Saturday, February 4, 2023
Village Voice News
ADVERTISEMENT
  • Home
  • News
  • Sports
  • Editorial
  • Letters
  • Global
  • Columns
    • Eye On Guyana
    • Hindsight
    • Lincoln Lewis Speaks
    • Future Notes
    • Blackout
    • From The Desk of Roysdale Forde SC
    • Diplomatic Speak
    • Mark’s Take
    • In the village
    • Mind Your Business
    • Bad & Bold
    • The Voice of Labour
    • The Herbal Section
    • Politics 101 with Dr. David Hinds
    • Talking Dollars & Making Sense
    • Book Review 
  • Education & Technology
  • E-Paper
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Sports
  • Editorial
  • Letters
  • Global
  • Columns
    • Eye On Guyana
    • Hindsight
    • Lincoln Lewis Speaks
    • Future Notes
    • Blackout
    • From The Desk of Roysdale Forde SC
    • Diplomatic Speak
    • Mark’s Take
    • In the village
    • Mind Your Business
    • Bad & Bold
    • The Voice of Labour
    • The Herbal Section
    • Politics 101 with Dr. David Hinds
    • Talking Dollars & Making Sense
    • Book Review 
  • Education & Technology
  • E-Paper
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
Village Voice News
No Result
View All Result
Home Columns For Your Attention

Democracy is Hard, Autocracy is Easy

Staff Reporter by Staff Reporter
April 24, 2022
in For Your Attention
0
SHARES
0
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Support Village Voice News With a Donation of Your Choice.

It is an extremely difficult undertaking. Democracy is hard. This sentiment is not driven by any abhorrence for this form of government. On the contrary, in my judgment, it is the best form of government. However, love for this system should not preclude a critical examination of same. Achieving consensus on any matter of consequence from interests groups, who are hell-bent on ensuring your failure, cannot be a facetious undertaking.

Conversely, trying to persuade citizens to support your cause through the ballot box in an open process of competition is certainly not a walk in the park. But it must be done, it has to be done. The alternative is too fatal. Those who refuse to rule by agreement and refuse to subject themselves to the will of the people, tend to embrace autocracy. No elections, no debate, no arguing of one’s case in the public domain, no scrutiny from the press and no demands for transparency. Some love autocracy because tt is consistent with their penchant for ruling by force or decree. It is a system for lazy leaders who are not prepared to do the hard work of ruling through influence.

READ ALSO

IDPADA-G awards cash to young business leaders  

DRUNK ON OIL, WE SHOULD NOT FORGET THE IMPORTANCE OF CARICOM

DEMOCRACY, THE DIFFICULTIES
The etymology of the word ‘democracy’ alludes to ‘demos’. In the Greek language, ‘demos’ constitutes the force and power of the people. Every voice, every opinion comes with molecular energy that sticks to the side of power like a thorn. In this, critique is consistent and incessant, from the leader’s family to his/her associates, scrutiny, scrutiny. The dog is not spared. The pet cat does not escape a critical post on the Meta platform. In the US, the purported ultimate perfection of democracy, President Joseph Biden has been called a mongrel and a pedophile by critics. His wife, his son, his daughter and extended family members cannot catch their breath. It is brutal. Sir Henry Sumner Maine put the matter this way: “Of all forms of government democracy is the most difficult.

The difficulties of popular government which arise from the modern military spirit and from the modern growth of irreconcilable parties could not perhaps have been determined without actual experience. But there are other difficulties which might have been divined because they proceed from the inherent nature of democracy”.

