Let’s start with a question. What is a democracy? You may think you know, I thought I did. I’ve lived in one democracy and I’m currently living in the land of the free – another democracy. Turns out there is more than one kind of democracy, there is direct democracy and representative democracy not to mention deliberative and the rest but I’m more interested in the first two types.
Direct Democracy, we all have a say, a referendum if you will. So lets say the government wants to go to war, or introduce poll taxes, or get a handle on immigration, or join the exchange rate mechanism, they hold a referendum and the people’s voice are heard. Great in theory not so much in practice. All four of those scenarios played out in the UK while I was living there and the populace were treated like children, the decisions were made for them and it still rankles with many today.
Representative Democracy, the people elect men and women to represent their views in government. Each elected member talks to their constituents and votes in their constituents’ best interests on subjects which will affect them directly, again great in theory, in practice the elected member votes either along party lines or allows money or ‘gifts’ to influence his or her judgment and if they don’t fulfill their obligations you can’t fire them. There are mavericks but they are few and far between. The essence of democracy, from the greek word demokratia meaning ‘rule of the people’ or ‘people power’ gets lost in the shuffle.
So I didn’t come from a democracy, not a true democracy anyway.
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