We don't own the Tug

You’ve probably heard of the game of tug-of-war. In this game, participants split into two teams and pull against each other to test their strength. The team that overpowers the other emerges victorious.

The teams may change, but the rope—the tug—remains central to the game. Each new group of players uses the same rope to test their strength and aim for victory.

But what happens if the tug itself becomes the prize? When the rope becomes the object to win rather than the tool to play the game, the entire dynamic changes. It no longer serves the new participants but instead undermines the very purpose of the game.

This is similar to what happens when democracy is reduced to a struggle over the vote itself rather than a means to determine leadership. When the “tug”—the vote—stops serving the game and instead becomes something to own or control, the essence of democracy is compromised.

A tug serves its purpose only when it remains part of the game, not the property of the players. Likewise, a vote fulfills its role only when it belongs to the democratic process, not to those who seek to possess it.