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REPORT CARD
Saturday, February 4, 2023
I’m disappointed with democracy, and not because of the pandemic, coming (maybe) recession, inflation, interest rates, or stupid people like Putin, Trump, Kim, Xi Jinping etc.
I’m not suddenly enchanted by or proposing any alternative we know of but questioning whether we should be content and confident that what we have is OK.
Canada is highly ranked among world democracies, 7th, so maybe we have nothing to worry about. At a time when the UN, NATO, our country and many others in support of Ukraine – a democratic country under siege by Putin’s Russia – have not been able to swiftly, safely and without massive destruction and bloodshed – then maybe we should question whether democracy, as we know it today, is enough, right enough, stable enough to sustain us in the future.
It’s easy to say, “We’re a democratic country – democracy is good, democracy is great,” if that is true, but can we be confident and relaxed about it?
Dictatorships, autocracies, military rule/juntas, and communist and hippy cults have their places in history, but I don’t see answers for our future.
I believe we are complacent champions of Democracy and even brag that notwithstanding its many flaws, and that it is better than all the other systems. That’s an easy argument to win over dumb people, and innocent children, but I don’t believe serious people debate this, and I believe we should.
Ask, is our democratic government democratic and delivering the best brand of democracy possible?
Are the principles of democracies holding true to their origins in ancient Greece or the tenets of our ‘so-called’ civilized western countries?
I don’t think our democracies are nearly as democratic as we think they are. I have to wonder how we continue to sell the democracy Kool-Aid to billions of the next generation of grandchildren to rule the earth.
Every time some new chapter in the stupidity realm shows up on the news, social media or in bold headlines atop the front page, it seems like Laugh-In redux at the funny farm, a farce in the extreme. The cost is only a few billion here, a few billion there, some ‘fantasy bitcoin hoax,’ and something else the pandemic and its aftermath has taught us.
Not the lesson that the rich grow richer and poor grow poorer – and the gap widens, one into which dreams plummet, savings disappear, conspiracies pile upon conspiracies, and that’s all without big tech and A.I.
I don’t have a solution, but I believe we need one. Democracy and democratic institutions and the rule of law (none made by nature, all made by humankind) are, as I understand them, peaceful and fair principles under which people can live on the land – urban or rural, and find ways to live in communities peacefully, determine their territory by acquisition (conquering or purchasing), and have some form of government, one they consent to be governed by and in giving that consent they agree to abide by the rules and laws their society reasonably imposes on everyone. Governments, law enforcement and courts oversee the administration of an organization, delegate authority, and collect and distribute money. All for the common good …
Open your eyes, follow the news, talk with people who are governed sadly, badly, or abusively and ask them if they believe all is for the common good.
Am I advocating the replacement of democracy with something better? Yes, but first, I’d like to see democracy return, if it ever was, to true Democracy. But, even if we can, will that take us far enough?
We’ve all come to love technology and the internet. It seems like the ultimate connect-us tool for good. And we know how untrue that has become. Most of us can’t imagine what will replace the internet, but something will – probably within a few years. And already A.I. is becoming a fascinating study in much good vs. much potential for bad actors to do evil …
Our governments, our democratic institutions, cannot run themselves without corruption and scandals, let alone control the world. The League of Nations, its successors, The United Nations, NATO, World Bank, etc., have not made the world a fairness and freedom c and freedom combo following their ideals. I'm not sayings they aren't good or much better than they used to be (I am not suggesting that there hasn't been substantial progress,) but I am questioning: is what we label 'democracies' living up to that description? And, is it good enough for us to rest easy?
Democracy is not everywhere, and not every country that says it is democratic is. It’s a matter of degree. Maybe we can collectively do it, but come on, don’t just look at Ukraine and Putin’s Russia, don’t just consider nuclear, chemical, and electronic weapons …
Most people on this planet are not disagreeable and want to live free lives without cheats and despots raiding their pockets, raiding their villages, and wreaking mayhem.
