The youth riots in Brazil, Chile, the European Union, the Arab Middle East, Turkey, and even the “Occupy” movement in the West all reflect what political theory broadly calls the “legitimacy crisis” of modern democracy – the notion that participation in democratic politics does little to change the actual process of government, that elites are dug-in and immoveable, that cronyism is endemic, and so on. Young voters particularly become cynical of the formal electoral process, either dropping out in disdain, or expressing their grievances “extra-parliamentarily”, i.e., on the street.
Read more at Will These Youth Protests Spread to Asia’s Corrupted Democracies? | The Diplomat.
It may be right for WESTERN countries, but has little or nothing to do with “The Arab Spring”. May I remind that NO Arab country is a democracy, and may I remind that Arab riots have much more to do with religious conflicts than with all the other matters put together.
Religion may play a part but are the underlying causes not similar: lack of job opportunities creating a sense of exclusion from the mainstream economy and from political influence in government?
Frank Aquino says:
July 2, 2013 at 12:43 am EDT
Religion certainly clouds sensible thinking, and it is easy for some people (particularly poorly educated people) to justify their loopy ideas on the grounds that their particular imaginary deity is sitting on their shoulder guding them. But I think they are a special case (which is why we call them extremists). The overwhelming reason why people revolt is that they have no hope for the future in their current circumstance. Read any history book that covers the years 1750 to 1950 if you need [harrowing] reminding of this. The French and Russian Revolutions were brutal beyond description. The poor chap who triggered the Arab Spring by setting himself alight did so because he saw no means of providing for himself once the police evicted him and his stall. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohamed_Bouazizi).
At the end of the day it always comes down to haves and have-nots. Everything else is a distraction.
Religion certainly clouds sensible thinking, and it is easy for some people (particularly poorly educated people) to justify their loopy ideas on the grounds that their particular imaginary deity is sitting on their shoulder guding them. But I think they are a special case (which is why we call them extremists). The overwhelming reason why people revolt is that they have no hope for the future in their current circumstance. Read any history book that covers the years 1750 to 1950 if you need [harrowing] reminding of this. The French and Russian Revolutions were brutal beyond description. The poor chap who triggered the Arab Spring by setting himself alight did so because he saw no means of providing for himself once the police evicted him and his stall. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohamed_Bouazizi).
At the end of the day it always comes down to haves and have-nots. Everything else is a distraction.
Democracy is not the problem. People voting themselves the fruit of other peoples labour/s is! The bloke that set himself alight was a victim of the bureucracy denying him the opportunity to self detirmination and the fruits of his labour. Once this is allowed to fester through out society? your society is marking time until collapse.
At some point the bureucracy will start to runout of other peoples labour/s, at which point the bureucracy parses laws, regulations and rules to fulfil the growing bureaucratic demands. This environment feeds on itself.
Once the Fruits of labour are no longer enough to satisfy the voter? the voter now demands the bureaucracy compensate the voter. The voter will vote themselves the fruits of others labour (Middle clas welfare anyone?).
Your society is now in a death spiral that can only lead to identity groups springing up, demanding more and more “entitlements”, which is code for compensation and the fruits of others labour/s. It all feeds on itself.
Declining education systems that have really turned into training systems, not education! Training is a form of indoctrination. Education empowers an individual to think and know! Training is about being able to perform a task that someone else has set the parameters for, that’s a bureaucracy! Training is about negotiating the bureaucracy, not empowering the individual to think and know and therefore make decisons that may be in their best interest.
Lastly, The rise of Collectives. Collectives can vote 1 + 1 = 3. Don’t beleive me? The UN voted that Human Emitted Co2 cause global warming. You kidding me? Not only is this completely and utterly false, with no observed and measurable evidence to prove it!… What warming? Democracy at work!
Now couple a collective or identity group holding power… and what do you have. Brain dead zombies who have no crap clue how to look after themselves, abandon values that got them their, because they vote against them to get a sugar hit of welfare.
Anyone for an Australian Spring?
Not long now
Tick Tick Tick…
P.S. The USA, as a result of all this, is rapidly becoming something to be feared, not embraced!
Every special interest group will attempt to further its own interests at the expense of the majority. Government itself has become a special interest group that will form alliances with other interest groups (banks, unions, etc.) to get what they want, which is to entrench themselves in power. Government by the people for the people is fast becoming government by special interest groups for special interest groups. Dislodging this unholy alliance — before the whole white-anted system collapses under its own weight — will take some doing, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try.
before the whole white-anted system collapses under its own weight — will take some doing, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try.
AAAhhhhh, Now you’re opening a can of worms 🙂
To be honest?…
I think the system has become juvenilised that there is only one way to fix it?…
Let the kids have their way so they can learn! This means a collapse of course. Education can’t work, the juveniles have control of that and have turned it into a training system. Politically can’t work, Have you seen the rubbish that’s getting elected around the planet? Socially can’t work, all social systems are becoming, well socialised.
And all these things are highly politically charged. One group or another is pulling and pushing in some sort of self interested political direction.
The bureacracy is attracting more and more bureacrats.
The political system is attracting more and more bureacrats and ex-lawyers. These groups are controlling the power and authority and have one fundamental characteristic in common. Neither of them know the difference between right and wrong, sucess and failure. How can they? They’ve come straight out of high school, into univeristy, maybe “gap yeared” and traveled a bit, it’s all been paid for by someone else. Then into a position that is riddled with bureacracy and procedure. This is all they’ve experienced. Their entire world view is shaped by process, procedure and bureacracy. By the time they atain a decision making position they’re world view is completely warped by their experiences.
This needs to be dismantled. Only a collapse in government spending will acheive that. There is not a snow balls chance of it happening organically or through the ballot. And while the population demands that “the system” take care of them and their needs? Well, the Bureacracy will have work to do.
It will collapse under it’s own weight. At some point a fulcrum will be reached and the whole lot will tip over over the other side. 60% of Australians rely on government for all or part of their income, this includes public servants and welfare recipients. That leaves 40% to maintain productivity enough to pay for it. This is is unsustainable. And when something cannot continue?… it will stop! Well, when this stops?… BANG! Down it will all come. Sad, but likely.
I say everyone gets at least one vote and if you pay income taxes you should get proportionally more votes, just like stock holders get more votes for more shares. Everything works that way, voting should too. The more you put in the more say you should get.
That would concentrate power in the hands of a few billionaires….