Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) once said, "If there was a nation of Gods, there would be democracy." What he meant by that, it would take us forever to discuss. But we often shortsize the concept of democracy. Much too often it is meant something else than it really should. And unfortunately, in today's world its meaning is diluted and lost its vigor. What is democracy? Isn't it about 'government by the people and for the people?' Isn't it about full protection of individual liberties, enshrined in the Bill of Rights? Isn't it about the will of the people? But where in the world do we have a 'popular democracy?' All Western liberal democracies are 'representative democracies' or democratic 'republics'. But there is a big difference between a popular and representative democracy. Representative democracy chooses the elite, a few chosen, the government bureaucracy to govern over the people, not really to represent their will, their needs, their interests.
The recycling of dynasties, families who are in control of the political resources through generations takes place. While elections occur and parties fight, the people end up with little or no meaningful choice. The candidates make wonderful promises, sing to the choir of the supporters and distract the opposition. But all they really care about is how to get elected and then stay in power. They decide to walk on the tightrope-- not to completely disappoint their constituents, but also never follow through their grand plans devised during elections. And so it happens every time. Where is the will of the people, ordinary people with ordinary problems and goals?They are lost somewhere in the traffic of our times. Those people, disillusioned, then become lethargic, withdrawn and detached from the larger world and the civic society. Hence there is low voter turnout and irremediable cynicism over politics and politicians.
As far as individual liberties, most people care about their paychecks. As long as they are paid on time and feed their families, the civil rights that they purportedly have are less important. They remember those only when they are mistreated themselves. The government is least interested in these rights because more protection translates into weaker government... More power to the people is less power to the state...
Who cares about the popular will? Does the Ivy League school graduate of a political elite family care about it? He will then always look at people with snobbish awareness of his superiority. When he gets the job as a 'representative of the people' he will be as detached from them as Australia from Canada. Meanwhile, those who know about the popular will cannot get to Ivy League schools or the Ivy Tower hovering high above, have no access to the elite governance, and will not be allowed to represent the people. I thought democracy is something very different from aristocracy or elitism. Moreover, I thought democracy was simply not the same as monarchy. We got rid of the kings and queens, I thought. Did we really? Now we have institutions that, in the name of the people, perpetuate those same monarchies...
("The Raft of the Medusa" above (1819) was painted by a great French painter of Romanticism, Theodore Gericault (1791-1824) It commemorated a real contemporary tragedy, when a French ship was wrecked in the sea but the captain left the crew behind to die.)
No comments:
Post a Comment