Friday, November 21, 2014

Modern Democracy : The net essence of its evils

Modern Democracy : The net essence of its evils

There was an article in the 'Indian Express' news paper on November 17th,2014, wherein the author had a sentence that explained the essence of the evil that modern democracies are infected with; He was referring to the issue of abandoning ‘death penalty’ altogether from the judicial system of nations.

 " The Indian parliament is not sensitive to such matters" !

Not only Indian parliament, but every modern political state treats single individual merely as an impersonal component  in the greater whole, the society, or the country.. Let him live or die, the State is not sensitive, or centrally concerned about such issues. This is a grave philosophical, or to be more right, an ontological malady of modern political and social theory. 

Do modern states represent whatever is noble and pious about the humankind ? Do they solely and directly exist to achieve the grooming of better communities, and an ideal larger world ?

Even though in paper it appears so, in reality, thanks to their predominant POLITICAL nature, they are entirely distinct entities, with their professional goal and work-dynamics remaining far remote from everything pious and noble ! What these modern political entities keep and practice is a kind of 'state-craft', an old art and science of managing mass human communities within the frame-work of the old 'ruler and the ruled' paradigm. The myths and norms around the older authoritarian third-party regimes ( in the sense that rulers were altogether different a class, or species from that of the people !) around the 'ruler and the ruled' are still active and alive at this realm. 

Noam Chomsky was candid about the present regimes' prejudices about people's class: 

If you read the sayings of the founding fathers,( of America) you will discover that, that was essentially their view as well. They also regarded the public as a dangerous threat. The way the country ought to be organized, as John Jay put it, the president of the constitutional convention and the first supreme court- chief justice of the supreme court, his- one of his favorite maxims, according to his biographer, was that those who run- those who own the country ought to govern it. And if they can't govern it by force, they've got to govern it in another way, and that ultimately requires deception, propaganda, indoctrination, the manufacture of consent" ( Chomsky, in a speech delivered at University of Wisconsin - Madison, March 15, 1989)

He says, while the communist regimes have the 'club' ( totalitarian power)in their hands to discipline the 'internal enemies'- the people, what suits democracy is the above said 'deception by propaganda, indoctrination and manufactured consent'. In principle, both methods are equal for the intended purpose. 

Modern democratic regimes are modeled exactly the same way that any old third-party
( authoritarian) regimes were modeled,with regard to their attitude towards people !

Democracy as a peoples own political system had never attempted, nor thought-out, or produced any different set of norms, values and myths that amply suited a real regime of people . The only paradigm shift that was achieved by the government of people was about the ones who should occupy the seats of power; instead of Kings, Feudal-Lords, or any hierarchical ruling class, democracy insisted on seating peoples representatives there on these seats !

It was a great tragedy for human-kind as this un-thought tenet has taken away the opportunity for a grass-root change,  as to what should be the  real status and role of citizens class under the peoples own system !!!  So, peoples’ class still remain as the old class of  ‘subjects' under modern democratic regimes, as passive victims, targets or even predators’ prey  under all the follies and tyranny of the modern 'ruling' class ! A new class of RULERS in the form of professional political leaders and their well organized groups are there well set and established, in every modern nation where democracy reigns. 

The question of hanging or not hanging criminals is one in a thousand of similar crucial questions that modern democratic states fail to take-up in the new light of a true regime of people !

What Albert Camu ( a Nobel prized author) had said deserves central attention here:

“an age can be called modern and progressive only when it starts sending her prisoners to mental asylums than jails". Forget about the past third-party regimes; a peoples own governmental system should have taken-up with serious concern, as to what makes ordinary individual a criminal, or anti-social. It should not have been considered a merely a law and order issue, but a psychological, or a social science issue. Only when such grass-root level understanding takes place in modern democratic system, that we could claim our governmental system as truly and genuinely 'democratic', or something under a peoples own government-model.

Friedrich Hayek describes what could be such freedom under peoples own government:  ( The Collected Works of F. A. Hayek, Vol. 10: Socialism and War: Essays, Documents, Reviews (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1997), Chapter 11: “The Intellectuals and Socialism,” [1949], pp. 221-237)

" If the cause of liberty is to prevail once again, it is necessary for friends of freedom to not be afraid of being radical in their case for classical liberalism – even “Utopian” in a right meaning of the term.[27] To once more make it a shining and attractive ideal to imagine a world of free men who are no longer slaves to others, whether they be monarchs or majorities...

