The Democratic Renaissance and its Meaning/Part 2 From Cairo and Athens to Dublin, A New Political/Intellectual Enlightenment Defined Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves. -Henry David Thoreau Despite a recent political activism and challenge to the status quo not seen in generations, there remains in many Western countries intransigence and an organized obstruction to the will of the people. Despite the circumstances advantageous for change brought about by the Great Economic Collapse, the most recent elections in Ireland, Greece, Portugal and Denmark reveal that power is still in the grip of an elite, regardless of the fact that their ideas and policies are discredited in the streets. In more practical terms, this intransigence is igniting a new and dynamic debate that also provided the kindling for the Enlightenment in the 17th and 18th centuries. Back then it was the notion of rule by divine right held by the elite that brought about protest and change. It was opined that the rulers of the aristocracy and the Church were direct descendants of God and therefore only they were worthy enough to occupy thrones, while the rest sat on logs with neither bread nor cake. Then, as now, the Western world appears to be full of those who earn only the contempt of the elite, as did Jean Valjean. Today, this line of questioning has people across Europe once again revaluating the core political structures and economic systems that affect their lives. The disgust of the people is vocal in all countries; be they a republic; constitutional monarchies or parliamentary democracies. Since the onset of the Great Economic Collapse, thousands have taken to the streets to demand more control over their lives, a bigger say in the creation of laws and more input at every level of government concerning the running of the state. This new era of questioning first appeared in Iceland when their banking system collapsed in the fall of 2008, with the government disintegrating soon after that. In continental Europe, three nations in particular are worth noting for their long-time rejection, in whole or in part, the ideas and teachings of the Enlightenment. It is these countries that have spawned the largest protests: Spain, a country that did not employ democracy until 1975; Greece, ruled by a military junta until 1974; and Portugal, another military dictatorship that did not embrace democracy until 1976. But the feeling of disenchantment and powerlessness in the face of todays problems can also be found in other European states, countries with a dynamic political structure that does reflect at least some portion of the general will of the people. In nations like the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, there has been dissent, though on a much smaller scale, and the same vein of questioning has also arisen. The effect of the Great Economic Collapse has been twofold for us in the West. On one hand, it has revealed a democratic process that is open to abuse, corruption, mismanagement and undue influence by the elite of the state, while on the other hand, it has produced a disturbing picture of how the very structure of many of todays Western states function: limited individual right of self-determination; economic systems incapable of producing enough jobs; limited resources for the middle class of affordable and quality education; limited social mobility to climb up through the classes, and a cultural void in both narrative and substance. For many in Europe, the narrative of the state over the years has been woven around the words democracy and freedom. But the Great Economic Collapse has revealed a missing link in the genetic DNA of these Western states and to those ideas born of the Enlightenment. If one were to look at the European protests from purely a state specific point of view, it would appear that the demands of the people are directed at specific democratic problems within that state: demands of Real Democracy reveal a genetic mutation, a cancerous tumour in our Free State. Free and fair elections every four or five years, but no chance of recall for representatives; economic free markets, but an economy run by boards and councils appointed by those in power; civil and Human Rights protectionsa tacit acknowledgment to the supremacy of the individual and enforcement of human rightsbut a closed and appointed judiciary. Democracy without the freedom that so captured the minds of men and women in years past is only an election. But if these protests are seen holistically, encompassing a much broader perspective, the incorporation of the current debate and viability of a common currency, the Euro is discovered to be part and parcel of the undemocratic and intrusive agenda of an ever-growing European Union, an unelected and intrusive European Court, an appointed European Council, and a powerless European parliament. And so a disturbing picture begins to emerge, one of a truly limited definition of democracy and freedom with a number of common threads weaving their way through the discussions and agitations enveloping the people of Europe today. To be continued in the next post due to length restrictions on website... J. R. Werbics is a Canadian writer and philosopher. www.directdemocracyireland.org All (fully sourced) essays available for free at: www.scribd.com Copyright 2011 J.R.Werbics Coming next: The Democratic Renaissance and its Meaning/Conclusion From Cairo and Athens to Dublin, A New Political/Intellectual Enlightenment Defined
The Democratic Renaissance and its Meaning/Part 2 From Cairo and Athens to Dublin, A New Political/Intellectual Enlightenment Defined Continued.. Since many of these threads are still being spun, their definition is not yet fully defined and their importance in the debate is still unclear in many areas. Workshops in the streets and various political organizations are still debating, in fact, what the problem actually is, and so it would be prudent to focus solely on the one thread that has so far shown itself in its entirety, and which creates a bond between the then of the Enlightenment and our now, a thread that twists around the definition and boundaries of the word control. We are a race of beings obsessed with the idea of control; for many amongst us this helps drive our lives in positive ways; striving to learn; creating better worlds where individual control trumps government or group think. But for some this need to control is problematic. They take this obsession to dizzying heights; control over our environment, our thoughts and those of others; a manic need to manipulate words; purposefully twisting meaning; replacing words with others that have been approved; carefully forgetting facts and consciously confusing dates. These individuals see not just a need but a necessity; a destiny of sorts; a perceived greater knowledge and understanding that the rest of us lack to involve themselves in others activities and relationships; to administer the public space, regulate individual choice and sanction the material possessions of our fellow human beings. This obsession ultimately manifests itself into physical forms of government and political relationships that set up barriers and walls between those who have power and those who do not. Since time immemorial, the individual of the human race was born into bondageand it seems no matter the progress made in challenging and correcting this great injustice, we continue to seek forms of government and other aspects of political control that set the individual up as a slave to another. Such is the status quo confronting individuals in Europe in either 1712 or 2011. Our world is one of repeating histories, always coming full