Democracy is a relatively new approach as a governing philosophy, and it is the United States that was chosen as the place to begin this experimental phase of human living. The underlying principle of democracy is based on the idea of freedom as a means to fully express oneself, and as a way to pursue life as a matter of choice. It could be seen as the best approach to governing, for it gives the individual full control over his or her life, and every opportunity is therefore available to them. This is a good thing, for in reality, the only way we can truly be successful, the only way we can become our best self, is to “learn as we go”. Basically, this freedom needs to be viewed as an inherent right, a right afforded to every human being. There is one big problem with this philosophy, however, as it is assumed that each individual has the capacity to do the right thing in their pursuit of living, not only for themselves, but as it affects the greater whole in which they exist. Ideally, this would be the desired outcome for every person eventually, but we have not seen this to be the case just yet. Because there are still too many who do not see the necessity of responsible living, based on appropriate action and behavior, it is still required that there be a governing body to establish some parameters in order to provide fairness, equal opportunity, and safety for all. This has been the goal and purpose of the United States government thus far, whether realized or not. Again, we must remind ourselves, this approach is entirely experimental. The implication is that certain things are working, and certain things are not. That’s ok, my friends, it’s ok to make mistakes! The problem we have is that we refuse to address what is not working and why, and that we must decide to choose another direction if we are to see the true principles of democracy working out. We have discussed this at length in previous articles, so let’s consider the following as a brief summary.
Majority Rules
One of the core principles of democracy is that “we the people” elect government leaders at the local, state and national levels. In essence, it is the popular vote, or the majority, who decide these elections. Unfortunately, this has not always been the case. In the United States, we have what is called the Electoral College. This is a small group of individuals within each state who vote on a slate of electors to be sent to Congress, so that our individual votes are tallied, and applied at a national level. Because they have the final say, they are given the opportunity to override the popular vote and the will of their own people. This would make our vote null and void, and the principles of democracy could never be implemented properly. The Electoral College must therefore be abandoned if we are to be successful in this “experiment”. Our voting system should be based on simple math. Whoever gets the most votes wins, there is no need to make it more complicated than it’s intended to be. There are many out there who believe that states should have more power, and they should, but only within the confines of their own state. So, if your state electors and representatives are willing to override your vote at a national level, guess what they’re going to do at a local and state level? My friends, it’s up to us. The ball is always in our court, that is, if we pay attention. The other area in which the majority is being overruled is within the U.S. Senate. Generally speaking, the Senate has the final say as to legislation moving forward. As you know, each state elects two senators. Smaller states are less populated and tend to be conservative. It gives these less populated states too much power over the majority. Now, nobody is suggesting that people in smaller states should not have a say. Whatever values you have, and however you want to live your life is important, but this can only apply to the state in which you find yourself. This is the glory of living in the United States, if you don’t like the values and policies as put forth by your representatives, you can either elect other ones, or you can move to another state that does. What an individual state cannot do is dictate to another state. And all democracies have a federal government in order to function at all. This gives the federal government the right to assess what is right and appropriate for all of its citizens to a certain extent. We have given them this right. We have chosen to participate in this type of design, and we therefore must cooperate with the design to the best of our ability. Improvements to our system will naturally follow.
Our Biggest Misconception
The American Dream! If you are willing to put forth the effort, all your dreams can come true! There are many factors as to why this has proven not to be the case for the majority. Most of them you probably know. The biggest misconception we have about this potential reality is there is an unlimited supply of money and resources for everyone. This assumption most of us have is incorrect. The reality is there is plenty, we just do not use what is available efficiently and fairly. Practically speaking, if there was an unlimited amount of money, every individual, no matter their job, would be given a living wage. The corporate world, and the wealthy among us, know this to not be the case, which is why they are unwilling to share.
What the Government Should Provide
The role of any government is to provide and care for the citizens living within. All revenue generated should be used and distributed wisely. It is my firm belief that every human being has a right to be here, and every human being, therefore, has a right to survive. Basic survival needs, including food, shelter, health care, etc., need to be guaranteed for all. Now, some of you view this as “socialism”, and entertain all the fears and misunderstandings that come along with it, but let’s be clear and honest here. There are very few Americans who have not participated in social security, unemployment insurance, and the like. All we’re being asked to consider is to expand things a bit to ensure humanity’s survival. When basic needs are met, then true greatness can actually be pursued. Who can know the next Einstein, the next Da Vinci, or even the next great spiritual teacher? My friends, we do indeed owe this to one another.