.. It would be a world of sovereign individuals who respect each other, who treat each other with dignity and who view each other as an end in himself, rather than one of those pawns to be moved and sacrificed on that chessboard of society to serve the ends of another who presumes to impose coercive control over his fellow human beings" 


We have been into research and advocacy on the above theme for over 5 years, and have produced many papers dedicated to the cause of ‘reinventing modern democracy’.. We are glad to share few of them with you here,  at links: http://direneedofreinventingdemocracy.blogspot.in/



Abraham J. Palakudy

He is a seeker&researcher in subjects like Mind, Reason, Polity, Metaphysics and Spirituality 

E-Mail: ajoseph1@rediffmail.com
Twitter: Voice of philosophy@jopan1

His profile/other blogs:https://www.blogger.com/profile/14249415589712707293 

Ps: Also see our book at Amazon.com " Is modern democracy a fake coin?" at link : : http://www.amazon.com/modern-democracy-fake-Reinvented-ebook/dp/B008NNPG32/ref=sr_1_2_title_0_main?s=books&ie=U




Thursday, June 19, 2014

It is high-time to rethink on the compatibility of Power-State model for democracy

Introduction  

America invaded Iraq to restore democracy in that country, after killing its despotic ruler, Saddam Hussein. There were leading news-item in every world newspaper recently ( 12th June, 2014) that the Sunni rebels of the present government in Iraq captured major cities in the state, and thousands of families  are fleeing to safer pockets of the country.

The rebels in Syria have been fighting a similar battle with the present ruler for many years now, to oust him and establish a different government.

Egypt has got her third President elected recently, after the bloody ouster of two in the span of 3 years !

Isn't it most sensible to reduce these constant phenomenon of bloody fights for grabbing political power, or to occupy the ruler's seat in the democratic world into its singular fundamental cause ? Though the cause that we propose here might look a bit philosophical, common sense of even ordinary persons would agree to it that, it deserves serious rethinking on the compatibility of 'power-state' model for democracy, the celebrated governmental system of EQUAL MEN.

Power has the following universal traits: 

1) It enables its holders to have absolute freedom
2) Power-holders' freedom is gained chiefly by the lesser freedom of those who are under the spell of it.

One's restricted freedom is caused chiefly due to his need to accept similar freedom of others. I can not have my absolute free-ways when others also do enjoy similar freedom. Therefore, under the spell of institutionalized or other forms of power, others enjoy lesser or no freedom at all, and then my freedom gains an absolutely free domain !I am the law maker, hence no one under ordinary circumstances will dare to question me. Therefor, I am free to care or not care for the freedom of others. In paper democracy, freedom is same for both the law makers and the ordinary citizen. But the fear of the power of the fiercely impersonal State often subjugate citizens, and force them to be silent.

3) It naturally grooms subjugation, and even develop worshiping tendencies in those who are under it, because, for the victims of power, subjugation, sycophancy and even worship only would ensure protection and favors.In many Indian States, followers of leaders often prostate before them, and touch their feet to express absolute subjugation and surrender !

4) Every human child grows-up listening to glorified stories about Kings,Queens and similar members of the Ruler class. Hence, every human-being unconsciously keep a secret desire to occupy seats of Power someday, so that they could enjoy the kind of freedom those Kings and Queens used to have. Modern democratic order gives ample opportunity even for ordinary citizens to dream big, and fulfill these dreams if they work hard. But such fulfillment of pathological desires should not have had any place in a governmental system of equal men ( democracy) !

5) Power usually claims of its ability to achieve instant changes in society, simply on its above listed strengths. But by all logic, such advantages of Power suffers heavily on the ground of its multitude of draw-backs with regard to the general peril of freedom and rights of the ordinary citizens. It is enemy number one of true democracy, if it is to remain a genuine governmental system of Equal Men.

Power is not the one and only fuel for bringing forth revolutionary social and political changes in the world. The best example is just in-front of us, in our own country; the successful struggle for independence led by Mahatma Gandhi against the great British Empire ! The idea of inalienable individual freedom and liberty that the American revolution had brought in also had its real roots in the writings of philosophers like John Locke and David Hume.

Bringing an end to the evil of Slavery was rather a personal mission of Abraham Lincoln. He had to fight a serious civil war with his own country men to bring-in the revolutionary law of banning slave trade. He later clarified his actual definition of a true democracy; ' As I won't be a slave, I won't be a master too, and this explains my idea of democracy'. His words express his clear stand against the present trend of choosing our 'masters' through elections in modern democracy.

6) It is advocated that in the absence of power, chaos and disorder will prevail. We have taken up this case in one of the portions below, to show that delinquency of every type emerges from power and power abuse. In other words, chaos and disorder appears in societies that have been under some or other kind of long spell of absolute power. Humankind was never tested for no-power kind of social structure in history. But the isolated examples of customer behavior at modern malls and shopping centers etc., where they are free to pick up merchandise of their choice and then pay later at counters etc. should be treated as note-worthy model to forecast similar human behavior of citizens in a control free social atmosphere.When people are accepted and recognized as trust worthy, they tend to behave that way, with unprecedented responsibility. Most likely, they will show more responsibility and maturity to voluntarily obey all social norms and ethos.

