8
2010
Do We Really Care About Democracy?
An article by 
I don’t like the word democracy. It is one of those words that is used to mean all kinds of things, and it is interpreted in all kinds of ways.
Democracy is not the world’s saviour… and neither is the blind belief in human progress. Here we are in 2010 and despite our progress, governments still kill their own citizens.
Credit:NZPA / Ross Setford
A few interesting things happened in Wellington recently, mostly unnoticed by media outlets.
- A small demonstration was held outside parliament calling for free and fair democratic elections in Burma this year.
- About the same time in Parliament, MP Maryan Street announced that “New Zealand Parliament is joining the voices of nation states from around the world in seeking advances in democracy for the people of Burma,” (source). The Human Rights Report from Partners was also tabled.
The report was picked up on NZ site Guide2, and the comments that follow the article demonstrate the bizarre rhetoric coming from (I suspect) agents of the Burma junta itself.
“Democracy was tested in Myanmar for abut [sic] 16 years and it Failed miserably. “
“What the West wants in Myanmar is not freedom But Power/Control a vassal state next to China where they can have a likely Nuke or conventional base to Threaten China or India as well if you look at a map you will see why?
Myanmar borders 5 country’s as wells as oil and importantly controls the straights of Malacca which is the main transit point of oil or Choke Point in the case of conflict.”
The people I’ve met who care about peace in Burma don’t want to build an empire.
- They want to see kids who get to go to school.
- Farmers that walk back to their farms without standing on a landmine.
- Families that live securely in their homes without having troops burning it down.
- Children that don’t live with the anguish of seeing their parents killed.
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About the Author: James Foster
James is currently doing undergraduate studies on 3rd-World development, and has a keen interest in ideas and initiatives that empower the poor and oppressed.
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Well, I care about democracy. As you say, it has become a bit of a generic word and can mean a range of things.
But lets keep it simple. Rule by the people. That ultimately means that government is accountable to its citizens. Wrapped up in that are concepts of equality under law, that law being upheld and redress to justice under the law.
Burma is a basket case, and probably the most poverty stricken of all the Asian countries. Government accountability, transparency and the rule of a just law is close to zero.
The fact that the world looks on in disgust, horror or indignation is pointless if the result amounts to indifference. That is the tragedy of Burma, DRC, Iraq prior to the US invasion, North Korea and so on.
We could be doing so much more, but there is little will.
To be honest, I do wonder what it’s worth when politicians say a few words in Parliament. Talk is cheap (but so is blogging
I guess if it leads a few more people to take notice, then it’s worth it.
Too true. Blogging is extremely cheap – but the hope is that the discussion would always lead to something… even if we can’t measure that something.
The muddying of the term “democracy” is frustrating to say the least.
Oftentimes it is used as propaganda to simply push the wishes of one authority, but I’m with Zen, I still care about democracy.
I’m about power being flattened out and spread out. I’m about the little guy having a real say in the structures that determine parts of his/her life and in my view, that is democracy.
I’m not about Burma being turned into a vassal state simply being manipulated by other powers, but in my mind, that’s not democracy.
That said, no political system is the saviour of humanity.
It’s also interesting to see how fear is a tool used to maintain the status quo of military rule that oppresses the people.
I bet the same rhetoric used in that comment you quoted, James, is also the rhetoric used to prop up the military rule in places like North Korea – presenting the idea that democracy will just be used to give the West a foothold to exploit resources and point arms at places like China.
The irony is that the biggest trading partner with Burma/Myanmar is China (as far as I know). China is the superpower in the region.
There are some great comments in the piece I linked to.
E.g. “For people who care not to be feed a load of propaganda about Myanmar go there yourself and don’t believe that western press bull***t about a country you know nothing about”
I’ve been there (briefly), and the Western Press (what western press?) is not fiction.
Yes – I’ve got people close to me who have been in there and they attest to the truth of the reports. I’ve interacted with first-hand accounts more than media reports of Burma/Myanmar.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by TEAR Fund NZ, Frank Ritchie. Frank Ritchie said: RT @TEARFundNZ: Interesting short article at the Humanitarian Chronicle on democracy and Burma/Myanmar http://bit.ly/936Vb8 [...]
Rome came up with Republican, and Greek with Democracy. They both ended up with either imperial-republican or imperial-democracy.
We never have had as i understand democracy in its real sense of the word, not even now. I believe its a dark side of democracy.