Defining Democracy

Democracy is a tough concept truly to nail down and define, mainly because there are so many conflicting ideas and interpretations surrounding it. Democracy for some can potentially appear to be tyranny for others. When the "majority" is in power, what happens to "minorities"?

Let's begin by considering how Lincoln defined democracy in the Gettysburg Address:

. . . that government : of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

These are lofty, noble words expressing the highest of ideals. However, they are, in the end, only words. What, precisely, do they mean? It seems that it always all comes down to a question of semantics. We all know (more or less) what "government" means (though that is an issue that can be debated extensively in and of itself), but who, precisely, are "the people"?

As defined by the process, "the people" refers to the legal citizens of a nation—more particularly, those who are eligible to vote—and even more specifically, those who actually do vote. More than that, because a "government" is elected by the "majority," the "people" apparently refers specifically to that majority that voted the current executive branch into power.

So what about everyone else? What happens to all the "minorities"—i.e. those who were not eligible to vote in the first place, those who neglected to vote, those who voted for the opposing candidate . . . . Do these people have any rights at all in a democracy?

In ancient Rome, every time a new dictatorial tribune seized power, the event was followed by "purges," in which those Roman citizens and residents who were deemed to be disloyal to those currently in power were hunted down and executed. Similarly, in Latin American Banana Republics, every time one general deposed another through revolution, what invariably followed was a violent bloodletting in which all those loyal to the previous administration were placed before a firing squad.

Thankfully, we live in a more civilized society, one in which regime change does not equate to bloody reprisals, guaranteeing certain fundamental rights to minorities, such as the right to disagree with those in power and the right to express one's opinion in lawful, civilized discourse without the fear of being incarcerated, extradited or excommunicated. Constitutionally, at least, which is to say, "theoretically," we are all guaranteed those rights—even minorities.

Because the alternative is not democracy in the least but, rather, mob rule, demagoguery and authoritarian totalitarianism in which those in power oppress the citizenry—as in George Orwell's dystopian vision of an authoritarian regime empowered by an ubiquitous media, in which the "people" are coerced either to conform with the mainstream or else be expelled or incarcerated, and all free, honest, civilized self-expression is drowned out either by the howling of a hysterical mob or the deafening rhetoric of a demagogue or by the incessant drumbeat of the media—and that is not democracy, not by any definition!

A democratic society is forever walking a fine line—it is only too easy for democracy to regress into some form of totalitarianism or tyranny. That is why one has to be grateful for all great democratic institutions worldwide—and especially for those in the United States which are, arguably, a shining example for all governments globally. Because the temptation to devolve into totalitarianism is always a very real potential threat, it takes tremendous strength of character to remain a truly democratic society.

Quoting Lincoln once again:

America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.

I think these words apply to all democratic nations worldwide.

Horizon Cybermedia is committed to supporting democratic ideals everywhere and is especially committed to the free, honest, open and civilized expression and exchange of ideas and sincere opinions. Stay tuned for the next film in our Exploration series—now complete and ready for release online pending a complete redesign of our website http://www.explorationtheseries.com.

Wishing you the very best,

Uday Gunjikar,
Founder and CEO,
Horizon Cybermedia, Inc.