The recent announcement by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation regarding their quest to eradicate polio has garnered a lot of press – some positive, some dismissive. If the program can succeed, this eradication will be only the third in human history, after smallpox and rinderpest (a virus that affected cattle, among other ungulates). Clearly, the endeavor to eliminate a terrible disease should be lauded for its humanitarian benefits. Critics note, however, that such a plan may be impossible. This same debate could easily be applied to the global struggle for democracy.
Only one out of 200 infected individuals develops polio, making detection difficult. Further, misconceptions about the vaccine itself (such as the belief in Nigeria that it renders women infertile) hinder widespread adoption among many at-risk populations. Even the nominal ‘father’ of smallpox eradication, Donald Henderson, believes that a more feasible approach is to expand and enhance an annual vaccination plan rather than pursue total eradication.
In attempting to eradicate the virus of tyranny, little by little CIPE’s partners on the ground help root out authoritarian practices and build the foundation for fair and transparent societies. Human nature being what it is, however, abuse of power is unlikely to ever be completely eliminated. A sustained approach of continued civic education and course correction is the path most likely to sustain positive change.
Are we selling ourselves short, though, when we curtail our quest for a perfect world? Of course the realities of epidemiology may make polio eradication a Sisyphean task. And yet, Doctors Salk and Sabin developed their vaccines hoping to rid the world of a debilitating disease. Certainly the very nature of humanity makes perfect democracy a near impossibility. That does not mean we shouldn’t try. One of our greatest strengths as a species is, to quote Robert Kennedy, our ability to “dream of things that never were and ask, why not?” While we temper our expectations with realism, we should never fail to reach as far as possible toward the ideal.
Published Date: February 07, 2011