7) Power kills, or blocks originality and creativity. Under Power-regimes, creativity and originality are supposed to be the exclusive privilege of those who are on the power-chairs. The ones under the spell of power take all pains to conceal their creativity and originality, to block the wrath of the masters ! What the power holders want is mere support and adulation of their ideas, and they always show the tendency to hate, and even destroy every sign of creativity from others.It threatens their sense of superiority ! ( Following blog link throws light on how Power and authority kills originality and creativity in modern organisations; http://perilofreason.blogspot.in/

The stories of world famous despots, killing and eliminating the best minds ( artists, scientists, innovators etc) the moment they occupy the Power-chair are popular.  (Eg. Russian and similar revolution stories in history )

Under what logic, democracy- the governmental system of equal men- should keep a Power-state model ?

A government when formed through the democratic process of election, and when it holds the State power as it was usual during the old regimes, every one under such Power-regime, especially the political opponents, always has to bear with power abuses of varying degree, because, power has its psychological, institutional and traditional grip upon those who are under it. No institution or law is capable of standing against Power, whether it is in the hands of a monarch, a despot, or a democratic ruler ! Despite the prevalence of democracy for many centuries in the world, it could not produce any alternative governance model, fit exclusively for the governmental system of equal men.Hence, the ones who could not make it to the throne always nurture power-ambitions, ( as power is the only real way to have complete FREEDOM for the seeking individual, and his group) and adopt various means to achieve their goal.

Armed attempt is one of such methods to take over Power. A ruler holding POWER is always an existential threat to every one under it. The threat may not be always real, but many times it is imaginary too . But the end outcome would be always the same; ie armed opposition to the throne, terrorist tactics, guerrilla war-fare, or ethnic conflicts with the throne for separate statehood etc. We have ample examples in the current history of modern world. Besides the examples of Iraq and Syria referred above, we had the bloody story of the annihilation of the Tamil separatists in Sri Lanka in the recent past by the ruling native government. In Nigeria, the Boko Haram radical Islamist group want to take over state power, and rule the nation under hard-line Islamic laws. In every case, what the rebels want is total hold on governmental power, so that they could have their own ways ! Through the medium of modern state power, one can have his own unlimited ways, whatever it might be. State power is the ultimate means for having ultimate freedom for oneself and his group. Every one who could pose threat to my freedom is now under my absolute control, so there is no hindrance at all for my, or my group's freedom. Now on, it is my will and my way all the way; absolutely !

Think of a total paradigm shift. If world could produce myths and values around a true governmental system of Equal men as per a totally altered democratic system and values ? What if future States are constituted without the mandatory element of POWER to govern nations of EQUAL MEN ?

It is plain common sense, cause-effect paradigm that delinquency is always caused as a pathological reaction against misplaced use of power. No animal is known to submit to power and authority of another unrelated animal without coercion. It was always involuntarily enforced upon the less powerful, and the latter oblige to submission out of utter necessity, or for the fear of cruelty, or even death from the hands of those who holds power !. So, delinquency could easily be understood as a mental condition caused directly by the existence of power as an inevitable malady in society. Power nullifies the entities of the ones under its spell. It can never accept the value and dignity of the other party. Power is a primordial evil force of the remote past. It should never have been adopted as the fuel in a governmental system of equal men- democracy. When it is present, no term of equality, rights or liberty could co-exist with it, in every practical and real term. Failure to recognize this chemical or physical law, is at the bottom our age's massive failure at peace and equality efforts.

A future enlightened world could be visualized only when such societies completely oust power-concepts from their governance principles and systems, by some of other means.

As there was no alternative value, or myth about governing masses and nations sans the fuel of Power, even when the once oppressed members in society managed to defeat their oppressors and then constitute their kind of establishment, they too adopt the same old Power-ways of their one time oppressors; ie. using,or enjoying the sinful sense of Power to the maximum ! The fate of the communist regimes is the best example.Their leaders who fought capitalistic masters and occupied the Power-chairs of States had no alternative model to govern people other than the same old Power-way. Hence, every communist government ended up adopting the capitalistic Power-way, or perished without achieving their cherished egalitarian goals !

Unfortunately, human societies today are at loss to think of anything beyond a governmental system of Power, let it be the exclusive governmental system of EQUAL HUMAN BEINGS, ie. democracy !

Think of how human civil society traditions managed to establish sustainable norms about garbage disposal, or electricity and water distribution. Or, how mankind had managed in educating their young with knowledge of the past generations ? It was able to eradicate many self-destructive evil traditions like polygamy, unequal status of women in etc. in societies. Similarly, once we could recognize and accept that, institutionalized state power does dreadful harm to every society than any good,  we could eradicate it, and think of a hundred alternative ways and systems to self-govern our collective affairs, without the intervention of coercive POWER !.

