On liberal democracy and the free press

I recently watched an episode of Breaking Points that got me thinking. The hosts were saying how, in China, the ruling class does not have free elections because they fear being overthrown. And then a thought crossed my mind: That could never happen here. Not because our system is inherently free or just, but because there’s no way to overthrow the ruling class by an election.

An election is little more than a showdown between two pre-selected options—two faces slapped onto the same machine. One of those faces is the one you’re supposed to vote for. For months leading up to the vote, the free, educated, and rational press hammers the message home, to make sure you know exactly which choice you ought to make. The other one is the one you’re allowed to vote for if you must, but one ought to, according to the press, thread very carefully.

I’ve been thinking about the word “free” and what it means. Something can be free that costs nothing, or it can mean that a decision was arrived at of one’s free will. Or it can mean a lack of compulsion during the decision-making process.

It struck me as odd that the word free can apply to dogs as well. When a dog is trained, it can indeed run free in a park – without the risk of running away, coming when called, and sitting when told to. That is what a liberal democracy is. A large group of people, educated, or trained, into being so obedient that they can be left to wander, without causing trouble to their trainers.

They often say democracy cannot thrive without a free, well-trained press and an informed, educated electorate. But this statement, frequently echoed by the ruling class, is less a call to vigilance and more a veiled command: trust us, don’t question us, and certainly don’t accuse us of pushing propaganda. To me, this isn’t just a cautionary note—it’s a damning critique of a system that demands mass indoctrination, silencing dissent, and ostracizing anyone who dares to challenge the political status quo.

Maybe the people in China and Russia, all the supposedly unfree places around the world are simply less propagandized. They cannot be left to roam free, without compulsion, in their own park, since the propaganda isn’t as potent and doesn’t bind them tightly enough for them to be free.