Democracy? No way!

The above post title should get some folks all aflutter. How can I, a loyal, flag-waving American, be against democracy? Well...first a little background.

Recently I was accused of...well, I'm really not sure what I was accused of because the accuser was so upset he really couldn't articulate his accusation very well. But I know it wasn't something good. He was angry with me because I told him that trying to create a democratic Afghanistan was a "stupid idea." (I probably should have used kinder terms, but I wanted to ensure he didn't misunderstand me. He didn't.)

President Bush was always talking about spreading democracy -- for example, creating democratic regimes in Iraq and Afghanistan. And President Obama, too, throws the word around as if it's the political holy grail, the primary goal of humanity. And yet, if you check the writings of the founding fathers of our nation, I doubt you will find any favorable references to democracy. Indeed, the founders feared democracy because they appreciated the evils that could result from it.

Democracy is rule by the people, the demos, and our founders knew full well that the people could not be trusted to govern themselves, at least not directly. That's why, ultimately, they created a representative republic and insisted on a written Constitution, a document that spelled out the rights of the people and strictly limited the role of the federal government. The government, you see, is of, by and for the people -- the people are sovereign, not the "government" per se -- but if the people run collectively towards a cliff, the Constitution will presumably prevent them from jumping, or at least make it very difficult to do so. Fear of real democracy and its possible consequences was a major factor in the formation of our nation.

This fear was also why the separation of powers became an integral element of the Constitution's makeup. With a government made up of three separate and independent elements -- executive, legislative and judicial -- and with each element exercising only limited powers, the preservation of the peoples' rights and the continuation of this unique form of government would be more likely assured, if not guaranteed.

I mention all this because I have noticed that, like my angry accuser, an increasing number of Americans seem to believe incorrectly that we live in a democracy and are similarly unaware of the dangers inherent in any pure democratic form of government. Nothing guarantees that simple majority rule will lead to the best or even a good result. Indeed, more often than not, particularly when complex or critical issues are addressed, a majority of the people will probably choose one of the worst alternatives.

The problem with democracy, government by a simple majority of the people, is that the people can act without reference; that is, they can act without consideration of any moral and cultural and legal foundations. They can, in effect, do whatever they want. They can respond to the emotions of the moment, free of all precedent and unrestrained by any concept of rights and responsibilities. This, as you might image, can be very problematic when it comes to preserving the rights and liberties of the minority. But even worse, it can jeopardize the nation's continued existence. Once the majority realize they have unrestrained power, they learn how to use government to help them at the expense of others. They also lose sight of the essential elements of their culture, particularly the religious (the "cult" of culture) foundational element. Once that basic element is lost, the culture itself is doomed. Without the foundational cult, nothing can enforce the moral good. Self-interest becomes paramount and common sense goes out the window. Once greed and stupidity are married, the nation will eventually crumble. It will destroy itself through economic and moral collapse, or it will experience a revolution by a persecuted and energized minority, or in its weakened state it will be defeated by external enemies.

That's why I don't believe in democracy.

The trouble is, we seem to be heading in the direction of increased reliance on basic democracy, and I'm starting to see the symptoms of decay that come with it. Legislators become slaves to the latest polling data and, taking the safe approach, cast their votes accordingly. Even safer is to call for a referendum so the people can bypass their representative government entirely. And when the negative unintended consequences appear, the politician can safely blame the people themselves. Expanding popular democracy breeds weak politicians lacking in courage; it gives us representatives who don't represent and legislators who legislate poorly. And since a power vacuum can never remain a vacuum for long, weakness in the legislature leads to increased power in the other two branches -- something we are experiencing today.

I love this country and I trust it will keep or, more accurately, return to the exquisite model given to us by the founders. But I suspect it has progressed too far along the road to decay for that to happen. No nation can last forever, and in today's world, it's remarkable that the United States has managed to survive as long as it has. I'm not a pessimist; I'm simply a realist. We are at the end of an age, and neither I nor anyone else can predict when exactly the next age will begin and what form it will take. Perhaps the Lord of History, the One who will bring all to its planned end, will intervene and save us from ourselves. Now that's something to pray for!

God's peace...