Tag: democracy

‘The majority rules’ doesn’t mean the majority is right. All systems are flawed. Democracy can satisfy fifty-one percent of the people, which leaves forty-nine percent disgruntled. Out of that fifty-one percent, people still may not be satisfied within that group, since the final choice between two candidates often results in choosing the lesser of two unsuitable candidates.

That’s the price of democracy.  A raise of hands. The yeas and nays. How many for? How many against? That’s our system.

Democracy is the best system to date that we as American Missionaries work hard to export to other countries many times at the cost of life, limb and peace of mind. Democracy is the reason many immigrants risk, life, limb and peace of mind to come to America to take part in the democratic way of life, even when the outcome is not always right, and not always in their favor.

We have term limits, which is designed to fix the mistakes we as voters make. Vote them in, we don’t like their performance, vote them out.

Instead of debunking the system that is not always right, develop a better system. It’s easy to complain absent a solution.

The world is big on complaints and short on solutions.

Be big on solutions.

Our best solutions in our minds always end up in destruction mode. We think the destruction method is expedient. We’re loud, violent, won’t let up till the so and so elected official is gone, we get louder and more forceful, all-consuming of our time and energy, inviting others to the fight, then threaten if they don’t join, all the while sure, absolutely sure, that this is the only way, by legal or any other means, to destroy this elected official, make stuff up, make the populace angry as hell, shout over everybody else, put on the best all-out psycho performance to show how crazy you can really get if you don’t have your way and get this person booted out of office, you will literally blow up the planet and everything on it, knowing full well that just before you push the button or pull the switch this person will leave on their own volition and you can claim victory over running somebody out of office, the one you didn’t want, rather than wait the customary amount of time to vote out this elected official and vote in the one everybody supposedly really wants.

Who might that be? Remember Bashar Hafez al-Assad of Syria. A half million people dead, a country in ruin, a global catastrophe and he’s still standing.

Find a better way by working with what you have, until such time you can vote the people you don’t like out, or change the system requiring a larger majority than fifty-one percent, which would satisfy, at least theoretically, a greater number of voters.

America is always split fifty-fifty or thereabouts. If the bar is raised, the people will fall into line with the new requirement. The country will become sixty-one to fifty-nine. That sounds like too much of a dictatorship. Maybe we’ll all get stuck in our little box and nothing will ever get solved. That’s where we are now – stuck in our little box.

Our political system may as well be a flip of the coin with a fifty-fifty, one point over the line wins, way of deciding who rules. We’re always hearing on the news that the country is equally divided. Then change the divide and see what happens. Or not. If we can never reach more than just over the line of fifty percent in agreement or against, then we must accept our fate of always being pretty much equally divided – meaning always at odds with whatever the outcome is.

Perhaps we need to stop treating our politics like a sport, whereby there are two teams with fans on either side cheering for their team to win.

We need to find a way to satisfy more people, and stop being disgruntled just because you relish the devilish role, the feeling of adrenaline pumping blood faster than need be through your over-stretched veins, the power to spew whatever comes out must be right, cause it’s coming from you, mentality that being disgruntled provides you. It’s no fun being satisfied. You like to fight and as long as it isn’t you getting hurt, then you’ll work your mouth off to destroy the target of the day.

Develop another system, find a different way, work on a new solution to an old problem. “If you’re not part of the solution you’re part of the problem” is not a solution. It’s a lazy person’s way of passing the responsibility onto anybody they say it to. You don’t need any more bumper sticker sayings. You need real thinking, problem-solving people.

Raise the bar to sixty-one percent majority across the board. Redefine majority within a political context. That way you won’t always have half the people disgruntled. At least sixty-one percent will be satisfied.

But oh no, the minority wants to rule. Then make a better case for your plan being the plan that works for everyone – and it will become the majority. Just telling people it will work for everyone isn’t enough. Why should anyone believe you?

Too much work. I’d rather roll the dice.

Then you gambled and won, or you gambled and lost.

Don’t cry to me.