They called it the new hope. They called it the dawn of a new era. They called it the end of oppression and the beginning of a better life. They called it the revolution of the people. They called it Democracy!
The people thronged the streets that night as they watched their new saviors promise them that finally their life will be their own. They cheered every statement, every pause and every nuance. They told us that freedom would finally be ours. The crowd cheered and shouted and screamed hoarse. They told us that we will get to elect over leaders, that every government formed will be of the people. The crowd cheered even more. 'By the people, of the people, for the people,' the saviors chanted and the crowd chanted back like 5th grade kids studying social studies for the first time. They told us that poverty will be eradicated and the enemies of the state eliminated. The crowd cheered even louder, delirious in their joy. They told us that every man will have a roof on his head and a job to earn with. We cheered and cheered some more. They told us that if the government did not fulfill its promises we could remove them from power. They told us that tonight, right now we call the end of any social disparities. That every citizen has the same rights and therefore the same responsibilities. And we cheered again. They told us every government is responsible to its people and if they fail those responsibilities then it is not a government of the people anymore. They told us that democracy was the way forward, that it would lead us to a glorious future we had always dreamed of. They told us that we, the people, now had the power. We cheered. And we even believed them.
That night, people danced and sang on the streets like they had been released from prison after several years. They probably had. Lyrics were invented on the spot and anything with the words 'freedom' or 'power' or 'people' could be called a song. 'We have the power', chanted the crowd over and over again. And when they got tired of singing that, they started chanting 'Freedom...Freedom of the people.' They went on and on all night. Alcohol flowed like water that night, people were drinking like they hadn't had a sip of beer in a dozen years. They drank on the high of being free from a supposedly oppressive regime, they drank on the high of their belief that now finally-their life was their own. And when they finally got tired and headed home, they made love to their wives like they had never made love before, passion filling every inch of them-passion to bring down evil, passion to cause mutiny and lead a revolution-and that's how they fucked their wives and girlfriends and whores that night-like they were the general of the revolution and if they fucked and fucked hard-victory would be theirs. Even their they could feel the surge of the power. And victory was theirs.
I heard the beggar on the pavement sing for the first time that night-"The damage is done...the damage is done...We are all like robots under the sun."
Democracy came upon us and we welcomed it with open arms like welcoming new brides into our homes. We heard politicians give speech and make promises as they lobbied and solicited us for our votes. Governments were formed on our votes and fell on our behest. We brought to power politicians we liked and those who failed to fulfill their promises were brought down just as quickly. We are the power, we repeated again and again, a chant that resonated all over the country. We are the power, we sand and believed as the politicians told us that they would give us the better lives we deserved.
But even then the beggar on the pavement continued to sing-"The damage is done...the damage is done...We are all like robots under the sun."
We had the right to protest any reforms we did not like, the government told us . And so we protested. We went to the streets and protested against corrupt officials. We protested against unsolved murder cases. We protested when the government refused to listen to us. We protested against the cutting of trees and building of dams. We protested against too much and progress and too little progress. We protested against war and against people who ate meat. We protested against terrorists and gangsters. We protested against the death penalty and in support of the death penalty. We protested against homosexuality and then we protested against those who protested against homosexuality. We protested against riots and race crimes. We protested against prostitution and then we protested to legalize prostitution. We protested against anything and everything we didn't like. We protested because this was a democracy and we had the right to protest.
The beggar on the pavement continued to sing-'the damage is done...the damage is done...we are all like robots under the sun.'
We wanted justice done against the rulers of the previous regime. We wanted those vicious, barbarous savages to be hung in the city square in broad day light in front of the entire city so everyone could finally look at them and know that justice had finally been done. It was the demand of the people and the people had the power. So our government let the people have their justice. They were hung, hung like the merciless criminals that they had been. The government invited every citizen to attend the executions and watch as the bastards finally got what they had deserved. Thousands thronged the city square that day. Giant screens were hung up all over the city so those who could not make it to the city square could watch it where ever they maybe at that time. The executions were broadcasted live on television and advertisers paid millions for their ads to be shown in between the executions. The government the declared the day to be a holiday so everyone could feel the joy and watch justice finally being done. Celebrities came and performed on the stage on which those criminals of the previous regime who had pulverized our nation and misused their power were to be later hung as a celebration of our freedom. The cameras flashed and the celebrities gave quotes on how proud they were that they were living in a nation where justice had finally come to the people. The people cheered. This was their day. They had the power. A small group of demonstrators stood outside the arena and protested against the executions, claimed that we were turning into the savages we had been led by and how this was a complete miscarriage of justice. But nobody cared. This was justice in its truest sense and these dictators deserved nothing less. Our President finally made his way to the stage and talked about how the subversion of justice finally has come to an end. That finally-our proud nation had a government which truly was of the people, by the people and for the people. The crowd cheered. The President talked about how this event, these live executions of such reprehensible criminals was happening because the people had demanded it. The people cheered on and did not want the President to stop. As an honor to be bestowed upon our president for leading us to freedom, he was given the responsibility of pulling the first lever. And so he did. With the crowd cheering, a cacophony of sounds going up like men who had never known what it was like to be free before. Every execution was met with a cheer even louder than the previous one had fetched. This was the people had wanted and this is what the people would get. This was democracy.
