As America rallies to elect its 44th President in less than a month, Americans are once again swimming in a sea of misinformation and equivocation regarding the nature of democracy and our right to vote (which absurdly has somehow come to mean our obligation to vote). Most of this confusion could be easily avoided if we took the time to carefully define our terms and clarify our understanding:
What is Democracy?
The answer to that is very simple: Democracy is a system of government run by elected officials. That's it. What Democracy essentially says is "might makes right" where "might" means "numbers." If enough people vote for something in a Democracy, then it comes to pass. At present, the oldest surviving Democracy is the United States of America. Another example would be Athenian Democracy (you know- the one that killed Socrates?). Another would be Hitler's Third Reich, which rose to power with the electoral support of a plurality of the German citizenry (that would be the one that tried to conquer the world and that killed 12 million people in concentration camps). These are all examples of democracies.
From Cox and Forkum
Why should I agree to trade one tyrant three thousand miles away for three thousand tyrants one mile away? -Benjamin Martin (played by Mel Gibson) in The Patriot
What isn't Democracy?
Though we often use the word "Democracy" when we mean "liberal government" (and I am using the word "liberal" here in its classical sense, meaning "free" or "pertaining to Freedom"), it is incorrect to equate Democracy with Freedom. The two don't always come together in the same package. The simple act of voting in itself does not entail freedom. In fact, it can be (and is) used to curb and violate the freedoms of minorities who don't have enough votes to defend themselves. This is why spreading Democracy overseas does America little good, because spreading Democracy does not mean spreading Freedom. As Fareed Zakaria is often credited with pointing out, the democracies we create overseas can easily become illiberal democracies.
From BendibA democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine. -Thomas Jefferson
Democracy substitutes election by the incompetent many for appointment by the corrupt few. -George Bernard Shaw
Your right not to vote.
Some Americans can go a little overboard with all of their "Get out and vote!" rhetoric. Many have turned your right to vote into your obligation to vote, and look down their noses at people who don't. You can see the absurdity by applying the same reasoning to other rights: Freedom of speech means that you must tell us all what's on your mind. If you don't you're ungrateful. Freedom of assembly means you must be a member of at least one organization. The right to bear arms means you should own a gun, or else you're insulting the blood of all those soldiers who died for you to enjoy this right! Doesn't quite make sense, does it?
There are perfectly good reasons not to go out and vote. For example, you might just not like any of the candidates. Imagine an election where Hitler ran against Stalin. Would you really go out and vote for one of them? I wouldn't and if someone actually voted for one of those two and tried to judge me afterwards, I'd just laugh. Now I'm not saying any of our presidential candidates are morally or politically equivalent to Hitler or Stalin. I know those are extreme examples, but they still serve to illustrate my point. Frankly, four or eight years from now, I'd rather not say that I helped either one of our current candidates into office. And yes... you still have a right to complain even if you don't vote.
The best argument against democracy is a five-minute talk with the average voter. -Winston Churchill
10 comments:
couldn't disagree with you more. Democracy is a political culture foremost, not a "system of government," and certainly not about "voting."
Read Tocqueville.
Some would even argue that democracy preceded the US Constitution itself, which was a reaction to the demos. Today those who believein democracy see it as the antithesis, the only hope we have, to counter the growing specter of fascism.
Well, it sounds like our disagreement here is over definitions, which is good. If you believe in Democracy and by it, you mean a political culture that emphasizes freedom and humble government... then I agree with you on what matters most.
I happen to think Democracy is a system of government wherein people vote. That just seems to me to be the plainest, truest definition of the word. At the very least would you agree that the word is equivocal? That people often package together in this word both meanings, and commit an error because the two don't necessarily come together?
Funny you mention Tocqueville. If there is anyone who has ever warned of the dangers of the ridiculous idea that the process of voting has any power to justify the outcome of the voting it is Tocqueville.
I think the semantic issue is evidence of a deeper one. Tocqueville uses the term democracy in a broader sense to describe a sort of culture. No one uses democracy in this way today. When people say "democracy" today they usually mean "voting." This of course has disastrous consequences. Thus, for example when we make it our goal to institute democracy abroad we try to make people vote. The problem with this is that voting, without the underlying cultural conditions, doesn't necessarily lead to the liberty in service of which democratic political institutions ought to exist. Iraq is a mess today because we tried to institute democracy in a place that doesn't have the necessary cultural mindset to have a democracy.
Dig the Don't Vote merch!
Thanks! I figured people might get a kick out of it.
“A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine. -Thomas Jefferson”
I rarely disagree with Jefferson but I do here. In the 2008 election Obama received 69,297,997 votes, john McCain 59,597,520 the adult population (18 and over) of the USA is 215,000,000 meaning that at best the country is being run by a consensus of 1/3rd the adult population and not a majority!
As for democracy, Our country was founded as a Republic and not a democracy with a weak federal government . The wants and needs of citizens are meet best by local government not several thousands of miles away in Washington.
