Robin Sears' article, posted in Sunday's Toronto Star, was a cogent warning on the implications of extreme populism.  Titled “The Fatal Attraction of the Politics of Confrontation,” the column reminds us of what inevitably happens if we opt for leaders who would rather attack democracy as opposed to reforming it:“But the problem with those who bellow their promise to confront the swamp denizens, or to clean up City Hall is this: they always fail, and they leave a large mess for their successors to struggle through their first term trying to clean up.”As with the current Syrian conflict or the circus that is now Washington D.C., what we have isn't war, but many wars.  By electing what Jacob Burckhardt calls the “terrible simplifiers,” we have introduced forces not of change but of chaos, and the effects on regions entertaining such political titillation have proved deeply dysfunctional.  Destructive ideas by destructive leaders are hardly the means by which we prepare for a more inclusive or prosperous future.Underlying all of this is the decay of power itself.  For any complex society to overcome its challenges, especially in the modern era, it must implement a diversified power arrangement that brings civil society, the corporate and political sectors together to tackle our greatest challenges – many global in scope.  Canada has done better than most in creating such conditions, yet there is a growing sense that our shared politics is being “weaponized” by the forces of the narrow, the intolerant and the simplifiers.  Anger can be a helpful and even bracing force for timely change, but not when it seeks to burn down the essence and institutions of democracy in the process.  And no aspiring leader is of any service when he or she seeks to break down modern society into a clash of tribes.Yes, we are growing fatigued with hyper-partisan politics, ineffective politicians, the lack of problem solving,  an economy, whether hot or not, that leaves increasing portions of our workforce out of the mix.  But we have faced such problems before, often in crisis proportions, and somehow emerged intact, even when other nations were splintering under the weight of their own umbrage or history.  Such a rugged balance was achieved by the willingness of citizens and their representatives to take the next precarious step into the future together rather than remaining in a perpetual state of anger.This isn't some kind of fanciful naïveté , but a workable arrangement assisting us in learning from our past collective faults, overcoming our present divisions, and forging a more equitable future.  We will never get there, however, by being enchanted with those seeking power merely for power's sake.  Democracy can only survive when we collectively refuse the “terrible simplifiers” the power they seek to turn one group against the other.The greatest loss in what has become a more turbulent and divided world has been that of trust – not just between voters and their representatives, but between citizens themselves.  As power continues to decay at the same time as wealth becomes focused in the few, our global problems will continue to multiply.  While it's a comforting fact that no democratic country has gone to war with another democratic nation in decades, all other kinds of conflicts – racial, trade, regional, religious, and cultural - are increasingly tearing us apart from the inside.  Only a renewed sense of trust can keep it all together.  For that to happen, there must be a prioritizing among our citizens, politicians, civil society and business leaders that can heal past injustices and oversights.  Fail to accomplish it, and no one will believe our institutions learned anything from their past failures.Also, it's becoming clearer that what was once perceived as the power of social media to make policy alive with civic energy is now exposed for its lack of responsible oversight, respect for individual privacy, and the ability to move across ideological lines to frame a way ahead.  “Liking” or “following” isn't the dedicated kind of public engagement required to reform our systems.  More likely than not we are followed by, or choose to follow, those most like us, leaving us as isolated as ever.Robin Sears has done us all a favour by reminding us that, while the fires of change have always been what democracy has been about, electing those who prefer to carpet bomb rather than forge consensus will only take us down the road of destructive anger.Glen Pearson was a career professional firefighter and is a former Member of Parliament from southwestern Ontario.  He and his wife adopted three children from South Sudan and reside in London, Ontario.  He has been the co-director of the London Food Bank for 29 years.  He writes regularly for the London Free Press and also shares his views on a blog entitled “The Parallel Parliament“.   Follow him on twitter @GlenPearson.