The beggar stood outside the city square and sang-'the damage is done...the damage is done...we are all like robots under the sun.'
There was a protest somewhere and then suddenly the city was engulfed in riots. The whites blamed the blacks, the blacks blamed the whites. The Jews blamed the Christians, the Christians blamed the Jews. The Catholics blamed the Protestants, the Protestants blamed the Catholics. Everyone thought someone else had started it but no one hesitated in cutting the other one up. This was democracy and we had the same rights as everyone else, they said. No one one knew what that meant but they continued to cut each other up. No one knew what the riots were about. Someone said it was over religion. Another said it was over race. Another whispered that it was because someone had raped someone Else's sister. No one knew. No one cared. This was a democracy and no one got away with cutting someone else up without getting cut up themselves. The city burned. The government tried to stop the riots. But this was a government of the people and if people wanted riots then the government could not stop them. So they let people kill each other and hoped that it would stop by itself. When it didn't and the death toll got a little higher than they had expected-they deployed forces and imposed curfew on the entire city. Anyone who walked on the streets was to be shot at first sight. And so the government of the people ensured that there would be no more riots. We were allowed to protest but not riot and if anyone did-he would be killed.
The government promised to remove terrorism from its roots, to remove the fear of terrorist from the people's mind once and for all. The terrorists will be brought to justice, the government promised and the people cheered. 6 bus stations were bombed one day, killing 300 people. The city was in shock. The city was angry. A Muslim outfit claimed the crime to be their own and said that all infidels will pay the price. The people screamed and shouted and demanded justice. Islam was a religion of violence they said. The feelings grew, the fervor spread and the people took to the streets. They demanded justice. They de-cried Islam and condemned their God. They threw stones at Mosques and beat up Muslims for they represented the Devil. Islam was terrorism they pronounced. The Government sat and pondered and contemplated on what action to take. This was a government of action they said and they would not just sit around and watch. They would not let their people die and be victims of terrorism. We will retaliate, the government said and we will destroy terrorism from its root. The people shouted Islam was terrorism. The government whispered back-'Islam was terrorism.' And so the sentence was passed and the government of the people had taken its action. Islam was denounced as the religion of the Devil. No muslims were to be allowed to stay in their beloved country if peace was to reign. And soon the people watched in horror as the Muslims were massacred, each and every one that could be found. They were dragged out of their houses and shot in the middle of the street. Their heads were chopped off, their arms mutilated for they followed the Devil. Denounce the devil, they said, and when the Muslims refused their tongues were cut off, their eyes gouged, their penis castrated. Their mothers and sisters were raped and sold to whore houses but no one cared because they followed the Devil. They were all breeding terrorists and terrorism had to be wiped out. People watched in horror as the government removed terrorism from its root. They went to the streets and said this is not what they had wanted. They did not want a massacre. But they were all shot by the military and the government denounced them as terrorists as well. Anyone who supported or housed a Muslim was in league with them and would be killed on the spot for harboring state terrorists the government announced. Muslims begged ad pleaded for mercy but no one cared Someone whispered that the Muslims were the new Jews. No one cared. No one remembered. But the Jews were indignant. They were incensed and outraged that they shall compared to such terrorists. They took to the streets and protested. They said they had never resorted to violence like the Muslims had. They had never been terrorists and that the crimes against them were inhuman to say the least. They reminded everyone about the Holocaust and the sufferings but no one cared. But this was a democracy, and everyone was allowed to protest and have their say.
I heard the beggar on the pavement sing again-'The damage is done...The damage is done...we are all like robots under the sun.'
