What is democracy?
You know the more I listen to the news, or watch documentaries on the middle east or Judaism or Muslims, the more I discover I simply do not understand what democracy is about!
I listen to people, well educated people, in important positions, interviewed by wellknown reporters (and yes OK they may have their own agenda or take on the subjects) but everyone of them seems to have a different idea on what democracy is!
By the people, For the people.... that's what I always remember. So how does that work in Israel? Or Russia? Or Germany - not that I am particulalry picking these places out but they all seem to hold vastly different ideas on what democracy in action looks like. And who should judge which one is the right one? Certainly not the English! I suspect if we went to the people out there at the moment and asked them what democracy was and how it might affect their daily lives some of them would tell you to go somewhere dark, smelly and steamy, some would refuse to consider that it might have any effect at all on their lives and others might rant on till evening comes about their grievances with one party or another, or their local authority!
Those of us involved in the development and implementation of a greater depth of democracy in this country might despair at the thought that they seek or aim for a moving goal post. We read white papers, we do research, we investigate ways to involve people, but what exactly are we aiming for? A utopia where everyone takes part in every decision? Well if we want a system where a decision takes even longer than it does at the moment then fair enough, but I go back to what I have been mulling over recently - the fact that not everyone WANTS to be involved in democratic decision making. So where are we going with all of this. With Mr D Miliband out of the egovernment arena, it seems the Double Devolution agenda is no longer top of the pile. It seems that the emphasis is now being turned onto sustainable communities.
OK I can handle change! In fact I embrace it as a way forwrd most of the time - hey! Lets admit it - I have had more change in the last 6 months than most people have in a lifetime! So what is the new agenda for 'sustainable communities'? What is a sustainable community? Don't we already have sustainable communities? And if not how is the fabric of our society held together?
Oh crumbs here I go again - another blog of a million questions and no answers... mind you I know there are some people out there who DO know the answers - but no personal agendas please! I've had my fill of those...
Answers on a post card......
I listen to people, well educated people, in important positions, interviewed by wellknown reporters (and yes OK they may have their own agenda or take on the subjects) but everyone of them seems to have a different idea on what democracy is!
By the people, For the people.... that's what I always remember. So how does that work in Israel? Or Russia? Or Germany - not that I am particulalry picking these places out but they all seem to hold vastly different ideas on what democracy in action looks like. And who should judge which one is the right one? Certainly not the English! I suspect if we went to the people out there at the moment and asked them what democracy was and how it might affect their daily lives some of them would tell you to go somewhere dark, smelly and steamy, some would refuse to consider that it might have any effect at all on their lives and others might rant on till evening comes about their grievances with one party or another, or their local authority!
Those of us involved in the development and implementation of a greater depth of democracy in this country might despair at the thought that they seek or aim for a moving goal post. We read white papers, we do research, we investigate ways to involve people, but what exactly are we aiming for? A utopia where everyone takes part in every decision? Well if we want a system where a decision takes even longer than it does at the moment then fair enough, but I go back to what I have been mulling over recently - the fact that not everyone WANTS to be involved in democratic decision making. So where are we going with all of this. With Mr D Miliband out of the egovernment arena, it seems the Double Devolution agenda is no longer top of the pile. It seems that the emphasis is now being turned onto sustainable communities.
OK I can handle change! In fact I embrace it as a way forwrd most of the time - hey! Lets admit it - I have had more change in the last 6 months than most people have in a lifetime! So what is the new agenda for 'sustainable communities'? What is a sustainable community? Don't we already have sustainable communities? And if not how is the fabric of our society held together?
Oh crumbs here I go again - another blog of a million questions and no answers... mind you I know there are some people out there who DO know the answers - but no personal agendas please! I've had my fill of those...
Answers on a post card......
posted by Isobel @ Tuesday, July 18, 2006
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