I don’t really want democracy at all. I’ve had it!
How, in a modern world of such incredible complexity, can the average person be expected to make ant kind of informed decision??
When half of the population have an IQ below average (below 100) how can they be expected to understand the really difficult issues?
When the education system fails to inform or create thinking individuals how can they weigh up the possibilities?
When we have a media and social media churning out misinformation, conspiracy and propaganda that ignorant people accept as fact how can democracy work?
When we have billionaires pulling the strings and creating a corrupt system, manipulating peoples’ views how can we have democracy?
Democracy depends on having intelligent, well-informed individuals, debating, researching and coming to informed decisions.
What we have is an unintelligent population, largely uneducated, blinded with religion, inflamed with racism and nationalism, manipulated by powerful politicians and billionaires, voting for their own impoverishment and imprisonment.
Having seen the way the population was swayed towards Brexit, Trump, Farage and Johnson (Oban, Meloni, Bolsonaro and Wilders) I am losing all hope.
Democracy is a sham.
We are being controlled by a small elite of greedy, selfish billionaires.
The whole world is being run for the benefit of a few!
Hi Opher,
Lots to report. I broke my right arm four weeks ago, it has several weeks yet in a brace, I am recovering generally well but it can be quite painful at times. And, of course, I am now having to do left-handed everyday things I have done right-handed for 60+ years.
Likely cause seems to have been over-medication of high blood pressure, resulting in an extreme low blood pressure event leading to black-out and major fall while walking. NHS caused illness, indeed. I am of course writing a major diatribe about my almost three weeks in the hospital, which were surreal. I’ll keep you posted when it’s ready.
As to your polemic, I agree with your thesis, but disagree with your reasoning. There is no way that people with disparate views can be expected to agree on which way they want to go. The whole premise of democracy is therefore invalid. There is no “we” that can reasonably be expected all to be wanting to move in the same direction.
But the failure of democracy, of course, stems from the failure of the political state. How can a bunch of evil morons like Charlie Chump, Starmer or Badenoch do any good for anyone, when the system they inhabit is by its nature all-powerful, unaccountable and irresponsible?
Opher, you need to get rid of your socialism, and instead to understand and to live anarchism. By anarchism, I mean not no rules (that would be anarchy, not a good thing at all) but, instead, no rulers. Moral equality for all.
…hope you have enjoyed this diatribe. It’s an important one. Cheers, Neil
Sorry to hear about your arm. That must have been quite a fall! Glad you’re recovering. Sounds like a bad break requiring hospitalisation. Thought you’d gone quiet!
Surely democracy should be about discussion, compromise and agreement?? I think we can move to a consensus (given shared basic values). I agree that we need far greater scrutiny and accountability. The media do a lousy job and there is far too much corruption. What Johnson and the ERG got away with was staggering. The VIP Lanes in themselves should have been worthy of a few decades in prison.
We need politicians and not all of them are grubby, selfish, greedy bastards.
I find your words ironic when you support the party of that greedy merchant banker who is taking everyone for a ride. He’s the most uncouth corrupt lout in the House. Has he appeared since he was elected or is he still too busy arse-licking Trump?? And Tice is no better! How much money has Farage stuffed away? And where’s that all come from??
Anarchism doesn’t work. We need a far more universal, powerful system capable of dealing with nations and multinationals. Left to their own devices their greed would destroy us all. We need rules, laws and enforcement – too many bullies, too much greed and selfishness.
I am a socialist precisely because I believe in equality (of importance – not ability or reward), fairness (no billionaires or multimillionaire elites) with compassion (to protect the weakest).
I want to live in a rich (in terms of experience, range and culture) multicultural society, without religion and with a fair distribution of wealth. A society that looks after the environment and protects the weak.
Shouldn’t be too hard to organise!