The reason I say this is simple: Because (the majority of) people vote for what they think is best for them, rather than what a more educated (or specialised) person may know is best for them.
For example:
People will vote to lower taxes, because they don't like paying them.
People will then demand better healthcare, despite the lower budget.
People will then complain to keep cigarettes cheap, so they can smoke as many as they want.
People will then expect the NHS to give them expensive operations, free of charge, after they damage their health by smoking.
People will then complain about how the NHS is in debt.
In makes no sense!!
If medical/financial experts made all the big decisions (even if it was against the general public's will), money would be spent far more sensibly.
Another example:
Some people vote to go on the Euro, because they want to be part of a more united Europe.
Other people vote to stay off the Euro, because they like the idea of a "British" currency.
This is all irrelevant to the real issue!!
If financial experts were the only ones responsible for making this decision, even if it went against the general public's will, we could go on/stay off the Euro for purely financial reasons!
My idea for how to solve the problem:
What if democracy were taken to a more advanced level, where only specialists in various subjects were allowed to vote for what choices our country takes?
We could have a "voters society for healthcare", a "voters society for finance", a "voters society for crime", etc. (These are just rough ideas, obviously - they could be fine tuned.)
In order to become a member of one of these societies, you would have to pass a fairly short educational course on the topic - to show that you have enough of an understanding to be able to vote intelligently.
And to save time, some people would get automatic membership - e.g. doctors can vote for healthcare, bankers can vote for finance, etc.
We would still have political parties/a prime minister, who everyone could vote for, but their primary roll would become more about public speaking than actually making big decisions.
In fact, to be honest, looking confident on camera is exactly what the general election is increasingly becoming about anyway!
So yeah, that's my rough idea. But I'm hungover and I can't be bothered to proof-read this.
democracy doesn't work, but it does work better that the rest if you get what I'm saying. There's problems with it, but there's more problems with every other form of government.
ReplyDeleteWhat you're describing is an aristocracy. Most would be inclined to agree that in theory it would work better than democracy, but those in charge are subject to corruption like everyone else, leading it to be just as bad, if not worse than democracy.
I think a better standard of education might be the solution of this problem.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the better education comment.
ReplyDeleteThen again, all of this is assuming that the voting process actually functions, and isn't in place just to make you think you have a choice. Just something to chew on.
if you watch the movie capitalism a love story it teaches you the horrors of democracy =\
ReplyDeletebro i feel you and your thoughts
ReplyDeleteactually, everything would work if there were no poor people and the poor status was empty...
ReplyDeleteso we should eliminate the poor people for fossil fuels!!!!!
to be fair, communism isn't very fair because of the violent takeover of the rich.
the best method would be to combine socialism with capitalism.
Nice post..
ReplyDeleteSupp!
it's hard to argue against a political system when we have lived under 1 as westerners. or two.
ReplyDeletei don`t know about your solution but i like the general idea
ReplyDeleteI'm a firm believer that democracy just isn't a viable system in society as it is now. We have a large number of the populace that simply don't know what direction the country needs.
ReplyDeleteI was a little iffy about this post, but after reading your thoughts on it and solutions I kinda agree
ReplyDeleteMmm so what you are basically saying is that a system of qualified democracy should be put in place. It's a good idea, but in the end the poor will get thoroughly proper fucked by it , very few educated people will care for them, and the cracks of society would deepen.
ReplyDeleteJust my thoughts
Following you,
Mike
I disagree with a lot of this but it does but things in perspective i like it a lot I look forward to your next post
ReplyDeleteCan't argue with much here. Nice blog ;)
ReplyDeleteFollowing
its not perfect, but nothing really is
ReplyDeleteDemocracy is just the best option, every political ideology sucks in some way. Rather have a failing democracy than a police state.
ReplyDeleteRemember Majority Vote Does Not Work In Mental Institutions.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the majority of the people today are idiots, and that majority rule therefore is a stupid idea. But at the same time, the non-voters will easily be overlooked, even if these "better knowing" voters are the ones in charge. I'm certain that there are a lot of cases where a decision ultimately would be good for society, but at the same time be unfair to a minority of people. This minority needs a say as well, even if they are ignored. Because then they've at least felt that they CAN influence, if only they were in majority.
ReplyDeleteThere is no pure democracy in existence today.
ReplyDeleteI LURVE UR MUTHER XDXDXD
ReplyDeleteI'm kidding. But seriously yea, like democracy shall always be a quiet dictatorship!
http://alowlytroll.blogspot.com/
^Ma blog! I hope u lyk
Democracy doesn't work because everyone's vote should not be equal. An 18-year-old high school dropout with an overdeveloped sense of entitlement on welfare should not have his or her vote count as much as the vote of a PhD in political science. As Milton Friedman said, a democracy is a form of rule where 49 percent get what 51 percent want.
ReplyDelete