DEMOCRACY'S UNEXPECTED (TO US) BASIS

 

Democracy is not based on any such modern claptrap as 'the natural goodness of humankind'. No. Indeed, it's based on exactly the opposite viewpoint: that each and every human heart is equally wicked and deceitful and that, hence, NO human being is to be trusted with too large a share of power, political, economic or religious.

That's right, boys and girls: modern democracy has its roots in (of all things) Calvinism! Franklin's letter to Robert Morris dated December 25, 1783 has the same roots, where he speaks of enough wealth to maintain oneself in modest comfort and bring up a family (nowadays, this would include education and health care) is a natural right, but wealth superfluous to that is 'by right the property of the public'. Anyone want to tell me what Peter Thiel 'needs' all that money for? Or the Koch brothers? DeVos and Prince families?The Gateses? Or, for that matter, George Soros, to 'even the score' for all those reactionaries who've swallowed that crapfolah?

And part of this needs to be to assert, vigorously, that fair hair, blue eyes, pasty skin and male genitalia aren't supposed to put anyone above the law. Nor are riches. Nor, even, are past injuries: Proverbs advises against 'favoring a poor man in his quarrels'--but that's in the presumed context of justice for the poor otherwise. If anyone wants to argue that the poor have justice today anywhere on the globe, I may need Depends to make sure I don't wet myself from laughing so hard!

We are all equally corruptible and Lord Acton was only too correct when he observed, "Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely." Is this any less true in a family or a community of faith or a business than it is in any nation? I very much doubt that.

Finally, democracy requires at least some of us to grow as individuals and it is the only way of organizing ourselves which actually makes room for that growth. Democracy also encourages the spread of such growth, while undemocratic systems do the exact opposite: they compel us to stay 'children' to varying extents. The process of growth humbles us even as it shows us what we can do, together, what we couldn't do separately and thereby exalts us to that extent. Remarkable, but (at least to my watching eyes) none the less true. Save and share this post. Together, let's breathe new life into democracy at home and all over this globe!!