circle, never truly escaping, like being born with feet firmly mired in quicksand. A further troubling fact is that democracy is a foreign word both to our language and to our ways of living with one another. It seems more natural to live in a top-down society, with a chieftain or feudal lord or king or queen, a world of Communist kamissars, military strong men or addlebrained tyrants than in a republic of free men and women, a world of united states filled with individuals born equal under the law, and with rights and freedoms applicable to all with a foundation of universal suffrage and democratic recourse for all the workings within the state. Would we not have formed the first democratic union the instant we had the opportunity, would not history be filled aplenty with democratic states from the beginning of memory, would despots and oppressive regimes not be the anomaly instead of the norm if democracy were truly a natural form of organization to our particular being? But despite this very troubling aspect of human nature, it does not mean that those who believe in democracy, freedom and the sovereignty of the individual will always lose our way; it just means that those of us who believe in such concepts must work harder to make sure that those among us who do not, never take hold of the reins of power. Unfortunately, as discussions progress among the vast number of people in the streets today, it has become plain that those who can be identified as part of the Wests ruling elite do not believe in these noble and just ideas any longer. Already some of these elite see this new Era of Enlightenment as a threat; from their perspective it looks like an open door into the future that was denied them for so long; goals unachieved finally realized; power and change all at once; a change that works for them. The cry has already gone out, Its time to take back the Enlightenment. For some it will not be enough to ignore the past; the Enlightenment will have to be redefined; fixed; adjusted to suit their needs of today and tomorrow. Their future enlightenment will be reason, evidence and science. It is not just what this new limiting definition encompasses that is disturbing and points to a wandering in the intellectual wilderness, but what this future leaves out. Where is freedom in all its forms? Where is the individual? Where is democratic recourse? Where is logic? Where is God? Going back to change the past; going forward without the past; lessons learned forgotten, their importance and meaning discarded. But more importantly, how does one orient oneself in such a world; what compass allows us to see direction; what map leads us to our destination...? If only solving the problems inherent to life and existence were as simple and easy as constructing a guillotine! J. R. Werbics is a Canadian writer and philosopher. www.directdemocracyireland.org All essays available for free at: www.scribd.com Copyright 2011 J.R.Werbics Coming next: The Democratic Renaissance and its Meaning/Conclusion From Cairo and Athens to Dublin, A New Political/Intellectual Enlightenment Defined
The Democratic Renaissance? LMAO Don't make me laugh. Proportional Democracy is a joke that allows fringe elements and violent radicals to gain control through backstabbing "coalition governments" who then proceed to run amok over individual rights in the name of the Democratic Collective. Which is why we in the USA soundly reject such things. Lets see what is happening: Greece has lost its democratic government and now lives under the rule of an appointed technocrat from Brussels. The Greek People have zero say in their financial affairs, but honestly..they had it coming and you know it. The smart northern Euro countries adopted austerity practices early on and achieved efficiency in their social democracies. While everything West of the Rhine and South of the Danube instead used the boom time to increase the size of the dependent classes for votes and increased the size of the bureaucratic apparatchik class to unsustinable proportions on the backs of German workers. Russia and the former Soviet Republics are all corrupt dictatorships or mafia oligarchies. The Arab Spring has become undemocratic as hell, with persecutions and pogrmos by muslims against non muslims breaking loose all over the midde east. Yeah, they have democracy alright, a violent backwards and dangerously irresposible democracy! Democracy is failing in most of the world.
First I would like to thank you for your post. It has brought up many good points of view that are not included in my essay. I will try to deal with each one if I can. I agree with you in many respects. If you read the essay carefully, you will see that I do not argue that you actually had a truly functioning democracy in many of these countries in Europe. Now throw in the undemocratic level of control of the European Union...you can see why... I make the link between The Enlightenment of the 17th and 18th centuries and the situation faced by the people of Europe today. Like then, theyre living without Freedom or control over their lives. I do however single out Switzerland and the United States as fully functioning and stable democratic states. But I must disagree with you on your assessment of America and who actually dislikes democracy there. As someone who has worked and lived in the United States as recent as 2010, I have to say like in the essay, the displeasure you see in the polling is with the politician - NOT THEIR DEMOCRACY. I believe I can say with some confidence that the only ones who want to change the democratic system itself are those (who like in Europe that have eroded away what little democracy was there to begin with), would like to see an all powerful federal government in Washington as they have in Brussels. As for North Africa and the Middle East, you are absolutely correct to list the atrocities that have occurred in many countries. But unfortunately the path to Freedom from tyranny is not one without such things. But do not interpret this statement as such, that I am condoning such events - I am merely acknowledging the reality of what it means to be a human being in all respects the good and all the bad. But despite the aforementioned problems, Tunisia has had free democratic elections, and Libya is slowly moving in that direction. Egypt is also slowing moving toward a more democratic state. You might not like the people elected, but they were democratically elected. Although we will have to see what kind of Constitution these representatives offer up in the near future. Your overall statement about democracy failing is also correct. ( If you mean the West.) But you seem to think this is going to continue. But these essays argue that this backwards slide is now ending. Like I said in the first of these essays...a New Era of Enlightenment has emerged. As an example the United Kingdom and The Czech Republic have not agreed to sign the latest treaty and Ireland is putting it to the people with a referendum. Thus the European Unions ever growing lust for more power has now been effectively stopped. But I digress... From where I see this new era of intellectual awareness beginning, brought on by the great Economic Collapse of 2008-2009...and the moment the people began taking to the streets in 2010...we are now only in year 2. And just for reference sake, the Enlightenment which brought us the Constitution of the United States, the end of the aristocracy in Europe, the idea of Freedom in all its forms and individual rights - lasted over 200 years. From this perspective, this new era of Enlightenment has a long way to go. I suggest that before we get too discouraged we give it some time to work its magic.
