Who's Democracy???

Friday, June 26, 2009 Edit This 0 Comments »
I didn’t vote in the last provincial election. I couldn’t compromise my values to vote for candidates that did not represent me and wouldn’t put the interests of the people at heart. I knew each one of them, so I couldn’t ignore my informed decisions. Did I fail at democracy? Should I feel guilty for not voting when many people die for the right to vote for whom they choose? I wasn’t the rare example, voter turnout decreases year after year. Shouldn’t we all be so excited and eager to take part in democracy; the so-called greatest accomplishment of western modern society?

The recent election in Iran and the huge demonstrations regarding the outcome, reminds me of my own election participation. Am I taking democracy for granted? After all, I have the luxury of voting for whoever I chose, in a safe, secure and private environment. And when all is said and done, I have a government who was elected by the people. Then what is the problem?

The problem is that democracy isn’t understood by us anymore than the people we see to be undemocratic. We’ve fought and died to create a system in which we politely give our rights away. Every four years (or less as the case may be), we get up, go to the ballot box, mark an ‘X’ and we are done. We’ve done our democratic duty, and now for the next four years, someone else will make all our decisions for us. This is the healthy democracy we advertise to the rest of the world. It’s orderly, efficient and provides results. Therefore the system works just fine. So what happens when you don’t vote? Well, you don’t get to complain of course. You didn’t take part in democracy. Not voting can result from apathy, but it can also result from a lack of options, from disillusionment with the system. I didn’t choose to not vote because I didn’t care, or didn’t have the time. I went to the ballot box, but I could not compromise the values and principles I live by, and sacrifice day-to-day for, so that someone could get a pay cheque, and feel like their actions are justified.

A healthy democracy is one in which the people, the greatest stake holders in the equation, are active in their system. Whether it is through participation in a massive protest against a violation of rights, writing a letter to a newspaper or reading up on the latest scandal; active participation is lacking. Regardless of the structure and the legitimacy of the elections in Iran, the people’s reaction is far healthier and democratically proactive than any in our own country. People are willing to risk everything to have their voice heard, to stand up for what is right and just in their minds.

Complacency kills the democratic spirit. It gives a huge advantage to any group willing to actively participate, and allows politicians to continue to get away with things the average person finds appalling. We’ve been led to believe that government is complicated, cumbersome, overwhelming. That in order to participate we’d have to read constantly and give up all our spare time. Ignore all the flowery language and smoke screens, the decisions made by our government are not complex ones for the most part, they are simple problems, that any rational person could understand and solve, and solve far better without a political and/or corporate agenda dictating one direction.

So I ask whose democracy is this; ours or theirs?

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