Timely and Inspiring Prophetic Analysis so you can Prepare.

Once upon a time, not very long ago, there were two sets of elites that represented the people. They were the politicians and the journalists. They spoke for the people through representation. The politicians represent their voters in parliaments and governments, while in between elections the [people] exert influence on the public debate, primarily through representation in the media.

The media’s job was to keep a critical eye on the politicians and hold them accountable, but in modern democracies, that role has changed, and now the mainstream media has become the voice of the politicians. In truth, it is two elites speaking with each other: politicians and journalists. They almost seem like members of the same caste.

But the Internet has changed all that. Now people can speak for themselves rather than through their previous representatives. One of the roles long played by journalists was that of gatekeeper, largely filtering out the hate, conspiracy theories, and other controversies. That allowed for a more temperate, constructive debate. Despite at times passionate disagreement, politicians and journalists were able to find common ground and make compromise possible.

Take Germany for instance. “Seven or eight months ago, Germany was a different country than it is today. There were no controversial political issues demanding immediate action and Chancellor Angela Merkel’s leadership was uncontested. It was quiet and comfortable. But then the refugees began streaming into Europe and the country’s sleepy tranquility came to a sudden end.”

The refugee crisis has revealed the lack of acceptance that many in eastern Germany have for the federal republic system. They don’t trust the politicians and take action themselves, in the form of protests. They don’t trust the journalists and believe in their own truths. All of that exists in western Germany as well, but it’s not as pronounced.

Since then, a right-wing populist party is on its way to holding seats in several state parliaments, Merkel has gained approval from the center-left Social Democrats and from the Greens, while some conservatives want to throw her out to keep Germany German and Christian and the state is overwhelmed because of the flood of refugees. Many in Germany no longer recognize the country’s political landscape. “It used to be that the two conservative parties at least had a common enemy.” Not any more. As the people they represent have fragmented in the ubiquitous Internet environment, it is unclear who the enemy is. Everything is turned on its head. Fragmentation has unsettled Germany and is creating havoc for traditional elites.

Individuals no longer necessarily need a representative, because they can represent themselves. Their stage is the Internet. And the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party has profited from the Internet, transforming itself into the voice of radical ideas, trends and channels. Should the party’s success prove lasting, Germany will end up with a political spectrum that is uncomfortable, given the country’s history.

But the disruptions to the political elite are not just in Germany. The United States these days is having its own crisis of representation. “Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is dependent neither on his party’s establishment nor on the established media. He is creating his own electorate with the help of the Internet.”

The path of extremely direct democracy is blazed by anger, fear, unchallenged claims to truth and multitudes of conspiracy theories, create a mood that elevates those politicians who are best able to manipulate that mood. Identity replaces representation, just like in a dictatorship. All the checks and balances, the party system and the media fall away. Democracy falls prey to emotion and the mob.

Voting used to be easier. And most voters have no idea what is happening to them. They are being prepared for a crisis they do not see coming. And it will end up a religious crisis. As the rule of law becomes less influential, people will become more frustrated and take matters into their own hands, “and even in free America, rulers and legislators, in order to secure public favor, will yield to the popular demand for a law enforcing Sunday observance” to get the nation back to God (The Great Controversy, page 592).

Source References

• Germany Enters a Dangerous New Political Era