Winston Churchill once said, “Democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.” Indeed, America’s founders viewed it with suspicion and probably fear as they hemmed ours in on every side, lest the country fall into mob rule. But what is Democracy?
Rules of political decision making…
Should we view democracy as a political decision rule? Is it really a way to make collective decisions by means of voting? Does it or doesn’t it aggregate the preference of individual constituents into an outcome. Does that outcome represent the “will of the people”? The average American does seem to have the idea that democracy can and should translate into our collective choice. But is that the will of the people? Does everyone vote?
Politicians have talked for a very long time like such a translation is both possible and desirable. But, what is the truth about in practical politics? Whether or not we can imagine it; do we do it? Hasn’t politics always proceeded in a humanly corrupt fashion? Doesn’t our government feature privilege seeking special interests, the iron law of oligarchy and isn’t it generally under the control of people with great wealth? Isn’t it a good idea to occasionally compare expected with actual performance?
Flaws…
Democracy isn’t perfect. There are flaws. Is it possible democracy holds the potential to harm civilization? Today we are in a race. All political talk seems to be about voting ourselves more and more free stuff from empty public coffers. Has people’s moral judgement been corrupted? Can we be so naïve as to expect something for nothing without grasping we are leaving the bill for our children and grandchildren? Are we so selfish as to just not care?
So how do we get the free stuff we vote for? What happens is government functionaries take actions that would be deemed criminal if you or I did them. An example: Let’s say we got together to threaten a neighbor with violence unless a specified sum was handed over. We would be engaged in extortion or robbery. But if a government sanctioned employee does the same thing we call it paying taxes. Just think about it.
Moral government actions?
Here’s the question: How does their employment status give them the right to do what would be considered criminal otherwise? Yes the representative of the government carries the powers derived from the democratic election held by the government. But when did you ever vote for increased taxes? Regardless of the use the loot, booty, or swag the government collects is put to: How can we delegate to the government a right we do not have?
Most people believe election to political office or working for the government endows a person with standing to disregard moral standards, standards applicable to people in general. As government has grown in the last century the scope of government has greatly expanded. Our government demands ever greater sums from its subjects. It imposes ever greater compliance requirements. Increasingly government and government alone may act without the moral denunciations we would impose on each other.
Free societies definitely work better than unfree ones. They deliver greater prosperity and more rapid economic progress. The problem before us, today, is whether we can keep from killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. We have seen example after example of embracing totalitarian regimes. Whether it was the Nationalist Socialists from Germany, the Communists of the USSR and China, or the Socialists in Argentina and Venezuela; we know what is coming. History does repeat itself. It’ is a shame more people don’t actually read about it.
All aboard the oblivion express…
Each side of our political debate has its academic experts, scientists, and authorities to prop up its position. The sides do not have equally compelling evidence. Does the average American see through all the disinformation and rhetorical flimflam? We all know murder and robbery are wrong. So why do we give a moral pass to elected officials to do what we don’t tolerate from each other? We have lost much of our freedom,; are we going to try to regain them? Or are we on the oblivion express. All aboard…