“It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.” —Winston S. Churchill, 1947
“A democratic government is the only one in which those who vote for a tax can escape the obligation to pay it.” —Alexis de Tocqueville
“This election [2016] will determine whether America is a free nation or whether we have only the illusion of democracy, but are in fact controlled by a small handful of global special interests rigging the system, and our system is rigged.” —Donald J. Trump, 2016
Typography: Isabel Webre
As I brace myself for watching the first debate of this unprecedented presidential campaign, I am beginning to start what may be a diary, journal or letters of reflections on and reactions to the coming election. I call this project Branding Democracy and the purpose is to garner some wisdom (or at least a definition) of what is “the worst form of government, except for all those others…”
In order to filter out some, if not most, of my previously held political dogma and biases, which have become like plaque under the gums of my life over the past seven decades, I will be reaching out to others in the design, academic, and media fields to contribute to my education — and create pieces of what amounts to a rebrand of the d-Brand itself.
I will start by asking some questions that include . . .
What do you really think of democracy? What does democracy really mean? Where is democracy really practiced? Who who really best uses it? Who’s really in and who’s really out of the democratic process? And who has really opted out of democracy? These are all vexing questions that should be of great interest today, and not only in Hometown, USA, but Europe, Middle East, South America, Africa, India, Australia, etc., etc.
It is a good moment to reconsider what democracy really promises. What it’s really delivered. And what, if anything we’re really entitled to.
I want to ask readers and others to engage in an open call for anyone to brand democracy, in their own ways, using any media— art, design, typography, film, video, GIFs, JPEGs, A.I. whatever comes naturally!
This is not designed to be partisan, although sometimes it cannot be avoided, but rather an examination of small “d” of democracy — an audit, in brand-argot, of its assets, deficits, successes and malfunctions.
Over the course of the next few months, I will ask those who never lived in a democracy, to tell or show us how that feels. As the summer rolls into the fall campaign months I will figure out a way to send the work to me and will publish what is being offered.