A Lesson In Democracy

By MJ

The world would be a wonderful place if democracy governed. There would be no wars, no oppression; the rule of the people would always ensure the rule of the majority. It’s a very utopian concept even when spoken by Neocons. Democracy is such a noble experiment of the people. Churchill called democracy the “worst form of government except for all those others that have been tried.” What else is better than a free and democratic society?

After reading numerous blogs celebrating democracy and from President Bush’s Inaugural Speech, as well as from comments posted on this site, and the current debate taking place in the foreign media, there seems to be mass confusion as to what democracy actually is. This is mainly because of the Bush administration’s mishandling of Iraq and his insistence that democracy imposed from the outside is free and fair. From what I can tell, most people, including the president, seem to think that democracy is the ability to hold elections. I wish democracy was this simple.

Democracy is not elections. The Soviet Union held elections all the time. Would anyone call them a democracy? China recently held elections also. Does that make them a democracy? In 2002, Iraq held elections and Saddam won 100% of the vote. People lined the streets to cast their vote. Some voted for Saddam in their own blood. Is that democracy?

No. None of it is. Elections primarily have nothing to do with democracy. A free and democratic society is one that has free institutions able to operate liberally and without government interference. A liberal democracy has open institutions that produce free thought and randomly makes decisions outside of the realm of government or even politics. These institutions are what formulate democracy, not elections.

If we as Americans are supposed to go into all the corners of the earth and spread democracy what is it that we are supposed to bring with us? Should we bring our hanging-chads or our scan-tron ballots? Should we bring our Constitution with its four amendments changing voter eligibility? Should we bring our Electoral College rules that allow for the president to be selected without winning the popular vote? Should we bring our gerrymandered mapmaking? Should we bring our bombs? Or should we bring our free institutions that allow a society to ponder all that they desire without restriction?

I must concur with Churchill and state that democracy is so much better than anything else we have going for us in this world. But, democracy isn’t perfect either. And there is so much more to a democratic society than the electoral process. If people would only understand, this world would be much safer.

President Bush, whether he planned to or not, has placed the extension of democracy at the vanguard of American foreign policy. I also do believe that his speech, lacking in substance as it did, has been entirely misunderstood. However, Not since the heightened days of the Cold War has the world received so much preaching about democracy. But during all the debate about an American imposed democracy and elections, the Middle East already held it’s first real election. It was in Palestine and the world seemed not to notice. I wonder why Bush isn’t celebrating the Palestinian road to democracy like he lauds the elections in Iraq. I mean they just held an election that appeared free and fair. Why then, Mr. President, is that not a democracy?

Some suggested reading:

Taking Liberty to Revise Famous Speeches

FactCheck.org

Onward and Upward and...

Freedom is not a Doctrine