Phase 3 of the vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna in particular), on the detailed instructions given to those vaccinated (or lack thereof), to those vaccinating and to the medical profession to ensure clear and accurate monitoring of the possible side effects of the vaccines in the testing phase. Silence about the professional follow-up of the vaccinated themselves, about the reasons of the vaccinated (e.g. what role did the information about the protection of the vaccine against the risk of contracting and transmitting the disease play in the decision to be vaccinated?).

When silence is broken or one-sidedness is lifted after waiting too long, trust can only be restored after retribution or a witch-hunt for the endured and not acknowledged suffering. This wave of hateful violence is devastating. May our country be spared from it! But for this to happen, we must make amends, break the silence and officially tell the truth. And do it quickly!

Democracy can only benefit from this.

* Suzette Sandoz was born in 1942. She is an honorary professor of family and inheritance law, a former member of the Grand Council of the canton of Vaud and a former member of the Swiss National Council.

Source: https://blogs.letemps.ch/suzette-sandoz/2023/01/03/1324, 3 January 2023
(Translation “Swiss Standpoint”)