I don’t condone dictatorships or tyranny, but I don’t think democracy is the perfect government either. Instead of blindly accepting it as the only way a country can be lead, I think it’s important to become more aware of the flaws that exist in the modern idea of democracy.
This list is actually provoked by a new proposed amendment in Danish anti-terror-laws stating that outspoken opponents of democracy will not be allowed to enter the country. Well banish me, because here are 6 reasons why democracy sucks:
- It Lacks Diversity
If you want power in a democracy you need to appeal to as many people as possible. This becomes a problem when all parties want power and adjust their politics accordingly. The result will be a government that represents only the majority instead of the entire people. - It’s controlled by the Media
The people in a democracy are supposed to elect their representatives based on an informed decision. To take this decision they rely on the media as their main source of information about politicians and problems to be addressed. The media as of today does not deliver this information. Instead of in-depth analysis we are presented with entertainment. - It’s Hijacked Easily
Under the Nuremberg Trials Hermann Göring said: “..it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. […] All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.”
This proves more relevant than ever in today’s world - It leads to Polarization
Many parties see their politics as the one and only route to a better tomorrow instead of representing a viewpoint. This polarizes any debate because all other parties necessarily need to be wrong in that case. Instead of finding a common stand or seek a compromise, this determination leads to laws forced by a small majority or half implementations of otherwise good ideas. - It’s suppressive
In a democracy the majority is given the power to suppress the rest. This seldom happens directly, but when people vote out of self-interest instead of interest for the country, they take a step on the way. The day everybody does that, we have a majority suppressing the rest. Kennedy once said: “ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country”. I think this principle applies when you vote as well. - It leads to Short-sightedness
Back in the 18′hundred-and-something a Danish king ordered for new forests to be planted in order to rebuild the Danish navy when the trees would be full grown 200 years later.
Imagine a politician making a plan reaching 200 years out in the future. It won’t happen.
It seems to me that most politicians doesn’t think much further than the time they’re elected for… That’s why nobody did anything about global warming 20 years ago.
Remember that democracy isn’t the last state of evolution governments. How we rule each other will continue to evolve and when it does, it’s prudent that we look at the current shortcomings and try to make things better in that perspective.