The United States is going to the polls.
The Ukraine is facing a snap election.
The world's biggest democracy, India, is voting next year.
Journalists, commentators, pundits and experts of all sorts are excited.
Indeed, the voting public, the electorate will be quite exercised by the votes in those countries and anywhere else on the planet where they get the chance to choose those who lead them.
Only it's a complete farce. A complete and utter waste of time. A sham.
Because regardless of who it is we elect, no matter whether the odious Sarah Palin gets to second biggest job in the world, no matter who rules the vast population of India, it will make not a shred of difference.
We now know, democracy doesn't work, doesn't even exist.
Sure, on paper it looks better than totalitarianism, dictatorships, ancient monarchies and the like.
But in reality, it's no different.
Leaving aside altogether the way 'model" democracies like the US cheat people out of their votes by challenging those with a legitimate right to vote.
Forgetting altogether the 'hanging chads' and the irrational impatience of the US Supreme Court eight years ago.
Dismissing the long queues for voters in poor (Democratic) areas and the lack of such inconvenience in wealthier (Republican) areas, it is quite clear that George W Bush doesn't and didn't rule the United States.
Maybe Dick Cheney does and did. At least, maybe he and his mates do and did.
Because that's what we know now.
Business rules the world.
Money rules the world.
Bankers, hedge fund managers, investors, speculators, weapons dealers, gamblers rule the world.
The greedy, the immoral and amoral and the uncaring rule the world.
The selfish rule the world.
Vote for whom it is you please, they have, it is so apparent, no control whatsoever over world affairs.
World affairs have been run by bankers and investors and will continue to be run by bankers and investors.
Democracy is a side show, a distraction.
Democracy just hides the evil and the greed on which everything is predicated.
A handful of people, be they in the US, Britain, Russia, China, India - even little Ireland - decide what's what and the politicians fall into line even if they don't know that's what they're doing.
Depressing?
It certainly is.
Because if the rich just gave up a tenth of what they have, we would eradicate hunger, much of the disease that ravages the poor world, lack of education and misery.
But they won't because that's why they exist. To accumulate at the expense of others.
And there is absolutely nothing we can do about it.
Nothing.
Except, maybe, pray.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Democracy, a Side Show Masking the Greed Which Rules the World
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Everything you say about greed ruling the world was just as true two months ago, but today you are talking about it. In my book that makes this "crisis" one of the best things to happen in a long time.
The few people that "run" the world, do so because no one else cares. Everyone is too busy making money and buying stuff to care about anything else.
I am hoping that this "crisis" will make people start to care. And when they start to care, a democracy will be the best system for them as they try to make changes.
Democracy is not a solution or even a path to a solution, but it is a great tool to be used by the people if the people care to use it.
You are right that as long as no one cares to be part of government, the form of government does not matter, but when they start to care again the form will matter very much.
It is also important to remember that democracy is more than just voting for the top national leaders. To practice true democracy you need to pick local representatives that really represent you and talk to them regularly. If the only feed back is occasional election you do not have real democracy.
Conversation with your representatives is far more important than voting. We have let the media become our proxy in this conversation and have lost our voice in the process.
Post a Comment