Forbidden Thought E-Book

M.A. Meretvuo

• Herausgeber: Books on Demand
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 32

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

Dissidents are celebrated as heroes when they struggle against oppressive political regimes, but in democracies they are all too often seen as a dangerous force. Why is that? Since liberal democracy promises all the good you can get, who would oppose it? And most importantly, why? This comprehensive essay introduces key arguments and critique against liberal democracy as well as those dissidents that have defyed both: the rule of the mob and the status quo of the elites.

Leseprobe

Forbidden Thought

Forbidden ThoughtCopyright

Forbidden Thought

Forbidden Thought: Dissidents in Liberal Democracy

M.A. Meretvuo

Preface

Dissidents are celebrated as heroes when they struggle against oppressive political regimes, but in democracies they are all too often seen as a dangerous force, Roland Bleiker wrote in his essay “The Politics of Change: Why Global Democracy Needs Dissident”. Why is that? Since liberal democracy promises all the good you can get, who would oppose it? And most importantly, why? These are the questions I try to answer in this essay.

Liberal democracy is a form of government in which representative democracy operates under the principles of liberalism, i.e. protecting the rights and freedoms of the individual. It is characterized by free and fair elections, the rule of law, the separation of powers, and the protection of minority rights. In a liberal democracy, the government is limited in its power and is accountable to the people through regular elections. The role of the state is to protect individual rights and promote the common good, rather than to pursue any particular ideology or agenda.

Liberalism is a political philosophy that emphasizes individual freedom, democracy, and the rule of law. It is based on the idea that individuals have certain inalienable rights, such as the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, which must be protected by the state. Liberalism also holds that the role of the state is to ensure that these rights are protected, and that individuals are free to pursue their own interests and goals as long as they do not infringe on the rights of others. A paradox from the start, someone could say.

Democracy is a form of government in which the power is held by the people, either directly or through elected representatives. It is based on the idea that all citizens have the right to participate in the decisions that affect their lives. There are different forms of democracy, but the two main types are direct democracy and representative democracy.

In a direct democracy, citizens participate directly in the decision-making process, often through votes on specific issues. This type of democracy is more practical in small communities where it is possible for all citizens to come together to make decisions. Although this would now be possible via Internet, for some reason it is considered to be an abomination by the political elites.

In a representative democracy, citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf. This is the most common form of democracy in modern societies, and it allows for the participation of a larger number of people. Representative democracy is based on the idea that elected officials are accountable to the citizens who elected them, and that they will act in the best interests of their constituents. As we will see, there are, however, some considerable pitfalls in representative democracy.

History of democracy and liberalism

The origins of democracy can be traced back to ancient Greece, where the city-state of Athens developed a system of direct democracy around the 5th century BC. Under this system, all citizens had the right to participate directly in the decision-making process through a system of assemblies and councils.

However, this form of democracy was limited, as it was only available to free, male citizens, and excluded women, slaves, and non-citizens. Despite these limitations, the ideas of democracy and participation in government that emerged in ancient Athens had a lasting impact on the development of democratic thought.

Over the centuries, various forms of democracy have been implemented in different societies around the world. Representative democracy, in which citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf, has become the most common form of democracy in modern times.

The modern liberal democratic state is in theory characterized by free and fair elections, the rule of law, the separation of powers, and the protection of minority rights. It is based on the idea that the government is accountable to the people and that it should serve the common good, rather than the interests of any particular group or individual. In reality, however, there are unquestionable connections between financial and political elites. In modern liberal democracies, this situation can be characterized as “plutocracy”, while in autocratic democracies it can be called “kleptocracy”.