SOME elections in history do more than change governments. They remind rulers intoxicated by power of their true standing, shattering the illusion of invincibility built around political power and proving that the people always have the final say.
The November 3 midterm elections in the US have done precisely that. The Democrats’ resounding victory and their securing of majorities in both chambers of Congress have dealt a severe blow to the perception that US President Donald Trump is impossible to defeat. The MAGA movement, whose leaders and supporters had begun to believe that they alone represented the true voice of the American people, has seen Democrats make gains in states and districts considered Republican strongholds. Even some of Trump’s traditional supporters have turned their backs on him.
But the significance of this blue wave extends far beyond the defeat of a president or his party. It is a reminder of why democracy, particularly secular democracy, is indispensable in a world where authoritarianism, religious nationalism and the politics of intolerance are rapidly gaining ground.
The most encouraging aspect of these elections is that Americans from different racial, religious, national and economic backgrounds rose above their differences to challenge a political movement whose strength lay precisely in exploiting those divisions.
This is the fundamental virtue of secular democracy. It allows people of different beliefs, cultures and identities to live together as equal citizens. Secular democracy does not demand that anyone abandon their religion or cultural identity. It simply asks them to accept the principle that no religion, race or group has a greater claim to the state than others.
Authoritarian-minded rulers, by contrast, derive their political power from precisely these divisions. They manufacture imaginary enemies, inflame religious and nationalist sentiments, and convince their supporters that their identity, culture and even their very existence are under threat.
American voters have proved that this politics can be defeated.
Perhaps the most important message of these elections came from the younger generation. Per preliminary figures from Tufts University’s research institute, CIRCLE, 71% of voters aged 18 to 29 supported Democrats in House elections, while only 25% voted for Republican candidates. Young male voters, a significant proportion of whom had gravitated towards Trump in the 2024 presidential election, returned to the Democrats in droves this time. This is an extraordinary political shift.
These results also challenge the widespread perception that young people, lost in social media and the digital world, have become politically disengaged. The reality is quite the opposite. When young people feel their future is at stake, they can become the most powerful force for political change.
Of course, it would be naive to assume that everyone who voted against Trump was motivated by a desire to protect democratic values. Rising inflation, economic uncertainty, government corruption and the unpopular war against Iran also played significant roles. But that is precisely the beauty of democracy. People do not need to share the same ideology or have identical grievances to hold a government accountable.
And this resistance is not confined to the US.
In Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s recent electoral victory over Flavio Bolsonaro dealt another blow to the aggressive right-wing populist politics represented by the Bolsonaro family. Despite deep political divisions, the Brazilian people showed that the ballot box remains an effective instrument of political resistance.
In India, too, the youth-led movement popularly known as the ‘Cockroach Janata Party’ has shown how quickly public anger over unemployment, humiliation and the arrogance of those in power can transform into a political movement that forces authorities to respond.
In various European countries, protest movements against the erosion of democratic and economic rights have also challenged political leaders. These movements do not necessarily share an ideological foundation, nor do they all represent liberal democracy. But they do share one common characteristic: different sections of society, particularly young people, are no longer willing to accept unconditional obedience and unchecked power.
Authoritarian rulers often make the mistake of interpreting silence as public consent. They believe that controlling the media, intimidating journalists, imprisoning political opponents and bringing state institutions under their control will eliminate dissent. They surround themselves with advisers and commentators who constantly reassure them that the entire nation stands behind them.
For a while, this strategy may even appear to work. But silencing discussion of an issue on television does not extinguish public anger. Preventing newspapers from reporting the truth does not alleviate people’s grievances. That anger continues to accumulate beneath the surface until it finds a way to express itself. In a genuine democracy, the ballot box provides that avenue.
That is why democracy is not merely a political ideology but also a means of protecting society from instability. It gives people the opportunity to change governments peacefully and challenge the abuse of power without destroying the entire system.
But when this avenue is blocked, the consequences can be far more dangerous. People deprived of their right to express their opinions through the ballot box eventually look for other ways — some of which may even lead to violence.
The American elections also carry an important message for Washington. The devastation in Gaza, which received political and military support from both the Biden and Trump administrations, has exposed the hollowness of America’s claims to be a global champion of human rights and democracy. For many young Americans, Gaza is no longer merely a foreign policy issue. It has become a moral question that transcends traditional party loyalties.
Democrats cannot absolve themselves of their responsibility for this devastation simply by defeating Trump. The new Congress must understand that claiming to defend democratic values at home while supporting the violation of those same rights elsewhere in the world is a contradiction that is becoming increasingly difficult to defend.
And then there is the war with Iran. One apparent objective of the war launched by the US and Israel was regime change in Tehran. But the war has produced a peculiar historical irony: instead of changing the government in Tehran, the war has helped shift the political balance of power in Washington. The president who sought to reshape the Middle East through military force now faces a Congress controlled by his political opponents in his own country. What greater irony could there be?
Of course, Trump remains president, and the Democrats’ victory does not guarantee that American foreign policy will suddenly become more just. But Congress now has both the opportunity and the responsibility to challenge unnecessary actions by the administration and hold it accountable.
For Pakistan, all these developments carry a serious warning. For years, successive governments and powerful state institutions in our country have sought to control democracy rather than allow it to function freely. Political engineering, media restrictions, suppression of independent voices and interference in the electoral process are becoming routine features of our political system.
Those sitting in the corridors of power may believe that controlling political narratives, suppressing dissent and weakening democratic institutions will make society easier to govern. Nothing could be a greater misconception.
Pakistan’s younger generation is far more aware, globally connected and restless than its rulers imagine. It is watching the changes taking place around the world. It can see the gap between the rights guaranteed by the constitution and the realities on the ground. And it is not prepared to accept indefinitely a future in which others continue to make its political choices for it.
Suppressing criticism may be easy and beneficial for powerful circles today, but interpreting the silence that follows as public support would be a dangerous mistake.
Democracy is certainly a complex and sometimes frustrating system. It produces weak governments, corrupt politicians and incompetent rulers. But its greatest virtue is that it gives people the right to replace them. Authoritarianism may create the appearance of order, but it rarely delivers lasting stability. The longer people are denied an effective means of expressing their opinions, the greater the risk that their accumulated anger will eventually engulf the very institutions being used to preserve the system.
The blue wave in America does not mean that authoritarian politics has come to an end. Trumpism remains a powerful political force, just as similar movements continue to exist in other countries. But these elections have certainly shattered the notion that such political forces are impossible to defeat. That is no small achievement.
From the Global North to the Global South, the message is unmistakable: you can silence the media, intimidate opponents, bring institutions under your control and even manipulate election results to suit your wishes. But you cannot imprison the political aspirations of an entire nation forever.
Give people an unhindered right to vote, and they can change their rulers. But if even that right is taken away from them, one day they may decide to change the entire system.
The writer is the managing editor of Geo News.
Originally published in The News