Wow. When you put it that way, it makes me feel even worse about the state of things in this country! A very pertinent observation, indeed.
As for our republican form of government as constituted in our Founding Document- I agree whole-heartedly that this is the case. Sadly, our modern government poorly reflects its Constitution.
Real democracy is still an unattainable ideal, and even then, there is no system in the world as a basis, rule or sense of comparison for evaluation of full and genuine democracy, and neither can exist, because we have to get on their essence and see who benefits.
The processes of democracy are diverse and reflect the political, social and cultural development of each nation. Democracies are based on fundamental principles and practices not in uniform because there is no real model, perfect shape, or full copy of Democracy in the world, and there is no single model that fits all regions and all countries.
Therefore, the will of an absolute majority of people in change and to defend an ideal that meets the interests or wishes of the majority of the population, can also constitute itself as a process of freedom and democracy when it happens, when tens of million people come to the conclusion that one can not keep living like this and thus chose the path of social revolution for national liberation.
And, indeed, to gain autonomy and freedom, fearless people of free nations must constantly fight the direct or indirect interference in its internal affairs.
For it is only applicable to the native peoples of a nation or territory, form an opinion critical of the exercise or performance of his government, and whatever form of government established.
And so is only applicable to the native peoples of a free nation, the overthrow of political power drivers side, they deem to be stewards despots, demagogues, corrupt, crooks, opportunists and profiteers, and all this must be done without interference of any foreign imperial power.
People really free, sovereign and independent of any force or imperial power, should always lay the foundations and goals to constantly strive for the construction of the process of democracy and freedom, as their development ideals that bring them benefits.
Only a people conscious, wise, free, sovereign and independent of any force or imperial power, can build the process of democracy and freedom, as their ideals of development, with their social, political, economics, and all without imperialist interference.
Therefore, the reality of a free people with his political organization has to be referenced or binding in all respects, because, before that, what actually exists in life, cultural, social, political and economic one people is not like the constitution of the organization other people with their customs and traditions.
All nations of the free world, must find its own form of expression, to win their own freedom and blaze his own path. The people are sovereign to decide their own destiny and build the process of democracy and freedom in accordance with its ideals of development, or social, cultural, political and economic.
And, at any time, the nations of the free world, should allow interference in its internal affairs by any force or imperial power.
The people of each country has every right to fight for its social and national liberation, and choose the best path of development.
All nations must be free, sovereign and independent of any imperialist interference, to design and build the process of democracy and freedom, as their ideals of development or social, cultural, political and economic, claim always to ensure the sovereignty and independence national.
"Democracy is for the American empire, as the U.S., organize and dictate the rules, and put people in position and condition of servitude, exploitation, passivity, dependence, obedience, submission, subservience and control, but when people Try to become or remain free from interference, greed, domination, tyranny or will U.S. interests - then this will be considered a dictatorship to the U.S. empire. "
And so, failing to pray in the booklet of the United States of America, these people are persecuted, and their free and fair elections are considered by the empire of illegal or fraudulent, because the U.S. imperialists will only accept elections regimes harmless, helpless, puppets Subservient, supportive and minions of the Empire.
Moreover, the government elected by those free peoples who do not accept being subject to the whims of the United States of America, are always labeled or buffeted of totalitarian tyranny, dictatorship and its enemies.
And the villain in this manner with its policy rapacious empire, is spreading hostility extorting concessions through the use of threat of weapons and brute force, raw materials and other assets they need.
And conflict with U.S. interests, so ready, is the U.S. empire, the open treatment, hostile and unfair, animosity inflicted with the free nations - thus disappearing - a highly praised and widely touted the words "Freedom"and "Democracy" which hypocritically used by the empire as a strategy, to introduce the masses to a terrible brainwashed hypnotized and conditioned, to believe or accept the U.S. by mistake, and so false, as the only legitimate true or real" representative "and "defender" of these ideals.
You can not defend the dictatorship or tyranny of the American empire, in relation to the free world, or even defending any dictatorship - but the people truly free, sovereign and independent of any force or imperialist power, must always lay the foundations and objectives, to constantly strive for building the process of democracy and freedom as their ideologies of development, bring benefits to them, all without the interference of any imperialist power.
I'm glad that the knuckleheads over at youtube don't comment here. I can read what smart, educated people have to say, not drowned out by the "fake and gay" and "this sux". The reason I read this article is because my teacher is challenging us to think outside the box and see both sides of every story, not immediately choose one (which seems to be the case with almost everyone on the planet). Quite frankly, I live my life differently. We do regular debates, and I always side with a topic that I generally don't agree with. In this case, my argument is "Democracy is the best form of government". I am debating against this statement. That's when came I came here. I am not closed to the ideas in this article, but I am not convinced or converted. I would like one of you previously mentioned smart, educated people to tell me: how open/closed should someone be to new ideas and how easily should they be convinced? I want one of you people to answer this because my education isn't yet complete.
In any case, the article was very interesting. Keep up the writing!
Post a Comment