Is Democracy Inevitable?

[Tabasco Sauce]

I was recently reading articles here and there, and I came across an article on the Chinese attempting to "muzzle" the internet in their country. It also stated how internet gaming in the PRC was on the rise. This got me thinking, with the spread of ideas and money in the PRC, is it possible for democracy to be an inevitable outcome for any country with an internet connection?

 

[GoodEnoughForMe]

It's tough to say. Without a doubt, the ever increasing ease of communication makes it much harder for a government to suppress it's populous. That is, IMO, one of the best things to come out of the internet, among other similar technologies.

China will slowly move closer to democracy I think at some point; their government can't hold on like this forever, and as they become more of an economic powerhouse, more pressure will come from the western world to increase the transparency of its government.

Problem is, there are still a lot of areas in the world lacking this kind of technological access.

 

[Dann]

I believe democratization is inevitable too, but the resulting democracy here might not be completely the same as that of the West. For starters it will not be as free-wheeling and as chaotic as the Western model. The Chinese are notoriously famous for preferring order over "freedom".

The reason I think China is not yet ready for democracy now is because the "level" of the populace is still very low. Irregularities abound even in just village and town level elections. Can you imagine the chaos if national elections were allowed today?

It will take decades more, sadly. China's economy needs to reach a certain level, and the wealth must get filtered down to a majority of the populace, including those from the remotest vilages. Ditto with education. Because only with a sufficently educated, informed electorate can we even come close to success stories like those of Western Europe or the US.

 

[Dann]

And I'm forming my opinion precisely because I have had the good fortune to be able to travel and observe and compare between different countries. My home country the Philippines is a perfect example of a liberal democracy in the Western model, and yet all our freedoms have not managed to lift the bulk of our citizens out of poverty. We are most famous for our OFWs and modern-day diaspora. How sad is that? Taiwan could serve as yet another counter-example. It's best period of growth was actually under Chiang Jing-kuo, when he was ruling as a virtual 'emperor' (albeit a truly benign one). Today under Chen Shui Bian Taiwan is a pale shadow of what it once was, businessmen are moving their factories to China, politics is a high-stakes game where every dirty tactic is used, there're brawls in the legislature, and its population is the most polarized in all Asia.

 

[Tabasco Sauce]

I believe democratization is inevitable too, but the resulting democracy here might not be completely the same as that of the West. For starters it will not be as free-wheeling and as chaotic as the Western model. The Chinese are notoriously famous for preferring order over "freedom".

The reason I think China is not yet ready for democracy now is because the "level" of the populace is still very low. Irregularities abound even in just village and town level elections. Can you imagine the chaos if national elections were allowed today?

It will take decades more, sadly. China's economy needs to reach a certain level, and the wealth must get filtered down to a majority of the populace, including those from the remotest vilages. Ditto with education. Because only with a sufficently educated, informed electorate can we even come close to success stories like those of Western Europe or the US.

Oh, I completely agree, while I'm too lazy to quote any one source (lol) from what I read, the Chinese throughout history have seemed to coalesce naturally towards authority more then any other nation in the world, in a natural way. Anyway, I truly hope that China can one day become a free country, because, to be honest, I have nothing but good feelings for the Chinese.

 

[ParkCungHee]

No, the last couple years the world wide score for democracy has been going down, not up. I really should look up a quote Albert Speer had on the way Technologies promised to spread democracy can just as easily (perhaps more easily) be used to subvert it.

 

[downtown]

No, and for similar reasons that ParkCungHee stated. This is basically the core truth of neoconservativism, and this idea, the whole "End of History", has fallen out of favor with almost the entire poly sci intellecutual communtity...and for good reason. Data does not support it.

 

[ParkCungHee]

I would remind people god-kings, then feudel landlords, then Mercantalist Empires all showed signs that they would dominate the globe and exist in perpetuem. I'm reminded of the words of Abraham Lincoln, as staunch defender of our system as any,
"It is said an Eastern monarch once charged his wise men to invent him a sentence, to be ever in view, and which should be true and appropriate in all times and situations. They presented him the words: "And this, too, shall pass away."

 

[Ecofarm]

Of course it is inevitable. Eventually, a nation has a "braveheart" moment. I cannot think of a free nation that has lost a war to a totalitarian, nor one who has regressed back to dictatorship, with the possible exception of Germany pre-WWII. The road to freedom is a one-way street. Once had, it's priceless.

 

[Colonel]

Democracy is a failure, however it is part of a an eventual inevitability which is Dictatorship. Democracy must come before dictatorship so the people will get it through their heads that their voice is useless to try and change the government because they fail at effective legislators.

 

[ParkCungHee]

Of course it is inevitable. Eventually, a nation has a "braveheart" moment. I cannot think of a free nation that has lost a war to a totalitarian, nor one who has regressed back to dictatorship, with the possible exception of Germany pre-WWII. The road to freedom is a one-way street. Once had, it's priceless.

France (x3), Japan, Russia, South Korea, Italy, Poland, Austria, Romania, Spain, Cuba, Portugal, Hungary, Indonesia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Argentina, Chile, Venezuala etc. etc. The list is way to long to even bother with. If you can't think of one, that shows your failings, not the success of Democracy.

 

[Perfection]

Maybe not democracy as westerners know it, but definitely a structure that works at the will of the populace.

 

[Tabasco Sauce]

Maybe not democracy as westerners know it, but definitely a structure that works at the will of the populace.

Every form of government at some point works for the will of the populace.

 

[scy12]

Every form of government at some point works for the will of the populace.

Slavery ?
(100 chars)

 

[Tabasco Sauce]

Slavery ?
(100 chars)

Slaves are never considered "the populace" in any form of government.

 

[ParkCungHee]

Slavery ?
(100 chars)

Free men outnumber slaves and will that slavery persist.

 

[scy12]

Free men outnumber slaves and will that slavery persist.

Not really , there are several examples of societies where slaves outnumbered free men. Sparta for example. If you replace outnumber with overpower i would agree.

If very few , control many then who is the population ?

Slaves are never considered "the populace" in any form of government.

According to who ? Their are some system's where slavery was enforced and the portion of the population having a say or influence regarding governmental decisions or having any rights you would find to be very , very small.

In other systems such as several of the ancient world a portion of the population was slaves while an other large portion of the population had several rights.

Take for example a totalitarian regime based on elevating one or few persons vanity and lust for power.(that persons just needs the support of the military) If we imagine that all civilians other than a small group , have no rights and are forced to work day and night , then are they the population ?

Or an even better example would be the various African colonies under European control.

 

[Tee Kay]

Once upon a time, when we were all hunter-gatherers, everyone is, well, more or less equal in the tribe. There's no hierachy, everyone treat each other equally and makes joint decisions. That ends with civilisation, since it proved too hard to control so many people. But we're bound to go back to egalitarianism with more advanced technologies and communication and whatnot. Democracy is inevitable, but successful long lasting change can only come slowly.

 

[ParkCungHee]

Once upon a time, when we were all hunter-gatherers, everyone is, well, more or less equal in the tribe. There's no hierachy, everyone treat each other equally and makes joint decisions. That ends with civilisation, since it proved too hard to control so many people. But we're bound to go back to egalitarianism with more advanced technologies and communication and whatnot. Democracy is inevitable, but successful long lasting change can only come slowly.

How does hunter gatherers = Modern Democracy?

 

[Tee Kay]

It all comes down to the same principle: equality. Just as ancient huntergatherers are egalitarian, modern democracies try to give equal voice to their citizens and promote equality.