Burkina Faso also pulled themselves out of the International Criminal Court with similar logic. They said America, Isreal, Russia, and China all get to do basically whatever they want globally while Burkina Faso is constantly slapped with sanctions

Now those sanctions are because that country is one of the most dangerous on the planet, so it's hard to take the military leader at his word. Even if he had a valid point

...running instead into the arms of Russia, who of course is world famous for not killing children, women and other civilians or destroying hospitals. And the children and other civilians killed by the Burkinabè army in their anti-islamist operations of course don't compare because, that's something completely different - those were justified. /s

It's perfectly explainable why the colonial history of Burkina Faso with France has given rise to a leader such as him, but Traoré's probably admirable anti-colonial and anti-islamist positions do not make him any less of a military dictator who is preventing elections, criminalized being gay, is suppressing freedom of the press and all the other things authoritarian leaders do.

On a more general note: There is this unhelpful tendency by fellow leftists in the west to turn a blind eye to the atrocities of anyone who claims to be 'anti-colonial'. That's just righteous bs and we all know it. Being economically left and conscious of western colonialism should not absolve us from critical thinking: Being oppressed does not impart innate moral authority.

Yeah, but it also shows a detachment of both history and political manipulation.

Democracy is not a "nice to have". It's supposed to be a check and a balance on centralized powers.

But the past decades more and more rights - which manifestly is power - is taken away from the citizens of the west and given to either the nation state - or actors within private sector, i.e oligarchies.

The calls for direct democracy is heard across the west, but falls on deaf ears without even further context. So let's take my country of Norway as an example.

In the 90s you could not only vote for a party and the individual representatives of that party, but also individual representatives from other parties. You could basically vote for who you thought was best for each public office.

The liberals and conservatives got rid of that right and now are getting rid of voting for individual candidates. There's an insidious reason for this and that's to "toe the party line" - even though several of the major political parties want the exact same policies.

The liberal will go and be more direct and honest with what they want, whereas the conservatives - who wants the same policies - will keep their mouth shut. The liberal becomes unpopular, the conservatives get into office and enact those policies - and vice versa. It is in many cases a false dichotomy, because there is very little difference between the liberal and the conservative - in all actuality.

The solemn fact is that there is only a few - if even any - liberal, conservative or neo-liberal who believes in democracy. To all of them the "free markets shall reign", in that power should be privatized. It should be subject to think tanks, media engines and optics - because constituents are so stupid that they need to be manipulated in "the right direction".

Their premise of "voting with your wallet" also falls flat, as consumer choices already well studied and directed, as monopolies, duopolies, triopolies, monopsonies and oligopolies span the west. The supply and demand rule explains why. The more you can produce, the more of the supply chain you control, the more costs you can cut per unit. The consumer, having to deal with personal economy, goes for the cheapest option and ipso presto: you have centrally controlled markets.

The politicians, being given insider access to these markets, become subject of lobbyists, well wishers and gift givers, who help to nudge policies "in the right direction". This in turn leads to a conflict of interest mountain that soars ever higher by each year. The elite play together, pray together, slay together and tut tut each other only when faced with a camera. They have goals, they have agendas, they have closed door meetings - as well as large grandiose get togethers.

Western politicians therefore largely pay lip service to democracy in front of podiums and audiences, but will let slip through interviews, associations and quotes that it is more of a burden to them - and it shows in their legislatures and approach. You're supposed to "watch what a politicians does, not listen to what they say" - but both are acts, and if not in lock step shows clear signs of corruption.

In short: we've allowed the fox to watch the hen house and have only a few chickens left. Democracy has been weakened and is weakened still by each year. But it's not because western politicians are so evil. It's because they are literally brainwashed. They've groomed each other in a twisted world view predicated solely upon ideological fancies. They drink their own KoolAid and they want all of us to wear the jogging suit to drink with them.

Western liberalism & conservatism is a cult. They truly do believe their "economic sciences", which to them is scripture - but is merely economic mysticism draped in acedemic language. Their idols, Raegen and Thatcher, the oligarchs and "wealth creators", stabbing the tax sack with a knife called "New Public Management" to let their friends soak up the revenue. The creators of symbolic economy, symbolic politics, symbolic laws, all to fool you into thinking they are credible candidates - while wasting time, money and lives. Public good is nothing but a prospect to them.

Our political system has been gamed so much that the terms "liberal" and "conservative" have lost all meaning, for they are invariably the same ilk. The liberal, the conservative and the neo liberal are the ones weakening the west, has been killing the west - for decades. Our democracy, our industries, our economies, our financing. It's all subject to their games and whims.

We sacrificed our democracy at the alter of a supposed "free market" - and it's time for revolution. It's time for the people to take the power back from the new aristocracy.

Stop following their talking points, their economic sciences, their sentiments and ideas. Rip off your jogging suit and don't drink from their KoolAid.

It is pure poison for democracy.

Same way as "socialism" is linked to the Russias puppet dictators in eastern Europe and the corrupt shit circus they created.