Democracy Has Failed Us

For most of our lives, we have been told that democracy is the best governmental system. Any other system that has even dared to go up against the “freedom” that democracy offers has been villainized and attacked relentlessly until it crumbles. And when it crumbles, we are told that it crumbled because of the system it was, not because of the outside forces that wouldn’t allow it to exist.

But over the past couple of decades, we have seen the depravity and failure that democracy has wrought upon countries. Before we look at that, though, let’s consider what democracy truly is.

Merriam-Webster defines democracy as:

A government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections

On the surface, this seems like a wonderful and ideal way to run a government, doesn’t it? You give power to the people and allow them to choose who gets to represent them, rather than allowing the leader to be decided by other means such as monarchies or direct appointments by the previous leaders.

But this power to vote that is vested in us is a rather big responsibility, and every responsibility begs the question of whether or not everyone should be allowed to bear that responsibility. Should everyone be allowed to take out a bank loan or should everyone be allowed to adopt a child or, similarly, should everyone be allowed to vote?

When Socrates, probably the most notable philosopher in Western history, argued that everyone should not be given the right to vote. He points out that if someone was sailing a ship with a crew, would we consult everyone when deciding which direction to set sail in, or would we just consult the knowledgeable navigators who know how to read the starts and maps? Obviously, we would just consult those knowledgable.

So why, then, Socrates argues, should we consult everyone when it comes to deciding which direction a nation should move? We should only let those who are actually knowledgable to a certain extent about the parties and political systems vote for leadership, or else we have what Socrates dubbed a demagoguery.

Demagoguery is a system where a politician wins, not because they would be beneficial, but because they are a better talker. It is the difference between a dentist promising people that he will use his tools and expertise to improve your health and a candy shop owner mocking him, saying “how will these sharp tools and painful procedures ever benefit you.” As ridiculous as this sounds, the shop owner would win in today’s political landscapes.

And Socrates was probably right to argue against this, especially considering it was a democratic (or demagogueric) vote that put him to death. Without proper education about the political systems, Socrates warned that any democratic system would result in the stagnation of progress and ultimately fail, and we don’t have to look far to see that his predictions have come true.

Take the United States, for example. Donald Trump was voted in as president in 2016 and not only failed to deliver on his promises while he was in power, but also ruined so many other facets of that country. And this happened because he was just a good talker, not a good leader, but many people will never look too much into what he says and instead take it all at face value.

And this system is failing us all around the world. Conservatives in power in Ontario have dismantled education and healthcare systems, while those in other parts of the world simply work for their own greed while promising riches and protection to their voters, who never verify their claims.

How Do We Improve?

There must be some way to improve this system though, right? We can’t just throw away an entire democratic system!

Well, there is a way to improve the current system. Remember, Socrates’s qualms with democracy were not about the actual voting, but were rather about who gets to vote. If we work on better education, better information for voters, then we will get better representation and proper progress.

This would entail things like fact-checking claims at political debates, so candidates can’t just get away with saying whatever they want. It would include more transparent voting platforms, so voters know exactly what they are voting for. And it would have to include accountability, both for politicians and those who vote.

Democracy in its current state is a failure, and it is ruining the present and the future of our world. Voting is a privilege that we have, so use it, and use it well.

This article was previously published on Medium.