September 29, 2009
What Have We Done to Democracy?
Arundhati Roy in The Nation:
The question here, really, is what have we done to democracy? What have we turned it into? What happens once democracy has been used up? When it has been hollowed out and emptied of meaning? What happens when each of its institutions has metastasized into something dangerous? What happens now that democracy and the free market have fused into a single predatory organism with a thin, constricted imagination that revolves almost entirely around the idea of maximizing profit?
Is it possible to reverse this process? Can something that has mutated go back to being what it used to be? What we need today, for the sake of the survival of this planet, is long-term vision. Can governments whose very survival depends on immediate, extractive, short-term gain provide this? Could it be that democracy, the sacred answer to our short-term hopes and prayers, the protector of our individual freedoms and nurturer of our avaricious dreams, will turn out to be the endgame for the human race? Could it be that democracy is such a hit with modern humans precisely because it mirrors our greatest folly--our nearsightedness?
More here.
Posted by S. Abbas Raza at 10:01 AM | Permalink
Comments
Excellent.
One must wonder about the failure of democracies and how citizens of non-democracies will react to arguments for the establishment of democracies in the future.
It may have an effect on the long term survival of the human species as well.
Posted by: Dredd | Sep 29, 2009 11:26:20 AM
Less than 2% of Norwegians go to church.
In Poland the number of regular churchgoers is 71.5%.
- And some wonder why Poland is considered a border-case when it comes to being a third-world country?
One cannot have democracy, and a society that is superstition based, as they have no reference points that are imbedded in reality.
Posted by: Dave ranning | Sep 29, 2009 7:44:59 PM
When are you going to say something new, Dave?
Posted by: aguy109 | Sep 30, 2009 4:21:26 AM
Dave,
Put the bong down for once and read up on a country called Ireland, their church attendence and economy for starters, proceed from there to reading about something that was called the Soviet Union. For dessert read up on the EU and notice how no LDC's (not even borderline) are amongst their ranks.
Sorry dude, but as a huge fan of Poland, I found your cotton-mouthed babble to be particularly obnoxious this morning. Stop meditating and sign up for a library card.
Posted by: Jesse | Sep 30, 2009 6:50:05 AM
"read up on a country called Ireland, their church attendence and economy for starters"
Last time I checked, Ireland's economy was deeply screwed by the current recession.
Seriously, Dave is right. Religious superstition is a flimsy basis on which to build a sane civilization. It will eventually collapse under the weight of its own stupidity.
Pepito
Posted by: Pepito | Sep 30, 2009 1:19:08 PM
"And some wonder why Poland is considered a border-case when it comes to being a third-world country?"
Um, I understand Poland IS a "Third World" country. Not that I like using that pejorative label, but still.
Posted by: Pepito | Sep 30, 2009 1:21:20 PM
Pepito,
Do you ever get anything right? The point of mentioning Ireland contra Poland is that you have another deeply Catholic churchgoing nation that has proven itself capable of a robust economy. That this has been arrested by the current global recession and their own real estate bust hardly reduces them to an economic backwater. Poland as a former member of the Soviet bloc cannot be considered a "third world" country if you know anything about the history of the term, which you obviously do not. Is Poland on the poorer end of former Soviet countries now in the EU fold? Yes it is, but to blame "churchgoing" for this, rather than say Soviet retardation (other factors too of course) is moronic.
"Religious superstition is a flimsy basis on which to build a sane civilization. It will eventually collapse under the weight of its own stupidity."
There are many reasons why a civilization might go under, but your confidence that "religious superstition" is what spells doom seems, er, rather religious. Put it on a sandwich board Pepito.
Posted by: Jesse | Sep 30, 2009 4:04:28 PM
Children, do we have any non-Poland-related comments on this article about India? Potential topics:
10 yard penalty. You retain possession. *tweet*
Posted by: Space Toast | Sep 30, 2009 9:35:51 PM
I just got back from Poland, actually. I spent many a night surrounded by history, culture, beautiful architecture, excellent people and the best vodka and pierogies I've ever tasted. If that's Catholicism, well, pass the rosary and a bible this way, please.
Anyway, Jesse, please continue pwning these two for our amusement. It's fun.
Oh and aguy: it's better if you stop being annoyed, and start being amused by Dave's steadfast, unwavering dedication to making everything about religion. Mental illness can be fun!
Posted by: Nick Smyth | Oct 1, 2009 12:00:24 AM
"I mean the working model: Western liberal democracy"
Referring to liberal democracy as "Western" in the context of India rather pre-judges it.
Posted by: Sagredo | Oct 1, 2009 1:55:54 AM
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