Beyond Democracy: Why democracy does not lead to solidarity, prosperity and liberty but to social conflict, runaway spending and a tyrannical government: Frank Karsten, Karel Beckman: 9781467987691: Amazon.com: Books
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The Tale of the Slave – YouTube
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Our democracy no longer represents the people. Here’s how we fix it | Larry Lessig | TEDxMidAtlantic – YouTube
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Democratic Memes
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Can Democracy Function Amidst Civil Unrest?
When you assess the current circumstances of the US, then you can see a nation that experiencing serious civil unrest, and becoming frayed and battle weary at the seams of its social fabric. As it continues to tackle domestic economical and social issues, in addition to continuing to play a significant mediation role in the affairs of the Middle East, there are growing concerns as to whether its current model of government is equipped to handle such demands.
Undoubtedly, the US has one of the most liberal and diverse set of principles of any global nation, and as a democratic power its core value is the notion of government for the people by the people. While this itself is an aspect of US rule that should not be questioned, it is becoming increasingly strained as individual demands can often not be met by the economic or corporeal resources of the country. Whether it is working pay and conditions, reducing unemployment or tackling violent crime and morality, the needs of the people may be beginning to outweigh the current capacity of the government.
The Needs of the Individual against the Needs of Society
Before we understand this, it is important to note that democracy is the only true and fair way to govern society, and its principles should form the bedrock of any progressive nation. However, as it essentially grants personal freedom and liberty to individual citizens, this allows them to form independent thought processes and opinions and create demand and a certain expectation of living. As these are unique to each person, and developed in the name of personal interests, they can prove to be difficult to satisfy while maintaining the overall needs of society as a whole.
Learning From Contemporary Models of Successful Rule
As individuals, we are consistently taught about the merits of learning from our experiences and mistakes, with the expectation that we may grow both in terms of our knowledge and behaviour. If we fail to do this, then we must understand that we will subsist in a repetitive cycle of inadequacy, punctuated by sporadic highs and then lows of experience. The same philosophy applies to government rule, and a specific regime is often only as effective as the wisdom that its leaders gain from a countries history.
However, it is not only historical or domestic examples of rule that can influence a governments ideology, as knowledge and effective methodology can also be drawn from other nations across the globe. For a country to advance and continually adapt to an ever changing set of circumstances, a willingness to learn is crucial, as in awareness of its own standing in the contemporary world order. It is the unfortunate case that nations that fail to adhere to these principles often suffer from negative consequences, whether in the guise of social issues or instances of financial difficulty.
Current Examples of Prosperity
An example of the latter can be witnessed in contemporary USA, where the nation faces a series of domestic challenges while attempting to mediate in various international affairs. Given the countries perilous economic state, this diverse balance of activity is not adequately supported by the requisite financial or corporeal resources, which has the inevitable consequence that several aspirations will go unfulfilled. The current situation in the US displays a general lack of awareness, both of its own global standing and contemporary models of successful rule.
Should the US Government do More to Protect Domestic Interests?
Every fair minded and reasonable individual would advocate a democratic society, and champion a government regime that takes its peoples opinions and needs into consideration. This guarantees that a government acts in the interests of society at large, and implements legislation and policy to protect and serve the voting demographic that brought them to power in the first instance. While this is not only desirable for individual countries and communities, it would be wrong to suggest that this methodology of rule would not improve the perilous and hostile state of the world and its factions at large.
With this in mind, it is natural that many of the democratic super powers in the world seek to intervene and impart the democratic wisdom on others, and often go to great lengths to modify countries regimes to comply with their own. The US and the UK have historically taken a keen interest in foreign politics and regimes, both as a way of ensuring the safety of a global community and improving international politics at large. However, as western culture strives to battle hampered economic growth and frequent instances of violent crime, there is growing concern that domestic issues are not receiving the attention they deserve.
The Demands of Foreign Policy
The recent unrest and political protests in Egypt have only served to highlight the vast and significant role that the US continues to play in global peace. While reducing its representative presence of diplomats in the country, it is continuing to pledge aid and support to Egypt during its period of transition. In addition to this, the US is seeking to take a keen and considered interest in political reform in the country, by encouraging diplomatic values and the regulated processes of election.