Think of the excellent way in which modern societies manage their corporate governance. Sense of responsibility and self-excellence are adequate,natural inspirational tools for men to achieve excellent result with their given goals, as well as to create never heard creative means to achieve such goals !

Any single human-being when entrusted with institutionalized state power, involuntarily transform himself into a monster. He loses all his individualistic traits that makes him a single-unit in society. From now on, he represents the fiercely impersonal State. Despise and contempt towards the unattached single individuals, helpless and powerless, comes to him naturally !

Violence of every kind originates only in two exclusive ways; one as the natural revenge of the oppressed towards their oppressor, and two, that emerge in the power-holders from the despise and contempt towards the powerless individuals, especially those who dare to stand against, or question the authority of the power holder. Both parties see their victims not as single individuals, but as part of a greater evil whole.As it is obvious, power, especially institutionalized Power, is at the root cause of every kind of violence in the world, and the chief threat to world peace !.

The ones who had suffered under some or other kind of Power-atrocity, do develop one of the following reaction patterns towards life and the 'others' in society:

1) Learn to bear with after internalizing the power-atrocities, so that he never reacts, but exist peacefully with its evil ways. They even believe that Power is a necessary evil in every society, for its orderly functioning.

They kill their sense of self-hood, and attempt to live like a nullified entity. The slaves under the old colonial masters had adopted this method, it appears. From this groups, many a pathological, neurotic illness also  take birth. These men practice to live entity-less lives out of necessity. Some of these men take to various kinds of crimes too, as without their already annihilated sense of self, they get immune to such sentiments of other men too. Hence, they get free from every sense of remorse and guilt. They face life like life-less machines.

2) The fire of the sense of self of man is never extinguishable. Even after thousand years of captivity and oppression, the flames of freedom and unhindered self-hood takes buds, and attempt to annihilate the oppressor. A moment of slackness from the part of the master-oppressor kindle such flame, and revenge is taken upon the oppressor.

3) Lie down and pretend subjugation. This group goes on planing their counter attack clandestinely, and adopt gorilla tactics and secret army tactics every day. Modern trait of terrorism could be classified into this category. This group know that an equal strength strike is never possible against the powerful oppressor, hence a prolonged but never ending armed agitation would bring best results. For this group, even an imaginary sense of powerlessness before the powerful is enough to plan their strategies and strikes. This involves an extreme hatred too, towards the ways and cultures of the powerful, or the oppressor. The hatred of the Muslim terror groups against the much powerful Western powers, seems to be a manifestation of this kind of a reaction against Power.



Power need not be always that of armed power. It could be the power of money and resources too

Powerlessness suffered by modern man is not always from the despising and neglectful attitude of modern democratic regimes towards ordinary citizens. The sentiments expressed by the US population recently, by the name' Occupy Wall street' etc., saying that it is the struggle of the oppressed 99% against the all controlling 1% elites in the capitalistic nation is one best example. The agitator's claim has much substance too, if the latest researches on inequality undertaken by many reputed institutions like Oxfam, Zurich University and others are to be believed. All such research studies reveal that more than 50% of world's wealth and resources are in the pockets of merely 70 or 90 rich business families or groups in the world !
This trend of more and more money and resources getting accumulated in the hands of fewer and fewer people every year was always known as a clear trend of modern capitalism. The majority of the world who are fated to compete for sharing the remaining 50% wealth and resources that fall from the table of the rich and powerful, a sure and certain feature of modern Capitalism, naturally create large scale aspiration for full-scale freedom and equality, thanks to the inextinguishable flame of the sense of self and dignity of man referred somewhere above.

Though modern media put all the efforts to show contemporary world as open, transparent and egalitarian under capitalistic-democratic order, the never ending bloody wars for capturing state power in every corner of the world that we have seen in the beginning of this write-up exposes the lie.

Modern world must find out better models of egalitarianism, freedom and individual dignity, to end the above serious malady of this age. Some models are suggested at our blogs: http://whatequalityshouldmeanindemocracy.blogspot.in/, http://democracywithoutpoliticalparties.blogspot.in/2010/11/model-of-democracy-without-political.html etc.

A possible different story on the origin of the first establishment in the world can be seen at link: http://originofestablishment.blogspot.in/

Please visit following link to see about the great vacuum in the world for a new philosophy of life: http://newphilosophyoflife.blogspot.in/

The blogs that follows down under explains, why a reinvented democracy  a dire need of our age,

Authored by: Abraham J.Palakudy

HHe is a seeker and researcher in areas like human-reason and justice, reinvented democracy, Mind and Reason, Spirituality and general philosophy..
E-Mail: ajoseph1@rediffmail.com
Profile and other blogs:https://www.blogger.com/profile/14249415589712707293