The Other Side of Democracy
More and more, democratic
rule is beginning to resemble dynastic
rule. This was true of the East, but
now is becoming a facet of the West
as well. Family monopolies flourish.
The underpinnings of democracy –
the party machinery – itself seems
to encourage the concentration of power
in the hands of the few at the expense
of many. In many Middle East nations
where there is no kingship, a kingship-like
structure has developed, with the crown
of power passing to the son.
In America too, it has happened in the
shape of George Bush who became President
not because of acumen but because of
his Daddy’s hold on the Republican
Party machinery. Similarly, Hillary
Clinton, whose self-espoused co-Presidency
embarrassed the American nation, likely
is vying for the Presidential slot for
the year 2008. Still a rookie Senator,
her main claim to fame and to the national
Democratic Party infrastructure is derived
from being the spouse of Bill Clinton.
Democracy has become an acceptable means
for the very rich to rule. The 100-member
US Senate is known as a millionaires’
club. This appalling hold of money on
political power vitiates notions of
democracy, which is based on representative
majority rule. The same applies in emerging
countries where those with means and
genes have a stranglehold on political
power. The tiny wealthy few are grossly
over-represented while the overwhelming
many are left unrepresented or woefully
under-represented.
Ballot boxes and elections, it appears,
are merely tools to legitimate and perpetuate
plutocracy – the rule of the rich
– under the hijab of democracy.
Democracy, in effect, is becoming a
distracting bone thrown to the middle
class to gnaw at while enabling the
rich to lord over them.
It is no wonder that in a place like
Pakistan half of the energies are spent
in praising those who are present and
other half is squandered in denigrating
the absent. It is a short-cut recipe
for doing nothing and gallivanting in
a perk-seeking culture.
The down side is that the message being
sent is that competence and integrity
do not matter. This may partly explain
why today’s youth is mired in
gloom and negativism. In this connection,
the passivity of the middle class is
also much to blame and their incapacity
to raise the salience of these issues
suggests that this trend may not be
reversed for the foreseeable future.
It is one of the subtexts why there
is a huge disconnect between the elites
and the street. The pivotal issue of
the 21st century is likely to be relations
with Islam and the Western world. But
here there is considerable double talk
and lack of intellectual honesty. While
the elite say something, the street
feels something else. This is one of
the reasons why peace arrangements in
the Middle East have not taken off.
It has created a space for unrest and
zealotry to fester due to frustration
over the incapacity of elites to articulate
core grievances and popular aspirations.
This is a predictable aftermath of the
rulers not reflecting the public will
because of inherent propensity to protect
their perks, power and privilege at
the expense of the public interest.
As long as the few exclude the many,
democracy shall remain hollow.