The prices increased and the cost of living went up. So the people took to the streets again and demonstrated against the government that had been elected by them. They demanded the jobs that had not been provided, they asked for the houses that had been promised but hadn't been built. They government assured that they would look into the matter, that all who had failed their responsibilities will be dealt with. The people continued to protest though for they wanted action and not empty promises. So the government reduced the prices of ever food item and houses were provided to the homeless. Buildings were built and flats were named after the homeless. Jobs were created and to those who could not earn, a pension was provided. The people went back to their homes and made love to their wives in celebration of their victory again. They had been heard, they had been listened to. They had the power. But soon the prices went up again. The houses were not completed on time. Jobs were beginning to be lobbied for. The people took to the streets again but their fewer now. The government reduced the prices of the necessary food items this time and promised the other prices would come down soon. Speed on building the houses picked up and new jobs were created again. People went back to their homes and made love to their wives again. This was democracy, and they had the power. The homeless had to go through several rounds of bureaucracy and corruption before they finally got to live in their flats. By the time they did-they had to sell off their house to pay off the loans they had collected in order to pay the officials the bribe they had demanded as a favor for getting their work done. Those who did manage to live in their houses were eventually forced to sell it off because the prices increased again and the only way they could afford to eat was if they sold off their house. The prices went up and the people took to the streets again but this time most people just deiced to get on with their lives. The government promised that they soon the prices would come down and the officials who had robbed the homeless of their houses will be brought to justice and so the people went back to their homes and made love to their wives. This was a democracy and they had a right to protest. And so they had.
The beggar on the pavement still sang-'The damage was done...the damage was done...we are all like robots under the sun.'
'Legalize prostitution,' screamed the people on the street. 'This is a democracy and we want to legalize prostitution,' they shouted. And so the government legalized prostitution for if the citizens of the country wanted to pay for sex, then they should be allowed to pay for sex. Sex was not immoral, the government said. So how could earning by it be so? So brothels and whore houses flourished and an entire area of the city was built so people knew where they had to go for sex. Escorts were provided to every prominent member of the society if he waned so. Brochures and fliers were made and handed to every person walking on the street to know which brothel provided what. Others protested on the streets and denounced prostitution but no one cared. This was a democracy and they had a right to protest. So sex became a commodity to be sold in a market. Prostitution was introduced as a course in universities to be taught and studied and understood. It was a viable career option, the counselors told the boys and girls studying in high. Daughters grew up to realize that they prostitution was one direct way of becoming rich if u were beautiful. Sex was treated as a casual entity and infidelity was to become a norm. No one could be expected to have sex with the same person all their lives and hence soon to be married couples were counseled to let their spouses seek other pastures once in a while so the integrity of the marriage remains. Men left their wives and slept with a different whore every night. Families fell apart. But no one cared. This was a democracy and if people wanted to pay for sex, then they should be allowed to pay for sex.
Homosexuality was deemed a sin and pronounced as illegal. People took to the streets and shouted slogans and screamed that homosexuality was not natural, that God did not support a form of love between one man and another man or one woman and another woman. They denounced it as the act of the devil. So the government banned homosexuality and deemed it illegitimate. The homosexuals and their supporters took to the streets and protested against the government but no one listened. They screamed that this was a government of the people and they were people too. That sexuality was their choice. But no one cared any longer. The the men of religion called it sacrilege and their followers screamed that homosexuals were no men of God, but supporters of the devil. They were too many and homosexuals and their supporters too few. And so if the people wanted homosexuality banned, then it would be banned. And so homosexuality was banned and gay men and women were executed. They were dragged out of their homes in front of their screaming parents and hauled in government vehicles and thrown in prisons. People took to the streets again, crying out against the executions but then other people came out in their support. Riots engulfed the city once more. The government imposed curfew but the executions continued. But the supporters of homo sexuality didn't protest any longer as they didn't want to get shot when a curfew had been imposed. They loved gays only so much. Soon the government announced that in order to identify homosexuals and prevent its spread-every citizen should be married off by their 25th birthday. And in order to prove their sexuality-they would have to consummate their relationship in front of a government official. Any citizen found unmarried after their 25th birthday or unable to consummate their relationship with their spouses would be pronounced as committing the crime of homosexuality and would be executed. People took to the streets again and protested vociferously but the government said that the people wanted homosexuality curbed and eliminated and they were only ensuring that. This was a government of the people, they said, and anyone against these steps was against the curbing of homosexuality. So the people went back home and made love to their wives, for they had wanted homosexuality banned and they had got homosexuality banned. So what if they would soon have to fuck in front of a guy in a suit? This was democracy and the people had the power.
The people continue to take the streets and protest. But no one cares any longer. They don't even know what they are protesting against anymore. They continue to vote in elections and bring down governments. Governments rise and fall at their behest. Politicians rally and give speeches lobbying and begging for their votes. The power lies with the people. And if they didn't like what the government was doing, they could simply take to the streets and protest if they wanted to. Or bring down the government in the next election. They could. So the people went home and made love to their wives. For this was a democracy and they had the power.
And so I continue to hear that beggar on the pavement sing:
"The damage is done...The damage is done...we are all like robots under the sun!"
