Are we a Democracy really?

The Guardian Twitter feed very kindly guided me to an article about the British Prime Minister David Cameron being hamstrung when it comes to criticising Israel in relation to its recent activity in Gaza. Apparently he and Mr Hague had done so pre coalition and were lambasted by a number of Tory party donors. It brought me to recall a trip that Tony Blair, when Prime Minister himself, took to Libya when they were bringing Gaddafi out of the cold. He was accompanied by the CEO of BP. I remember the news reporting that he (The BP man) was the second most powerful man in the country. The most powerful man, it was said, was not part of the delegation. Conclusions can be drawn.

I shouldn't really speculate, but if I was a betting man I would put my shekels on most of the British public who make themselves aware of world events condemning the consistent killing of innocents, particularly children in Gaza. However it seems our leaders live more in fear of their Part paymasters than the public that votes them in. People who are at best answerable to their company shareholders and at worst only to themselves. Arguably the same or similar applies in most, if not all the world's prominent democracies. Obama's administration has only been able to use semi committal lawyer speak to condemn events because he does not need to be re-elected. Even then uses the UN schools as a shield from the powerful American lobbies. Principled it is not. Full of fear it certainly is. Oh and the US continues to ship the weapons that are killing these poor souls over. If I handed my friend  the bullets to shoot his neighbour then I would be an accessory. If I knew that said neighbour's children were standing in the way to stop him and he would shoot them too regardless then what am I? But I digress (I am half Welsh after all).

Democracy is what we in the Western world use as a verbal weapon against the nations that don't seem to tow the line yet we are clearly falling short in the application of same. The voting system in the UK, particularly when it comes to general elections, disregards swathes of voters intentions. Marginal constituencies were targeted at the last general election, for example, where the cash pockets of one individual funded the campaigns in these areas for one political party. And it is these areas alone that determine the political fate of the country every five years. In turn when these gentlemen and sometimes ladies are elected it seems they are often swayed by corporate winds and if not seem powerless to break them.

Understandably the establishment fears the results of true democracy. It is often considered that the masses are not educated enough to to truly understand the machinations of running a state. Though I would argue that too much democracy  may allow more educated people to have more say and hence more likely to dig more deeply at the roots of it. It is no wonder that there was little appetite for AV (Alternative Vote) in the political arena outside of the Liberal Democratic Party when the referendum came about. On the other hand maybe they were right as we were too stupid to understand it and despite its flaws it would have given us the electorate more control over our political destiny. No proof of course that it would diminish the powers of BP et al. Big Society anyone? How about a flower show and a sticky bun contest? Something for us to have a say on. Mind you there is always a local businessman leaning on the Vicar to make sure his wife's buns make the grade.

Haider Bahrani is the Managing Director of Sonneteer. The views aired here are his own.
haider@sonneteer.co.uk

It's the people stupid!

Nothing to learnum here!

As cringe worthy and damn site anger stimulating things like Daily Mail headlines and Sarah Palin utterings can be to many they are certainly very effective in communicating with their audience. The recent, UK Conservative government led anti Alternative Vote campaign could, too, be viewed as having been plucked from the same reference book.

Readers of the broadsheet press will have gazed upon harsh and to some extent dismissive criticism of all of the above for being simplistic, populist and vulgar and yet their effectiveness is undiminished. Take Sarah Palin's book for example and combine it with her political short(video) that came out during the Mid term US elections. Both seen as tabloid, cliche and lacking in any cranial content. That is to quote some of the politest of critics. One could argue, however, that they are a stroke of genius. Ms Palin, the Daily Mail and Messrs Cameron et al. are fully aware to whom they are speaking and have tailored their messages perfectly. Sometimes the truth is a victim, but the audience is happy and the agendas are met. We dare not educate them else they might know what they are voting for(or against as is more likely)!

In much the same way that the Thatcherite philosophy of the 1980s relied on a large pool of unemployed to succeed this neo libertarian, staunch conservatism (an oxymoron if there ever was') relies on a pseudo educated masses to steamroller its' engine through.

It has been interesting to hear comments from my peers here in Britain while observing the news on the Arab spring. As young Egyptinas and Tunisians face cameras and articulate in good english about political freedoms and what not and to find out that some of them are shop keepers, taxi drivers and manual workers yet command a level of education we wouldn't expect on UK shop floors. That's unless they were Polish of course!

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