A week ago I was at Sundance Film Festival (extensive coverage is in the works, but first allow me this deeply personal reflection, for two events have strongly resonated in me). I went to see No, a film by Pablo Larraín, with Gael García Bernal as a man leading the ad campaign to oust dictator Pinochet’s regime in Chile. Brilliant film!

Both the director and the star were at the screening for a Q&A afterwards. Gael, of course, is an incredibly attractive man. I mean, incredibly.

Thus, I was looking forward to the Q&A even more.  The way these things usually go is that most of the questions are addressed to the director, and the star of the film stands by them and smiles and poses while the director answers the questions (or worse the stars chatter amongst themselves while the director tries to have a conversation with the audience).

Bernal smiled perhaps once during the entire Q&A. He listened intently to what the audience and Larraín were saying and contributed to the discussion several times with well-spoken, thought-out answers about world politics. As much as I wanted to loose myself in watching his smile, this was better. His career is full of serious films, most of them political, so it makes sense that he wants to be taken seriously, that he has given the topics a great amount of thought.

One of the things Bernal talked about was the the disillusionment with democracy that is spreading around the globe, including  Chile.  Many countries are following the pattern. People suffer under an oppressive regime, there’s a revolution that brings about democracy and liberty, people celebrate and are merry. What they don’t realize is that democracy and liberty alone do not bring about ultimate happiness. They “only” allow people to find their own ways, but the people have to work for it.  Ignorance leads people to blame democracy for their misery.

That is definitely something I can testify to; I see it in the Czech Republic where people complain about everything, and then the turnout at the election is around (or even below!) 60%. People feel that their life used to be better under whatever past regime they now nostalgically remember (of course, perspective plays a huge way in this widespread view, and people are quick to dismiss many facts when arriving at such conclusions). They feel that democracy has failed them, and they don’t vote. The not voting part is just an extension of their ignorance. Not voting doesn’t solve anything. Democracy is government for the people and by the people. It recognizes an individual’s right for the pursuit of happiness. People hear “happiness” and forget that they have to pursue it themselves.*

Disclaimer: I’m really not a fan of democracy. I think it’s a terrible idea. I don’t think most people are smart, educated, and informed enough to decide on the things that they get to decide on in a democratic state. “The best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter.” The sad truth is that no existent system is better.

Personally, I am very much disillusioned right now. The Czech presidential election concluded this morning after the second-round-votes have been counted. After the first round, to my incredible joy, turned out surprisingly well, the second one was a hard reality check. Things seemed so hopeful after the first round. And this morning I woke up early to get work done, yet found myself weeping and drinking scotch at 7:30 AM only to spend several following hours lurking around, ranting to friends, and not doing anything. Of course, it is not democracy that failed me, but rather my fellow citizens. Over 40% of them did not bother showing up to the polls. Such low turnout points to their disillusionment with democracy. To its blinding strength that makes so many of them give up on it. The 55% of those that did vote, well, they crashed the hopes I had acquired after the first round, the illusion that we might actually have a decent president. This idea exists no more.

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*Yes, I realize I’m quoting the US Constitution in a paragraph started by describing the situation in the Czech Republic. Despite their many differences, both countries are democracies, and the principles are similar enough for my point to make sense.