Ballot-Boxes and Majorities?

 It takes real dedication for anyone to serve as an elected director of a Riding Association between elections. They are not very exciting places. Often it is difficult to gather all the directors to attend a monthly meeting! The highlight of any gathering is the rare appearance of the incumbent politician. After being elected he or she really had no need of the Association till the next election, except of course, to run fundraising events. Perhaps the member would show up now and again to tell us what a fine job we were doing! However, as election time came around activities began to pick up. This was especially true if the incumbent was retiring and the Association had the task of selecting a new candidate to run in the upcoming election.

Many years ago, as a member of a Federal Riding Association, we were gathered to select the Directors for the upcoming year. In this particular meeting, the one prior to the candidate selection meeting, instead of the usual group of supporters, the hall was packed with strangers. Where did they all suddenly come from? I soon found out. One party member, who had not been very active in the Association, had signed up a large number of new members from his own ethnic background. They had come to replace the existing Board of Directors with a whole new slate, and that is exactly what they did! They were then in a position the following month to choose their 'person' as  candidate for the next Federal Election. They had fulfilled their commitment to him and no longer took an interest in the Association. 

As unfair as this may seem it was still theoretically government 'by the people.' That experience taught me much about democracy. I realized that our democracy is not always government by the people at all, but by representatives of an organized majority. Such a representation is not really a true expression of the general will nor does it necessarily produce the best candidate qualified to do the job. Unfortunately when this happens the minority soon loses interest and our democracy becomes government from above. Think Ottawa today!

As well, it is no longer a government by the people or for the people. Often elected candidates have an eye to their own personal interests. Why does Pauline Marois want to separate Quebec from the country many people in the world would like to join! Others have their religious beliefs or their allegiance to the corporate power brokers who elected them, and to whom they owe their good fortune. No wonder people say they no longer trust politicians.

It has been said, human nature being what it is, that the largest number who can live in a true democracy is about one hundred and fifty people! It is also interesting to note the democracies usually only last about 200 years. That was true of the Greek democracy, and many that followed. As I write these words we are witnessing other countries, struggling to maintain their democracies.

There has been much written on why democracies fail. The reasons can be summed up by reviewing the process: (1) From bondage to spiritual faith - think Moses or the founding of the United States. (2) From spiritual faith to great courage and liberty - think of our great country and its abundance. (3) But eventually it moves to  complacency and then to apathy - think of how few people now get out to vote. (4) From apathy to dependence - official corruption and demands for more benefits. (5) From dependence again back to bondage....as we are now seeing in some countries across the ocean. It is time for them to start the process all over again! For example: Egypt, Syria, Ukraine, and some African nations to name a few. I am sorry Mr. Lincoln but your dream of a true democracy is still hiding in the wings!

To have what we now have as Canadians, to learn from history what can happen if we are not alert and involved. O Canada, We Stand on Guard for Thee -------- Do we? In spite of our failures we are still the best of the best.

And that's Dick's View of the World 
This Week.