Democracy is best defined as government of the people, by the people.

In the West,
especially after ideological conflicts such as the Cold War, we can tend to assume
that democracy is the only valid form of government. However, this assumption must
be justified. The classical example of a democracy is that of Ancient Athens, where
the whole populace would meet in the marketplace to vote on decisions. It can be
argued form this position that modern �democracies� are not in fact democratic.

Arguments

Pros Cons

Democracy allows the people to have a direct say in who governs them, via the votes
cast by every adult member of the populace. As such it ensures that a government is
made up of those truly representative of the people, and ensures that no minority,
military power or elite is able to oppress them. If we accept that we al have the
same rights, then it follows we should all have an equal say in who represents us
in choosing how we are governed. Real, effective leadership must come from
above and not from below. The people as a mass are capable of being manipulated,
and are unlikely to possess skills or training in confronting problems a state
might face. As such, expecting them to elect the �best tools for the job� is
unrealistic. Government from above can see, by virtue of its position and
advantages, what is better for the people than the people can. For example, the
abolition of the death penalty was at first deeply unpopular with the British
public when it was pushed through by the government, but is now broadly supported
as correct and humane.

Modern democracy has been advocated for hundreds of years as the best form of
government, and was taken as the model by societies we take as the founders of
modern liberties, such as the French and American Revolutionary states. It has been
proved by history as the best form of government. Modern democracy ( as
opposed to classical, Athenian democracy ) is a facade. �True� democracy can only
be practised on a very small scale. In Britain for example, whilst people may vote
every five years, they have no input into decision beyond this. This is the
desirable state of things, but it is not democracy. Our current state of government
would be far more effective if it abandoned its pretences at representativity.

Modern democracies are constantly striving to make themselves more representative,

by increased use of consultative sessions, such as MPs surgeries in Britain,
referenda ( especially in Switzerland, but also issues such as over Scottish and
Welsh devolution in Britain and EU membership in Denmark) and proportional
representation ( e.g. in the Welsh assembly ). Such devices are intended not
to bring government closer to the people, but to give undemocratic government a
veneer of democratic respectability. Real power is still with the elites, who
decide who will stand for which seats, and thus who is guaranteed to be elected via
�safe� seats. In Britain, we even have an undemocratic second chamber, the House of
Lords, which is able to interfere substantially with the process of passing laws.
These Lords are appointed directly by the political parties. �True democracy�, we
repeat again, is an unworkable system on the scale of a country, and we should
abandon pretences at it for a more practical system.

Decisions must be made by the will of the people, otherwise we have no protection
again abuse of power. The people are kept informed by newspapers, academics and
scientists, and are thus fully capable of making an informed decision. What is
more, the will of the people is far more representative of different groups in
society than the condescending rule by elites, who have no understanding of
different ways life. The �will of the people� is likewise a sham. In
actual fact, very little public opinion is arrived at independently, by rational
application of logic to facts. Public opinion is controlled, directed and inflamed
by the gutter press, whose content is controlled ultimately by newspaper barons
belonging to the very elite that controls the country. This is the way a country
must be governed - an elite who provided firm and effective leadership, and directs
the public in the ways best for them