Big ideas that changed the world. Democracy

Thought I'd post this video in the history section. It's an interesting history of Democracy. From Greece to the current day. It's presented by the late great Tony Benn. I've just seen a lot of threads recently about the apathetic nature of our current systems and whether voting matters or not. This is my response to the message that voting doesn't matter, that it's all fixed all a done deal. Which is an extremely disempowering message

Benn explains how democracy is the only way for people to have control over the future of their lives and the only way to improve our communities for the benefit of all not just those who are rich and can change policy and influence politicians so the system works in the interest of the few.

a reply to: woodwardjnr

I remember watching him talk about the civil war and Cromwell, he was inspirational on the subject of universal suffrage and made perhaps one of the best cases for quitting the EU I ever heard.

Not just an Orator, but a very clever man indeed.

Good to see Hillary has inherited some of his old man's abilities a while back when he debated air strikes in Syria.

Democracy always ends in An Autocracy.

a reply to: woodwardjnr
A democracy is only as good as the "Demos" who are running it.
Athenian democracy could be cruel and irrational, as was demonstrated by the institution of ostracism (voting to send people into exile).

a reply to: SprocketUK

Didn't Plato suggest democracy is the cradle of dictatorships and Liberty was the beginnings of extreme slavery

Talk it up but people get complacent and surrender their choices to tv

DEMOCRAZY.

Keep dreaming about a philosopher king or any other leadership that's not self serving...there is only one logical solution for the good of mankind.

Combined with education, democracy is the best political system there will ever be.

originally posted by: DISRAELI
a reply to: woodwardjnr
A democracy is only as good as the "Demos" who are running it.
Athenian democracy could be cruel and irrational, as was demonstrated by the institution of ostracism (voting to send people into exile).

That's why we need an educated mass, the contrary of what we have now as the people in power want to keep that power. Real democracy can sometimes be cruel but in theory, it can never be irrational.

a reply to: theMediator
A man called Aristides, nicknamed "the Just" was once one of the candidates for ostracism.
A man who didn't know Aristides approached him in the crowd, and the conversation went something like this; "Can you write down this name for me, because I can't write myself".
"Certainly- which name do you want?"
"Aristides."
"Why do you want to expel this man. Has he done you any injury?"
"No, I don't know him. I'm only tired of hearing him called 'the Just' all the time".
So Aristides obligingly recorded his own name on the ballot.
That, to me, is the true voice of democracy.

Our present day western democracies are not perfect and probably never will be but other types of government have been far worse for prosperity and freedom in practice such as communism and fascism. Voting can count because if one side goes too far and people don't like it they can vote it out of power. As we are seeing with the current US election cycle Trump and Sanders are different and going against the so called establishment they are shaking things up because the voters are getting sick of the same old career politicians blowing hot air. Power, money and corruption always work behind the scenes however but this is true of any form of government.

originally posted by: Raggedyman
Didn't Plato suggest democracy is the cradle of dictatorships and Liberty was the beginnings of extreme slavery

Talk it up but people get complacent and surrender their choices to tv

Democracy simply means majority rule.

It has nothing to do with liberty, freedom, equality or justice.

As an alternative, how about a Randomocracy? You already are selected from time to time to serve on petit juries, rarely on grand juries. Why not fill political positions the same way? It would solve all the abuses of party politics, entrenched power, professional politicians, etc. I have faith in the people. Let them be called to serve ONE term, and return to their former life. Yes, we would get some from the left side of the bell curve, but don't we have that as things now stand?

a reply to: Lazarus Short
That IS democracy, by Aristotle's original definition.

originally posted by: DISRAELI
So Aristides obligingly recorded his own name on the ballot.
That, to me, is the true voice of democracy.

And what's wrong with that?
Any single citizen should be allowed to open a bill, it is to the voters to vote on it afterwards.

a reply to: theMediator
My comment was really referring to the previous line;

"No, I don't know him. I'm only tired of hearing him called 'the Just' all the time".

originally posted by: greencmp
Democracy simply means majority rule.

It has nothing to do with liberty, freedom, equality or justice.

How can the majority(everyone) justifiably rule if they aren't free and equal?

I don't think that makes sense :p

a reply to: DISRAELI

Maybe you'll have to explain more into details, I'm sorry for misunderstanding!

That man that cannot write, even though he should have the liberty of complaining, is described as not educated. Like I said before, I believe in democracy COMBINED with education.

a reply to: theMediator
We agree that there was something unreasonable about the man's attitude?
But I don't believe that this was the consequence of not being able to read and write.
If he had been able to write the name on his own, he could have kept himself out of the spotlight of historical anecdotes, but I'm not convinced that his attitude would have changed.
In other words education, on its own, might not be enough to produce a reasonable populace.
They might still be inclined to be unjust towards unpopular individuals or unpopular minorities.

originally posted by: theMediator

originally posted by: greencmp
Democracy simply means majority rule.

It has nothing to do with liberty, freedom, equality or justice.

How can the majority(everyone) justifiably rule if they aren't free and equal?

I don't think that makes sense :p

By definition, there is always a minority so democracy is the tyranny of the majority.

Our representative republic consists of concurrent majorities which has elements of democratic processes in its representative selection but, avoids direct democracy.

People are not equal, it is how government treats them that must be.