Limitations to Personal Enterprise
At the heart of democracy, freedom, and equality is intended to be the outcome. Thus far, it has only provided a means to pursue individual excess and license at the cost of everyone and everything else. This is why there is so much suffering in the world today. Perhaps we are finding a middle ground. In the United States, for example, one needs to be given the opportunity to have a lot, but if self-interest adversely affects others, then we need to have some boundaries. Everyone talks about incentive. In other words, who would want to create a business, or pursue a higher education, if they didn’t profit thereby. It is falsely believed that no person would create something to benefit themselves, or any other, without an obscene compensation of money and power. If this is our only motivation for living, my friends, could we be missing the point? The reality is that there is no government that can be successful without adequate revenue. Money and resources don’t just drop out of the sky, this we know. The money we need has to come from where it is. There is no other way. We cannot create something that does not exist. As I have mentioned before, it is always best for those that have to give of their own free choice. This has clearly not been the case up to this point, so what is needed by all, must then be taken through taxation. The middle ground would be to have the opportunity to pursue a lot of money and things, but the more you acquire, the more you must give back. Human needs, basic needs, have to be provided first, everything else is extra. If basic needs are met, then each person must also contribute in some fashion. Those who are able to work need to perform some function. The good news is that I have never met a person who does not want to give of themselves in some way, or to provide their inherent gift to the world. If money is removed as the only incentive and motivation, then a new and better reality will present itself. Unfortunately, however, we cannot know until we try.
Freedom From Imposition
The founding of the United States, or the establishment of any democracy, is all about the opportunity to have our own belief system, whatever that is. We have a right to believe what we want to, and to live our lives accordingly. The beautiful world in which we exist is made up of a great diversity of peoples, cultures, belief systems, and ways of living. Creation is a wonderful thing if we would only truly see it. Within a democracy, we are given access to this diversity through our own expression. If we want to have this God given right, then we must give this right to each of our fellow human beings. Religious rights, gay rights, women’s rights, men’s rights must be respected and allowed. What cannot be allowed is the imposition of any person’s or group’s beliefs on everyone else. If we do seek to impose ourselves on others, then we must know that our own beliefs and way of life will also be imposed upon at some point. My friends, we cannot have it both ways. “Live and let live” is our best option today. Those who wish to impose their views and values are coming from a place of fear. Every individual must work through these fears in their own way, in their own time, and this must be accomplished apart from the majority. In a democracy, we are given every opportunity to educate ourselves, be exposed to the diversity that exists, and thereby learn about ourselves and our fellow brothers and sisters in the process. Fear, misunderstandings, impositions of every kind, will not help us in our self-discovery, our overall condition, or the reality of the world we live in.
Individual Rights and the Needs of the Greater Whole
Although individual rights need to be respected and pursued, they must be seen within the perspective of the greater group in which we all exist. In other words, we each have a right to live and express ourselves, but we are not allowed to harm others, nor are we allowed to take was does not belong to us. We are only one person, and no one person matters more than any other. Democracy as it exists in the United States today allows an individual to purchase a machine gun to go out and kill innocent people, but does not allow a woman the choice to bring a child into the world or not. Oh, democracy needs a little work. Perhaps we all need to remind ourselves every day, to do the best we can in our own lives and leave other people alone. We can do this, we must do this, so let’s do it today.
A New Approach to Democracy
What is the best governing philosophy? What is the most fair and just ideology available in the world? Well, we must clearly and honestly realize no perfect way has been found yet. There is a great diversity of governing philosophy across the world, none are completely correct, and none are completely incorrect. I’m afraid, those of us living in democracies, especially in the United States, are a little spoiled, and even brainwashed, into believing we have found the best way. It is my current understanding, however, that a democratic approach holds the most promise, for the establishment of freedom, equality, and the expression of a true self can be found at its very core. Having said this, democracy has enormous problems. I believe these issues can be resolved if we take an honest look at our greed, and our materialistic approach to absolutely everything. For the United States, and every other democracy to be successful, we must include and respect the rest of the world. What we cannot accept along the way is the violent oppression so many parts of the world are still engaged with. My friends, we are quite fortunate living where we do, but we must understand there is a lot of work to be done, for democracy is not working for the majority yet. We need to find common ground, all across the world, but we need to find it at home first. It is time for us to realize that we have created the reality we’re living in. A check on our reality reveals a desperate impatience and an incredible selfishness. We can change this together.
A lyric from an old Supertramp song seems appropriate here:
Give a little bit
Give a little bit of your love to me
Give a little bit
Give a little bit of my life for you
All my love and support, be well