Advertisement

AUTOCRACY, THE EASY STREET
What has been expatiated above would result in the autocratic leader ordering the mass execution of the entire village. Those who subscribe to this form of government would scoff at the idea of any hint of dissent, let alone an attack on their family. As result, there is no form of constructive critique of the leader. Those who function in this governance system must subscribe to the whims and fancies of the maxim leader. In this regard, it is an easy street for those at the helm. There can be no Wild West social media frolics of the autocrat’s plans and proposals. His wife does not have to face the scrutiny of the press over her shoes or wearing the wrong dress to the wrong function. As well as that, there are no institutions to get in the way of policies and directives. It is conceived, talked about and implemented immediately. There are no loudmouths in a legislative assembly to block the wishes of the despot. There is no press to tear apart every ideas that proceed from the state apparatus. If a reporter gets out of line, he/she can be arrested without evidence and ordered locked up until further notice. Due process is nonexistent. The law is dead. These are the reasons why fragile and insecure characters embrace this system of government. Thin-skinned snowflakes love autocracy.

THE BEST SYSTEM
I shall have it no other way. Let there be institutions. Let there be freedom of speech. Long live a free press. Let there be numerous political parties competing to win influence over the people in a free and fair electoral process. Let the people have their say. Democracy remains a relatively nascent form of government and may mean different things to different societies at different times but we shall have it no other way. The system has been rightly revered, scrutinized and critiqued but in my estimation, it remains the best system. I hold steadfastly to the view that humans may be cultured in the system of despotic rule but innately, the inclination of democracy reigns supreme. Therefore, regardless of how authoritarian a system persists, it will recoil. In the process, there will be massive upheavals for humans and society to return to the natural state. Hence, it is folly to proceed with any government system that is contrary to the tenets of democracy. If power resides strictly in the hands of one tyrant whose intentions are wholly dishonorable, rebellion and revolution are inevitable. Therefore, on the basis of the need for the preservation of society and in the interest of peace and order, democracy remains the best system.



Support Village Voice News With a Donation of Your Choice



ShareTweetSendShareSend

Related Posts

For Your Attention

IDPADA-G awards cash to young business leaders  

by Staff Reporter
May 23, 2022

Five youths were awarded on Friday with cash grants from the International Decade for People of African Descent Assembly -Guyana...

Read more
For Your Attention

DRUNK ON OIL, WE SHOULD NOT FORGET THE IMPORTANCE OF CARICOM

by Staff Reporter
April 10, 2022

When CARICOM Day is upon us, there is the usual razzle and dazzle of social media frenzy and official public...

Read more
For Your Attention

THE ZELENSKYY FACTOR: IN TIMES OF CRISIS, THE REAL LEADER APPEARS

by Staff Reporter
March 20, 2022

When Vladimir Putin announced his purported ‘Special Operation’ in the Donbass region, my mind immediately raced to the President of...

Read more
Next Post

‘IRI/CID Gallup poll: a perspective’

EDITOR'S PICK

A Division commander, Simon McBean at the launch of the the programme

Police launch anti-crime Christmas plan

November 16, 2020
Cleanup at D’Edward landing site.

D’Edward Village fishermen get training in effective marine, coastal litter management 

May 3, 2021
Mo Salah is the first Liverpool player to score a hat-trick in the opening game of a league season since John Aldridge against Charlton in 1988-89

Salah hat-trick sees Liverpool sink Leeds in seven-goal classic   

September 13, 2020
PAHO Director Carissa F. Etienne

COVID-19 threatens growth, development of children

January 30, 2022

© 2022 Village Voice | Developed by Ink Creative Agency

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Sports
  • Editorial
  • Letters
  • Global
  • Columns
    • Eye On Guyana
    • Hindsight
    • Lincoln Lewis Speaks
    • Future Notes
    • Blackout
    • From The Desk of Roysdale Forde SC
    • Diplomatic Speak
    • Mark’s Take
    • In the village
    • Mind Your Business
    • Bad & Bold
    • The Voice of Labour
    • The Herbal Section
    • Politics 101 with Dr. David Hinds
    • Talking Dollars & Making Sense
    • Book Review 
  • Education & Technology
  • E-Paper
  • Contact Us

© 2022 Village Voice | Developed by Ink Creative Agency