Genuine Democracy?
An excerpt from Making Global Sense
I offer a visualization. Imagine that humanity is enlightened enough for genuine democracy someday. Imagine we each practiced mindful self rule and personal democracy. guided by awareness of our global oneness. Imagine that honest self-government actually works.
Now return to reality. We humans selfishly injure others and ourselves, so we need some form of government to keep us safe and free. Therefore, we choose the least evil form of government possible, such as a democratic republic Any choice among evils is still evil. Government often is a Hobson's choice, a Sophie’s Choice.
Current forms of government are not handling today’s global crises well. Climate change cause upheavals on our overpopulated planet Frightened people historically turn to kings and other masters for direction and salvation — rather than doing the hard work of thinking though our problems and solving them together.
With our survival at state, humanity is choosing between autocracy or democracy. Disasters and instability help leaders gain followers to win empires. They sell us thoughts and feelings that tap into authority addiction, hidden by split perceptions. Why let despots lure us into self-deception, self-destruction?
Thomas Paine in Common Sense proposed to American colonists a new form of government. He offered a practical plan for changing from a monarchy to an independent republic. As history records, his plan was followed closely. His plan worked. His plan can be updated.
At some point in this century, maybe the next, we will tire of trusting bullies to keep us safe. When we are ready to shift from alpha male rule to mindful self rule, Paine’s plan could be helpful for us to establish more democratic forms of government. His success shows a societal shift from monarchy to democracy is possible. Changing the way people make sense of government surely did occur. Why not do so again?
Is the ideal of genuine democracy too wild to contemplate?
Consider how elements for direct democracy are falling into place. We guide elected leaders with public opinion polling. Legislatures place referendums on ballots for voter ratification. Petitions for ballot initiatives (despite corruptions) bypass legislators entirely and go directly to voters. Transparently run clean election systems ensure the security and privacy of voting. (“Election integrity,” sadly, often is a ruse for voter suppression and election theft, so be not fooled by clever wordplay.)
About 87 percent of adults on earth are now functionally literate. Give open access to facts, we can educate ourselves and vote intelligently. If we promote universal literacy and critical thinking, real democracy may well be doable. That’s a theory worth testing.
The power and courage for democracy already dwells within us all. I trust the wisdom of collective intelligence when we vote our conscience. Ideas like “open politics” and “open source democracy” excite me.
Direct democracy has worked in small communities. New England town meetings, by tradition, give each person a fair say and a private vote. On a larger scale, real democracy is too hard, so we have republics.
In a true republic, a “representative democracy,” elected leaders are our servants, never our masters. Ideally, if we elected ethical leaders to work for us, can our existing republican governments suffice? That would help, absolutely. It’s necessary, urgently, but it’s not sufficient. The best republics can only hint at the creativity and prosperity possible in a true democracy. When mindful people live free together, society thrives.
The pragmatist in me says imagining pure democracy is a foolish fantasy. The idealist in me insists that cynicism about genuine democracy is unfair, and a deceit. Genuine democracy has not yet been tried by any nation on earth. Our experiments in self-government have never been so bold.
Why we defer real democracy
So, why have we never tried genuine democracy? The deeper truth, for me, is that humanity has never felt ready nor willing to rein in our wild horses. We’ve never felt actual trust that “we the people” can run a government “by the people.” We won’t let the people directly rule their national governments. Republics remain as far as we dare go. Our ancient addiction to alpha rulers, I reason, deflects us from trying real democracy.
I contend humanity is evolving toward responsible self-government. As more of us sense our global oneness, our natural unity and equality., we’ll stop abdicating from citizenship. We will consciously, actively voice our free minds in public affairs.
Who today is modeling this global mindset most visibly? Modern youth — young adults, teens, tweens — Millennials, Gen Z and Gen Alpha. Youth are idealistic, like my Boomer generation, but more realistic about repairing the future. Despite despair, today’s youth give me hope.
Why consent to authoritarian governments to dictatorships anywhere on earth? The rise of democracies since Paine shows we humans are outgrowing our childish need for kings. Study Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Putin, or Trump, for starters. Each flirtation with cult tyranny proves the perils of despotic thinking.
In the 21st century push of autocracy for dominance, we’re seeing the desperate despots’ last stand. Tyrants are terrified we will see our natural global power and assert it. Despots fight back so hard because they’re so threatened. They try harder than ever to ensnare our minds. The culture war on “woke,” for instance, represses awakening to our connectivity on one planet.
Let’s heal the traumas behind compulsive survival mechanisms like craving kings. We can learn to live peacefully and abundantly free together. Why delay our ascension into enlightened democracy?
I imagine a day of readiness (or necessity) to build the world anew. For that day, I propose an interim step closer to real democracy. I’m updating Paine’s plan by proposing the political model of a direct republic. I offer this idea or mental construct) as a thought experiment.
I start from Paine’s Enlightenment principles. All life is created equal with inalienable natural rights. We have a right and a duty to live free responsibly, to pursue happiness responsibly. We have a right and a duty to evolve global consciousness, each in our own way.
Paine proposed “bringing forward a system of government in which the rights of all men [sic] should be preserved.” I’ve adapted his blueprint in Common Sense to propose a modern blueprint for evolving democracy.
I’m voicing ideas for whenever we’re ready, if ever, for conversations about the ways we govern ourselves and make sense of freedom.