The world witnessed a symbolic and shocking attack on democracy a year ago when a mob stormed the U.S. Capitol.

Joe Biden, who took over the U.S. presidency after the bloodshed, called for unity of the country and pledged to audiences both at home and abroad that he will defend democracy.

Unfortunately, however, the world has fallen into deeper chaos in the year that followed.

ELECTIONS BECOME TOOLS OF EXCLUSION

Heavy-handed politics is thriving across the globe, and not just in China and Russia, which appear willing to use force to challenge the existing world order.

Elected leaders are acting arbitrarily over the people in some countries. In another country, the military has trampled on the election results.

Why did freedom and democracy, the supposed “winners” of the Cold War that ended three decades ago, fall into this current crisis? How can they be put back on their feet?

The world’s leading nations must take the initiative in reflecting on what is taking place inside themselves.

National elections are scheduled this year in South Korea, France, Japan, the United States and other countries. Debate will be held throughout the year on how to build governing principles and frameworks for global cooperation for an age of a new, emerging order.

Since the end of World War II, the United States has presented itself as a paragon of democracy charged with spreading its ideals across the world.

However, the attack on the Capitol shows the country has become less up to that role. The riot was seen as an attempt by supporters of former President Donald Trump to block congressional procedures for endorsing the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Social divisions that provided the backdrop for the turmoil have deepened in the year that followed. One survey, for example, has shown that 70 percent of Republicans still believe the presidential race won by Biden was fraudulent.

There seems no let-up in U.S. electoral system changes that discourage Black and poor people from voting as well as in electoral district lines being redrawn arbitrarily.

Elections are supposed to be about competing on policy measures that take account of broad sections of the public. But if they degrade into tools of exclusionary political strife, corralling existing support bases and fueling antagonism, these developments will only hinder national reconciliation and deepen public distrust of politics.

Alarming signs against democracy have been seen elsewhere.

In Brazil, President Jair Bolsonaro has said the country’s electoral system allows for fraud and indicated he might reject the results of the presidential election in October, where he expected to fight an uphill struggle.

In Hungary, a member of the European Union, the electoral system has already been amended in favor of the ruling party, helping the xenophobic right gain more seats.

DANGER OF FANNING HOSTILITY

Complicated, intertwined factors have also hurt public trust in democracy.

The globalization of the economy and technological innovations have widened disparities in advanced democracies since the Cold War ended.

Democracy no longer promises riches to those left behind by growth. And in the United States, Europe and elsewhere, public anger has been directed at the elite and people of other races and religions.

Society has been torn apart by various identity-based divisions, for example, the well-educated vs. the less-educated, and wealthy cities against declining countrysides.

The polarizing nature of social media and the novel coronavirus pandemic have decreased opportunities for rational exchanges between people with different views.

Some politicians have fanned hostility just to gain support from certain sectors of the public.

U.S. political scientist Francis Fukuyama has said that the rise of a group with a different identity is perceived as a threat, and that exploiting fear, hatred and other emotions is immensely effective.

A group of scholars with the University of Chicago who are studying the attack on the U.S. Capitol said those people likely embraced fears that immigrants and minorities were replacing white people.

Eric Zemmour, an extreme-right candidate running for French president in April, is gaining support for his argument that Muslims are going to replace “us.”

Japan is not immune to such a trend. Calls for respecting human rights of foreign nationals and stamping out racism have been met with angry reactions and slander.

Equality and inclusion are the foundations of democracy. Politics that vent public discontent toward specific sections of society is hardly sustainable.

COOPERATION OF CITIZENS THE KEY

National leaders should first improve socioeconomic and welfare policies to rectify economic disparities and unequal opportunities. They need to take comprehensive measures to enhance the overall conditions of low-income earners and minorities, while simultaneously extending support to the middle class, the drivers of stability and development of society.

The assistance measures being sought by the Biden administration, which include tax deductions for families with children and more opportunities for professional training, represent a possible first step toward that goal.

National leaders should also refrain from making remarks that simply antagonize political rivals and their supporters. Instead, they should focus debates on policies and ensure that fair elections are held.

We face a mountain of problems that no single country can resolve by itself, such as the refugee crisis and the U.S.-China rivalry.

Angela Merkel, who stepped down as German chancellor last year, rightly said that international cooperation is the principle the contemporary world should never forget.

The promoters of that principle are not limited to politicians. Citizens have been working across national borders in addressing such issues.

For example, nongovernmental organizations have stayed in Afghanistan to continue their humanitarian assistance even after the withdrawal of U.S. troops. Young people are calling for measures against the climate crisis. And networks of people are striving to eliminate nuclear weapons.

We live in an age of growing rivalries and tensions between states.

In the unswerving belief that citizens will be the main players in the rebirth of world democracy, we should ensure venues are available to allow diverse global opinions to be formed through solidarity and mutual cooperation.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Jan. 3