Democracy
And my disturbing lack of faith in all leaders.
This topic was suggested by
. If you’d like me to write on anything, feel free to name it. If I’m clueless I’ll just make up something.
I think most of us would agree that Democracy, at least in it’s current form, isn’t working as advertised. Then some would propose a return to a variant from the good old times, pointing to some more democratic form, or one with more checks and balances against the tyranny of the majority and/or the ruling class. Others would prefer completely different ways of government or no government at all.
Over the centuries, no so-called Democracy has really lived up to its name, which means “rule (or state) of the people”. There have always been additional methods of control in urbanized societies, mostly through cults and other shady or forceful manipulation by the oligarchs. Recently, scientism has supplemented or supplanted religion in many so-called Democracies, as yet another faith-based authoritarian pillar of the state. Organized scientism vs religion sets one more false binary.
I often come across another ideological conflict lately, one that I find rather amusing: that of Democracy vs Republic. Those are ancient Greek and Latin names for the same system. And even if we go by very specific modern definitions, I don’t consider this approach able to reach the heart of the issue.
When annoyed by such linguisticly ambiguous debates, I like to remind myself that while language is of great importance, and very often ideologically manipulated, it’s practically impossible to have two people share an understanding of all definitions. Let alone at societal scale. What we should strive for among well intentioned human beings is efforts at mutual comprehension, not battles over control of expression or the dictionary.
Back to the heart of the issue that I mentioned earlier: Power. Who and to what degree has the ability to control the present (and the past) and organize the path towards the future. There are two(-ish) opposing extremes on the matter. Some want total equality (or independence) in decision making and consider it the pinnacle of freedom, others see the masses as incapable of sanity and desire a supposedly enlightened elite positioned for total control. While the later is more dangerous and rapidly gaining momentum on a global scale, both approaches are problematic.
Hint: I’m not here to advocate for moderate Democracy, whatever that means.
On the contrary, I consider any degree of centralization of power unethical, corrupting and eventually disastrous. You might get a decent King, President Elect, Theocrat, Papa-Smurf Secretary or maybe even Ancap High Entrepreneur (if you ever reach “pure capitalism”). Most likely not, especially in an aging system like the current one, but say you’ve been lucky in space and time. What about the heir? What about the bound to be rising cult(s) around the power center? The bishops and the knights and the court jesters and the grand bureaucrats and the armed goon chiefs and the human resourcerors and the intelligentsia? The lower tier attached minions of those?
I also can’t see most people around me as capable of self governance in the present. But I don’t blame them. I blame the constant conditioning. The social engineering. The glorification of wealth and fame. The Meds. The surveillance. The one truth. The noble lie. The overton window. The corruption of everything. The march to war none of us asked for.
Perhaps we might be able to improve “human nature” - or rather more importantly empathetic connection and thus behavior - by getting wiser, which includes staying away from totalitarianism and eugenics and transhumanism. Perhaps not, and all civilized humans, including “elites” are bound to be fools. In any case, at least for now, we need some form of social organization to function in groups.
My ideal society, one that I most likely won’t live to see at any large scale, would in some ways be a Democracy. With all power and the vast majority of production and consumption at the local level. With only the absolutely necessary officials, directly answerable to the local Demos. Progressing (or regressing) in accord with natural conditions and real knowledge (or lack thereof). Without obsession for safety and reckless organized faith in any form of higher power, human or not. Without hidden or sacred truths or mass culture. Keeping control freaks away from even the most temporary of leadership positions should be a core moral value.
I’ve named this intentionally vaguely described (and admittedly not that original) prophetic concept “Internationalist Localism”.1 Sadly, I only see it as possible after a potential collapse. Till then, you’re welcome to call me crazy, I’ll likely return the favor in kind.
Yeah, I know, unmarketable. It’s Greek version sounds more cool though. Anyway, please don’t corrupt it into a “movement”.
Is that ΚΑΣΣΆΝΔΡΑ as in Cassandra? Was she the one who could see the future but no one would listen to her?
Well, we have a lot in common.