So why can’t we stop it?
Democracy is our weapon, so why is it not working?
A.I., ‘new fusion,’ regime changes, and whatever 'next new thang' captures our attention swiftly, and whatever comes after that – does DEMOCRACY stand a chance?
We are more connected than ever and less together as countries and as a human civilization than at any time I remember since I was in grade school.
What can we do?
What can we all do?
Surely one rich person with great ideas and the support of many - together with money/power can lead us to the promised land?
We’ve had some to love and revere and some to fear, but as bright as they all are, do we have a democratic future with an elected/selected/self-appointed leader with the wisdom, humanity, patience, and love of freedom and democracy to lead us all, on any path to anywhere?
Think quickly; who would you pick?
You’d want someone wicked-smart, someone with values you align with (many democratic countries swear by the Judeo-Christian ethic – but look at the world’s demographics: Christian 31.1%, Jewish 0.2%, Islam 24.9%, Secular/Agnostic/Atheist 15.58%, Hindu 15.15% - and the rest) – or maybe we should consider reorganizing society differently. What are the other options? Race/skin colour, culture/history/nationality, gender, or other unifying factors?
We are 100% human earthlings, and there seems little we all agree on, so I am doubtful any unifying ideology we've seen could surpass historical divisions and clung-to turf.
It seems experts need to slice/dice the stats, even dividing full democracies into two shades of green (as a Canadian, I am happy to see my country painted second-darkest green, as are Australia, New Zealand, Germany, and Japan), but the number of flawed democracies, hybrid regimes and authoritarian regime – while showing (check out the Wikipedia index) Scandinavian countries, as the only ‘dark green’ full democracies.
Maybe democracy today should be assigned a version number, say Democracy 2.0 - indeed, it is different than in ancient Greece. If this were anything else, something important we all rely on, it is overdue for a full-system upgrade and needs a lot of work.
For instance, consider the world-changing iPhone, introduced 12 years ago; now it's on version '14'.
The concepts and name of democracy and a constitution-based form of government originated in Athens in 508 BC - and we are still on Version #1.
We should all ask, “Who will help me fix the world?” I remember the childhood story about the little red hen looking for help to plant the wheat, harvest, grind the flower, and bake the bread. Everyone wants to eat the bread of free societies, self-determination and fulfillment of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
I’m not looking to overthrow governments or incite discord anywhere, but don’t we have to ask – “If not our generation, now, who will do it?”
I realize this question might be too general - but can we answer this fundamental question: are the foundations of our society - our democratic institutions and faith-rooted regimes the vehicles for the future of this planet?
While they’ve been the source of everything until now - I wonder if we have 'making democracy better and more widespread' as our only alternative?
Our ubiquitous access to information, real-time news awareness and technology, appear to make us freer and independent, but do they indeed do that - or is it an illusion because it's so immediate, so fast to change and improve that we mistake it for freedom, safety and fairness?
Are we in the hands of Buffett, Gates, Bezos, Musk, Zuckerberg, everyone controlling things in Silicon Valley, A.I., Blockchains, bitcoins, and central banks?
Don’t answer that …
Instead, answer this: the reality that 'they' have all our information and all their money/power, is it to put more of our money in their pockets or make us safer/freer and more democratic?
Yes, answer that - there are two possible answers: yes or no.
Whose hands do we want on the steering wheel?
Democracy has been around for 2800 years.
Human civilization, as we know it, has been here for 0.00006167400881057269% of the earth’s 4.54 billion-year history.
Are we in charge or not?
I believe we want to be, and we wish we were, but when we look around and seriously question whether we are living the freedom within a democratic society we believe we are enjoying, is democracy as we know it genuinely doing it for us?
Democracy, fact or illusion?
If democracy was a child in school, would the report card say: you’ve improved a lot in recent centuries, but keeping up with a fast-changing world is difficult – there is room for improvement requiring hard work and focus, but you can do it, you can do better.
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