Lifeblood of democracy: What if the US was totalitarian?
By Robert Kigongo
I have been reading the Freedom in the World Report 2024, an initiative of the United States government that indicates Uganda is ‘not free’ with 34 out 100 percent.
On this July 4, the 248th independence anniversary of United States of America, my mind has been drawn to the status of democracy and respect of human rights for all.
What if the US was totalitarian or dictatorship like Russia, North Korea or China? How would I have known that my country falls under the purple zone of Not Free?
Who would have bothered about backsliding democracy and decline in human rights violations happening across the world?
We thank God that the US is lifeblood of democracy that protects nations against invasion of totalitarianism and domination of dictatorships.
Unfortunately, as we celebrate the 4th of July, the world is going through unprecedented times from civil unrest in Kenya, Ukraine-Russia, Israel-Palestine and backsliding democracies in Togo to unconstitutional change of governments in Burkina Faso, Gabon and Mali;
Amidst authoritarianism in Cameroon, Belarus, Uganda, Eritrea, and Guinea Bissau, Zimbabwe, among others.
But guess who is expected to intervene in restoring sanity and democracy, fortunately it’s the US!
The US has stood out has a democracy deliverer and beckon of Human rights for all through its latter bottom-up approach.
The land of the free declared 248 years ago from the British is funding the United Nations, NATO to guard global peace and security, Regional cooperations and civil societies to democracy and human rights.
In Uganda, the US supports over 100 civil societies that promoting dialogues, government policies and human rights observation.
According to US Mission Report 2021 “close to 2,000 Ugandans have been assisted through its legal aid clinics and trained 88 Human rights defenders”.
The link between democracy and Human Rights is well stated in article 21(3) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Historically, the US is the custodian of the Bill of Rights, therefore the cardinal indictment falls upon her to safeguard human rights all-over the World, just in case you think it’s meddling into our internal affairs.
In Uganda, the US is protecting the rights of all without prejudice and discrimination whether its race, religion, sex orientation or political affiliations.
Notably, in 2022 the US Ambassador Natalie E. Brown (2020-2023) came out strongly in condemning the abduction and torture of political activist and novelist Kankweza Rukirabashaija, an act which violate the Magna Carta.
Subsequently, in December 2023, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Jill Biden, the First Lady, awarded human rights and democracy activist Agather Atuhairwe with US Women of Courage award.
Progressively, the US award did not only encourage Ms Atuhaire alone but it encouraged solidarity among many Ugandans on frontlines that someone, somewhere is acknowledging our noble fight for a democratic and corrupt free country.
The US through its inclusive, education and exchange programs has empowered political leaders;
For example, Mandela Washington fellow Flavia Nabagabe the Woman representative of Kasanda District in 11th Parliament.
Robert Kyagulanyi, president of National Unity Platform, the leading opposition party in Uganda who got an exchange opportunity of a leadership training at John F. Kennedy School of government at Harvard University.
Today these are just a statistic of the many empowered political leaders that are able to articulate governance issues, shape national policies, drive public discourse, protect human rights of others and constructively demand accountability of the rulers.
Subsequently, when Nelson Mandela remarkably stated, "A critical, independent and free press is the lifeblood of any democracy", the US government took it personal to technically and financially empower journalists.
In 2021, the US introduced the Summit for Democracy, a forum that sets policies and foreign assistance to bolster democracy, freedom and human rights observation.
Remarkably, USAID developed democracy cohorts and dekleptification guide that help democracies to push back kleptocracy.
The US is supporting reformers to stabilise economies that previously been destroyed by authoritarian and totalitarianism.
For example, US extends $500 million to Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema debt recovery.
The US has established the Freedom House which is producing reports on political rights and civil liberties with numerical ratings and descriptive texts for different countries including Uganda.
Freedom House Report 2024 for Uganda indicates that political rights standing at 10 out of 40 percent and civil liberties at 24 out 60 percent.
The report emphasises that each life matters when it indicated the forgotten 42 people killed in a school by assailants in western town of Mpondwe.
This justifies US as a democracy that respects very single life unlike totalitarians and autocrats like Russia and China who simply care about armoury trade, oil projects and profits expatriation.
What totalitarians and dictatorships do is to enrich African dictators with wealthy and protecting stolen tax payer’s money in foreign bank accounts unlike the US.
Literally, the US is protecting our economies from greedy our African dictators.
Without the UA intervention and support who would tame totalitarians, autocrats and dictators.
The humanitarian assistance, grants and support to the Uganda’s health sector the US is protecting our right to live.
The US has gradually led to democratic transitions in South Korea, Philippines, Kenya, Zambia, Senegal saving nations from the scourge of civil unrest and political instabilities.
As I join the American people to celebrate the 248th Independence, I thank God that America is democracy not a totalitarian.
Mr Robert Kigongo is a Sustainable development analyst
