Political dissent is needed for society to progress. What is your view?

The Athenians founded democracy as a way of advancing their society. It was a period of time when science and Aristotles logic began to take hold of how society functioned. Citizens, especially educated ones, felt a need to partake in their own future. Political satire was famously part of Athenian culture at the time. The word democracy comes from the greek words demos which means people and kratos which mean power. The best form of governance humans have invented yet was based on dissent. The role of government in todays world is to serve the people, as well as to help society advance. One way to achieve this is through political dissent whereby people in the country have the freedom to disagree with politics and governance and therefore participate in it. In fact, many historians agree that political dissent was the Rosetta stone for the development of democracy in Greece. Even in the most developed of societies, the government would at best be a benevolent dictatorship without political dissent. To dismiss political dissent as disruptive and therefore dangerous, in my opinion, shows a gross lack of understanding of the functions of governance. Therefore, I felt that political dissent is not only needed, but essential for society to progresses. It is befitting to ask what progress is and what society needs for it. Progress is the advancement of society to a superior position as compared to what it was before. Effective governance, low poverty and crime, a functional infrastructure and harmony are some typical markers of progress. A concerted effort by individuals in all facets of society is the impetus needed for staying ahead of change on the global scale. Political dissent is a vital connection between leaders and their electorate. When people disagree, they help set direction for progress. There cannot be discourse without the voicing of opposing opinions. If people are adamant about only embracing the status quo, there can be little progress. Constructive dissent can force direction on a standstill society. This will initiate changes that the people desire and raise the society to greater heights. Can we depend on a government to regulate itself? If it could, then we would not need the people to voice their grievances. A study of governments throughout history reveals that absolute power corrupts absolutely. Criticism can serve as a disciplinary tool; correcting the actions of politicians. The famously explosive British parliament demonstrates how opposition members of parliament ensure that the ruling party is kept in check. Some might then argue that if the government is already effective in governing the society, then why change the system? Political dissent can cause more trouble and can be divisive. Take Singapore for example, the country has already reached a highly developed state. Political dissent may lead to the fragmenting of this diverse society. Solidarity, rather than dissension, is seen as a safer option.

Singaporean Minister of Foreign Affairs George Yeo advocates solidarity in his article in the International Herald Tribune, reflecting the viewpoint of conservative politicians in Singapore. The most recent general elections in Singapore reflected a growing desire to change the stagnant policies which stemmed from years of embracing political conservatism. The movement of a large portion of the electorate from the ruling the party to the opposition and increased criticism of policies during the election is seen as one of the most important expressions of political dissent in 21st century Singapore. It is evident from this that the absence of political dissent can lead to a disconnect between society and the government and stagnation. The repression

+++ Ai wei wei article and insert what happens when u control dissent. Some have the view that dissent is destructive. The London riots of 2011 are a prime example of this. What started of as a peaceful protest against the shooting of Mark Duggan ended up as a full blown riot. Thousands of lives were lost during the Arab Revolution. History is full of such violence in the name of dissent. However, one must realize that it is illogical to dismiss political dissent. At this point, one must realise that such statements are based on the assumption that the policies implemented by the government are constantly effective. This is, however, an unrealistic assumption. In reality, change is the only constant. An effective policy implemented in one year may not function so well in the next. Therefore, a stagnant government is not an effective one. Instead, a truly effective government is one that changes with the situation and constantly finds new directions. Others might then argue from the other side of the issue: what if the peoples demands are non-constructive? Their comments may cause cracks in the government-people relationship and even division in the society. In this case, political dissents seem to be hindering development rather than allowing progress. However, when one takes a careful look at the issue, he should come to a notice that these nonconstructive dissents show a disconnection between the government and the people. Liberia under Mdm Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is a prime example. When Mdm Sirleaf inherited the war-torn country, the people are making demands out of the ability of the government. Yet, within her two years in office, she successfully pulls Liberia out from the devastated state it was into a slowly developing country. The key to her success is that she maintains a transparent governance method and forms a close relationship with the society. This shows that progress can be made, even from nonconstructive demands or dissents.

Another reason why dissents are essential for progress of the society is because it forms the basis of the democratic system; which is how many countries are governed. Under this system, leaders of the country are put into power by the people to represent their views on national issues. It is thus their job to listen to the public so as to tackle on the burning problems they face. Dissents and feedback are therefore very important to the system as they are the direct voice of the population. For example, under the lead of President Barak Obama, the US government now put their focus on creating jobs in their country rather than the war beyond their boarder. These decisions are made base on the voice of the people. As a result, the US economy is slowly stabilising and its society is moving towards better state. In doing so, the US government also starts to earn back the trust of their people. This highlights the important for political dissents in order to bring improvements to the society. In conclusion, political dissent is essential for a society to make progress as it is the first step towards progress. It also allows the government to reflect on their way of governing and set new goal for its people. The government is then able to bring the society to a higher level then it was. If we only obey the governments decisions fully, we will soon find ourselves in a stagnant state and are unable to initiate any improvement.