In a recent poem “GET OUT OF THE WAY OF DEMOCRACY”, Jack Nanaimo
reflects on rising political polarization and democratic anxiety across North America.
When power stops answering to law
“When authoritative action kills the Rule of Law
And adventurers grab power using autocratic claws.”
The opening lines are a warning about what happens when authority begins to operate outside the boundaries of law. The poem is not just describing political tension; it is pointing to a deeper concern about systems losing their balance when accountability weakens.
The idea of the “Rule of Law” here represents the foundation of democratic societies: that power is meant to be limited, checked, and justified. Once that structure begins to erode, the shift is rarely sudden; it tends to happen gradually, through exceptions that slowly become normal.
What the poem brings into focus is a civic responsibility question that affects every democratic society today:
When power no longer feels accountable, what protects the public from it?
When politics becomes identity
“Maga has flummoxed the American people
Pushing fascist behaviour to climb the US steeple.”
This stanza shifts attention toward something more socially complex, the way political movements can become deeply tied to identity, emotion, and loyalty rather than policy alone.
There is a sense here of confusion and fragmentation, where public understanding is overwhelmed by intensity and division. The imagery of a “steeple” suggests politics taking on a near-sacred or ideological form, where belief replaces debate.
The concern raised is not just about disagreement in society, but about what happens when disagreement stops being constructive. Democracies rely on pluralism, but they also rely on a shared agreement that institutions, truth, and dialogue matter more than tribal loyalty.
The underlying awareness being raised is simple but uncomfortable:
When politics becomes identity, does democracy lose its ability to self-correct?
Decisions that ripple beyond borders
“By imposing tariffs not authorized by Congress
On allies and neighbours citing executive orders.”
The poem widens its lens beyond internal politics and looks at how decisions made within one system can affect relationships far beyond its borders.
Economic tools like tariffs are not just financial mechanisms; they become signals of how power is being used and whether institutions are being respected. The tension in these lines comes from the idea of authority being exercised unilaterally, bypassing traditional checks and balances.
What this raises is a broader awareness about how interconnected modern democracies are. Actions taken in one nation can influence trust, cooperation, and stability across entire regions.
The question embedded in this section is less about policy and more about responsibility:
What happens to global trust when the democratic process is bypassed for speed or control?
A shared global responsibility for democracy
“The world is watching in disbelief
As MAGA events are unfolding around the world.”
The poem closes by stepping back and shifting perspective from national issues to global observation. The sense here is that political developments are no longer isolated; they are visible, discussed, and interpreted worldwide in real time.
But rather than ending in fear alone, the poem moves toward a reminder of resilience. Democratic systems are not self-sustaining; they depend on participation, awareness, and public engagement to remain stable.
The final message is ultimately about vigilance. Not panic, not partisanship, but awareness that democracy is something maintained through attention and collective responsibility.
And that is the central idea running through the entire poem:
Democracy is not just a structure; it is something people actively preserve, or slowly allow to weaken through indifference.