Our democracy: it's a given, isn't it?

[mint]

On this nasty, gloomy, grey, damp November day, my mind has reverted, by some strange trick of memory, to some pre graduate debate about whether Britain was a democracy.

Then, the tired brain suddenly clicked into focus as I, without much purpose, flicked through the Sunday papers.

And here is one Guardian reader who has supplied a picture of what democracy means in Britain today, a picture as gloomy as the weather:

OldEnglishMarmalade

1h ago

10

11

I used to think I agreed with Winston

Churchill that democracy is the worst form of government except for all

the others. Now I wonder if an enlightened, benign dictatorship wouldn't

be better than the oligarchy that passes for democracy in Britain these

days. Of course, how could one guarantee that any such dictatorship

remain 'enlightened and benign'? But then at least we wouldn't be

kidding ourselves that we live in a democracy, a 'democracy' where one's

education depends on one's ability to pay; where the Press is

controlled by self-serving, foreign-domiciled billionaires; where the

government serves corporate lobbyists rather the general population; and

where the victors of elections and referendums are those that most

cheat the system by spending more on campaigning than is legally

allowed, aided and abetted by funds from not only offshore but even

foreign governments.

Spare me modern British democracy.

Edit:  apologies:  unable to delete post and I am also unable to restrict the quote to "once" only so please just ignore the repetitions

[idun]

This is something I have often thought about and wondered what sort of person could become our benign dictator.

When my son moved to Madrid, he often commented on how Dictators were the great builders. And how Franco had changed Madrid, or so he had been shown.

Personally I doubt that any other system than the one I am currently in, would suit me. I am very different to many of my friends, and I know for a fact that most would not bat an eye lid if such a system did not affect their cosy rather aise lives.

I have seen this over the last 5 or so years when I got on my high horse, started my own little, very little campaign, about some thing and was sort of dismissed by other friends as they believed that what was upsetting me greatly, would not affect them. And it being just me, was not something to do anything about.

Laws were passed and they found that they were going to be even more worse off than me, and asked what I had planned on doing........ but sometimes things are just too xxxxxxxxxxx late.

[woolybanana]

Dictators are never benign; as opposition arises so they repress it. Look at Maduro.

[richard51]

Singapore did quite well, and look at how the god of money lives there.

[woolybanana]

Not much political opposition was allowed to Lee Kwan Yew; but given the low starting point and the potential political/ military threat from just over the water, his rule did have a huge positive consensus.

Not the god on money, richard, but the god of intelligence, intellectual wealth, perhaps. Just look at the overall standards of attainment. This of course leads to prosperity.

[Patf]

Singapore is a good example.  I lived and worked there for 2 years in the '60s. (I think Jonzjob was there at the same time.)

I got the impression that Chinese people in particular have a strong work ethic. Also there's a traditional respect for teachers, connected to their history. Part of my job was teaching mature students, and I was quite puzzled by the fact that they took my word as gospel, and had difficulty in discussing pros and cons in a debate.

ps The Indian and Malay students had a different approach to learning, but they were in the minority.

[richard51]

http://www.straitstimes.com/business/companies-markets/singapore-third-best-financial-centre

[mint]

I don't much like what I see, hear and read about.  But, as idun has pointed out, there is bug all that can be done by the average citizen.

The elite are smug and satisfied with what they have and the little people, well, they jolly well have to put up with what they get stuck with.