I have spent some minutes to post my latest reflection essay on the democracy for the SS project. Hope that my essay-making ability is improving....
Democracy is a relatively extolled-word in the English vocabulary now. The essence of democracy, freedom, has been largely spread all over the world. To some extent, it creates conducive environment where the government would have an equal check-and-balance power. Democracy is a good solution to limit the government power when the state’s policies are bringing the nation into destruction. As the main actors of democracy are the people, I opine the intelligence level of the people in a nation play an indispensable role in deciding the success of the democracy.
I am definitely against the USA worldwide democracy policy due to its hasty assumption that all nations have been ready to practice the USA democracy style. Democracy will only aggravate the circumstance of labile or belligerent countries. Following the majority without further consideration only leads to the bandwagon fallacy, which can possibly intensify the problems. The intellectual level of a nation must be carefully examined, whether it is deeply influenced by a particular ideology or it still lacks of proper education. It is similar to a parent who lets his child to jump from the rooftop due to the number of the voters. However, it does not mean that the people with less education level like the farmers or labors should be ignored. The future prospect of the suggestion must be considered even if the input comes from the ordinary people. Even so, the judgment ability is mostly acquired by the educated people.
I also reflect that the persuasion power can result horrendously. In the election, people will tend to choose the most convincing ones. Even USA is brave enough to put an inexperienced senator like Barrack Obama as a president candidate due to his ability to promise changes. This does not always lead to problems, but history has proved democracy can be corrupted. The rise of the Nazis was started by a democratic election. Whether the people are going to follow the charismatic leader completely or ponder the promises suggested by the leader largely depends on the critical mid of the people, which would lead back to the level of the education and intelligence of the people.
Democracy is not always the best way to create stability due to its flexible nature that encourages changes from the people. However, it can synthesize quite well with the concept of the stability, as long as there is an authority which assures the existence of the human rights. The rights of speech cannot be traded with the rights to live. Democracy should be granted gradually by the state as the intelligent level of the people increases. Authoritarianism sometimes costs ideas supported by the people, but it can deter riots cause by immature opinions of the people. A newborn state should prioritize education for the people while maintaining the order; hence, the nation can execute democracy quicker and ensure it is delivered in intellectual ways, not through bombs and destruction of stability.
Democracy is a great power that comes with a greater responsibility.