Picture: Declaration of Universal Suffrage, France 1848

Preamble

In previous articles, standing up for something I really dislike to the point of loathing, was cathartic and informative. This article was inspired by the experience. Most naysayers of Democracy unwittingly put forward propagandists' arguments. Addressing them is where I shall start. To follow will be key differences between Democracy and the Rest and, finally, the special strength of Democracy will be revealed.

Flaws in anti-democratic arguments

They say democracy votes in dictators. The explanation offered is because 'populists' misinform easy to manipulate voters. It therefore makes sense to cage democracy or even to eliminate it; most people are not qualified or capable of the responsibility that goes with a vote. Instead, only qualified people should have a say. They would never let a dictator take over; it's in everyone's interests to curb or even to eliminate democracy.

No right to commit political suicide

There are several arguments against this. But I shall counter the most prominent, by observation. No political system can survive without the conviction and support of its participants. Where dictators appear to be 'created' by democracy, it is they who are guilty, by way of sabotage. No one has the right to vote away self-determination; more so, no one has a right to vote away the self-determination of others. The former is as illogical as it is self-defeating and the latter is an immoral and inhuman act. Any vote empowering a dictator is undemocratic and must be forbidden. There is no right to commit democratic suicide; forcing it on others is political murder.

Blame the victim

Authoritarians rising to power trample on the ruins of democracy they caused and add salt to the wound. They justify their rule saying democracy failed, taking great care not to mention that they engineered its failure. I find it astonishing people are taken in by such simple and monumental dishonesty by blaming the victim to cover for authoritarian sabotage.

A second argument

Democracy can fail when circumstances change. It is the only system that accommodates politics, disagreement, compromise and free speech. It is particularly suited to engaging with change and the unknown: i.e.: the moment the future rolls into the present. We can only change things for the better in that instant when things happen. History follows and cannot change, however much ideologues pretend what has happened can be altered by censorship, invention or the assassination of fact.

Democracy cannot survive without compromise. More has to be shared than contested. Democracy depends on key shared cultural beliefs, practices, affections, loyalties and sense of duty. Insufficient in this, 'the tyranny of the majority', so often pointed out with unbridled glee by anti-democrats, takes over. Democracy can be maintained by the existence of many different nations, each one straddling those who share enough culture to engage, tolerate disagreement and be able to respect and compromise in the name of cooperation and good government.

If, however, a large number of people migrate many of whom may never wish to integrate sufficiently to ensure democracy is possible, the choice is either two nations, each with their own political system, or a fatal breakdown of democracy and resort to authoritarianism. The need to understand this ghastly threat is the greatest political challenge today along with the need to study and thoroughly understand the nature, strength and absolute necessity for democracy.

Differences Between Democracy and The Rest

Democracy is not Utopian but the others are. Utopians have an ideal society in mind. They 'know' what is best and already have the answers in theories, beliefs and objectives. Democracy is only a means to their end which is to march society on the shining path to their Utopia. There is an exception to be found in history, where 'progress' was not the ambition of Utopians- instead, they considered Utopia to be in the present assured by a system of absolute rule and, in many places, by divine right.

Banning disagreement and politics

Utopians cannot tolerate disagreement because they already know they are right. Free speech is only permissible if it agrees with what they think is objective truth to which, surprise, they have special access. Democracy is, at best, redundant but is most likely a dangerous diversion from the shining path- there its existence will be disruptive and directly against objective truth. All authoritarians want to abolish politics, either immediately or as soon as possible.

The extent these tendencies define extremes of authoritarianism. The EU, so far, is mild as is much ideological liberalism. At the other end, you find AH, some pre-colonial Central American civilizations, Stalin, Mao and, perhaps worst, Pol Pot along with Genghis Khan. Democracy is not on any continuum of Authoritarianism because it is an end in itself. In a democracy, the means are the end and politics is part of good rule. In an Authoritarian state, the means to an end denies change and that end is often a murderous tin pot Utopia where failure to conform is a passport to hell from a place itself but one step from hell.

The Platonic hierarchy of good to bad systems was:

Philosopher Kings- The Republic

Aristocracy

Oligarchy / Timocracy

Plutocracy

Democracy

Tyranny.

He thought Democracy was on the authoritarian scale. He might, also, have been wrong about Tyranny with no pretense of any Utopian end but simply arbitrary rule solely to benefit the ruler. Those under tyrannical rule must feel it as endless.

The Strength of Democracy

Democracy is the best system to avoid the impotence of unintended consequences. The best form of politics is one that fully recognizes the nature of information flow, trading and the impact it has on the ability to use vested authority in a knowing way. In the small world of corporate internal politics virtually all the same rules apply; a key one is the expression for power: Power depends on information and authority. Lazy expressions such as 'information is power' smokescreen this vastly important truth. Sir Francis Bacon took the 'authority' bit as read- he was not addressing little people but his peers, their and his associates. But little people in big corporations realize you can know something but unless unless you have the authority to act, you remain impotent even if you knew the secret of the universe which is, they say, not 42.

(About Corporate Internal Politics: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140604205331-61346214-a-written-guide-to-company-politics-yes-it-can-be-done)

Democracy ensures those in authority are best informed. It accommodates change because all law is based on compromise, people are aware that law must constantly change to engage with change. Fail to do this and events take over, leaving politicians looking impotent and utterly useless. It is the job of politicians to manage disagreement and make sure compromise produces the best law in the circumstances.

It is a pleasing coincidence that the most powerful political system that also ensures human rights turns out to be Democracy. But it must never be forgotten that a vote to remove or appoint a law maker is the most important right of all without which all human rights are meaningless. Democracy cannot exist without respect for people and their fundamental rights, not least because communication would break down destroying cooperation ushering in ignorant and consequently impotent government.

The menace of Utopianism

Anyone attacking Democracy attacks themselves and everyone else. They are the enemies of a good society, potency and the ability to engage with change. Utopians are a menace. The fact I am writing this in the face of almost total silence from thousands of academics across the World who could not be bothered or simply do not care speaks of the horrible danger we now face. We must defend the only good political system.

This is my contribution.

Previous articles and key sources

Why the EU is the Only Sensible and Stable Form of Government: https://rulesofpc.com/home/why-the-eu-is-the-only-sensible-and-stable-form-of-government

Why I am in Favour of Remain: https://rulesofpc.com/home/why-the-eu-is-the-only-sensible-and-stable-form-of-government

A written Guide to Company Politics https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140604205331-61346214-a-written-guide-to-company-politics-yes-it-can-be-done/

Hobbes Leviathan

Magnifico by M J Unger

Platos Republic

The rest is invention or reliant on many long forgotten sources

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Only 2 political systems: Democracy and The Rest.

Charles Michael Cawley