the price of freedom....
It's funny how England and America are on a civil liberty killing spree in the name of a false sense of security. We're willing to go to war with far off Third World Nations and show them what democracy is, yet we can't find it in our hearts to help our poor and provide for the needs of the common laborer. We seem to be so apathetic towards preserving our own good fortune that less than half of us even vote.
The saddest part of all of this is that it is the laborers and poor themselves that elect the same politicians that neglect their interests. This irony, of course, leaves one to wonder: is democracy even a relevant type of government anymore, when the notion that "the people don't know what's best for themselves" begins to make sense? Perhaps, Nietzsche's idea of the Ubermenschen has more relevance than we at first assume. Consider for a moment the possibility that some people, whether subconsciously or consciously, have a desire to be led rather than to lead. Then, apply this hypothesis to the fact that so many of us are followers while there are far fewer leaders in our societies.
Most of us don't want to stand out in society, and by consequence, we "elect" leaders to make difficult decisions for us and to take the brunt of political conflict as well. Yet, in an age where TV ads have a greater effect on our votes than our own personal research into each candidate's platform, one must also wonder what the point of giving such a crucial electoral power to the people is when most of them squander this power in apathy and ignorance. It's far more en vogue to vote along party lines than to actually vote according to "issues." Essentially, the messages that people give to politicians by doing this are that they don't care about any issues they can't understand at face value, and they are too lazy to actually investigate how each politician stands on issues that are often very vital to the livelihood of their constituents.
The conclusion I've come to is that, perhaps, now is the time for meritocracy. In the U.S., we live in what is essentially a plutocratic republic. We elect representatives that support the interests of the wealthy and powerful at the expense of the rest of us. Communism may have fallen, but Marx's class war looms as a very real possibility in the near future if corporations continue to consolidate power and capital while the poor grow in numbers. It seems as if the only way to counter this trend is to focus on putting the most educated and intelligent in office rather than the most popular. Unfortunately, in a democracy, popularity is paramount, and it is quite rare for the most popular and the most intelligent to be the same candidate. In a meritocracy, the most intelligent are the rulers. Classes would still develop, but if the economy is a healthy mixture of socialism and capitalism, then perhaps, life would be better for those of us that aren't in the top 10% income bracket of the population.
Of course, there are many who would disagree with me... and I would hope they would defend there views here... of all places... 😀
