Many times, people from post-Communist countries seem to misunderstand the concept of "democracy".
I spent countless hours pondering on what this somewhat elusive concept actually means, settling eventually on "responsibility". After all, democracy is responsibility, isn't it?
In a totalitarian system, where the government is to decide on each and every matter in a country, the government has the responsibility over making those decisions. In a democracy - coupled with a market economy (an almost inevitable symbiosis) - that is not the case. The government merely watches over and directs the economy and society, with limited actual control. In the end, it is the people that have the responsibility to decide over what happens with their lives. You don't like something, you do something about it.
I think democracy is all about independent thinking. It is a system of grown up people, which have to make decisions on their own, and be responsible for those decisions. It is a system of where people don't ask "what can my country do for me?" but "what can I do for my country?".
The problem with democracy's freedom (and obligation) of free speech, political or religious affiliation, you name it - is that all those are choices which have to be made. Coupled with the market economy, we are swamped in decisions. It's like all of a sudden we are all corporate executives, having to make a myriad of different choices per day - ranging from one of the 20 types of ice cream, to hundreds of university courses, or (particularly in my case) even country to live in. Less and less is predefined. All these choices have to be carefully analyzed and taken action on - and it's not easy. People have to be prepared for this. The education systems, and particularly in countries such as my own have to do a better job preparing people to live in this new, ever more competitive, cluttered and fast moving world.
People in the developing world (and by "developing world" I usually first and foremost mean Moldova, my beloved country) should be taught to understand, analyze, constructively criticize and evaluate everything around them. Thus the vital companion for a democracy (or at least democracy wannabe) is not only market economy, but EDUCATION. It can't be stressed enough how important it is to have an efficient education system, which teaches young people responsibility, independent thinking, critical view and analytic approach.
I think the democracy is not to be installed, but gradually grown, starting with earliest life stages.
The problem is, can democracy work in a low educated nation? It seems to work perfectly in well educated nations with low inequality and high GDP per capita (such as Scandinavian countries). But can the same great principles be applied in the developing world (a politically correct term for poor countries)? I fear not. Nevertheless, the problem is that there is one thing a democracy guarantees: (relative) stability. The power will be taken from those who have it regularly, thus preventing them to have too much of it. It is a virtue of the system that shouldn't be underestimated.
I think Eastern European countries in '89 and '91 failed to take the time to grasp what democracy really means, and instead just rushed straight into the new system. Big mistake. Consequences will probably still need to be faced many years from now. What can we learn from it?
Well that was my democratic duty of understanding, analysis and self expression for today :-) In case anyone somehow serendipitously landed on this page and actually read it, I will be more than happy hear your thoughts.
Please note that these are just my reflections about the concept of democracy. I am not, and I aim not to be a politician nor a philosopher. But I think in a true democracy, everyone should ask themselves, think and decide upon such matters.
I spent countless hours pondering on what this somewhat elusive concept actually means, settling eventually on "responsibility". After all, democracy is responsibility, isn't it?
In a totalitarian system, where the government is to decide on each and every matter in a country, the government has the responsibility over making those decisions. In a democracy - coupled with a market economy (an almost inevitable symbiosis) - that is not the case. The government merely watches over and directs the economy and society, with limited actual control. In the end, it is the people that have the responsibility to decide over what happens with their lives. You don't like something, you do something about it.
I think democracy is all about independent thinking. It is a system of grown up people, which have to make decisions on their own, and be responsible for those decisions. It is a system of where people don't ask "what can my country do for me?" but "what can I do for my country?".
The problem with democracy's freedom (and obligation) of free speech, political or religious affiliation, you name it - is that all those are choices which have to be made. Coupled with the market economy, we are swamped in decisions. It's like all of a sudden we are all corporate executives, having to make a myriad of different choices per day - ranging from one of the 20 types of ice cream, to hundreds of university courses, or (particularly in my case) even country to live in. Less and less is predefined. All these choices have to be carefully analyzed and taken action on - and it's not easy. People have to be prepared for this. The education systems, and particularly in countries such as my own have to do a better job preparing people to live in this new, ever more competitive, cluttered and fast moving world.
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| My country's flag. Moldova is classified as a "flawed democracy" in the Democracy Index ranking (http://goo.gl/PolkA) |
People in the developing world (and by "developing world" I usually first and foremost mean Moldova, my beloved country) should be taught to understand, analyze, constructively criticize and evaluate everything around them. Thus the vital companion for a democracy (or at least democracy wannabe) is not only market economy, but EDUCATION. It can't be stressed enough how important it is to have an efficient education system, which teaches young people responsibility, independent thinking, critical view and analytic approach.
I think the democracy is not to be installed, but gradually grown, starting with earliest life stages.
 |
| Scandinavian/Nordic countries countries are at the top in the Democracy Index ranking (http://goo.gl/PolkA) |
The problem is, can democracy work in a low educated nation? It seems to work perfectly in well educated nations with low inequality and high GDP per capita (such as Scandinavian countries). But can the same great principles be applied in the developing world (a politically correct term for poor countries)? I fear not. Nevertheless, the problem is that there is one thing a democracy guarantees: (relative) stability. The power will be taken from those who have it regularly, thus preventing them to have too much of it. It is a virtue of the system that shouldn't be underestimated.
I think Eastern European countries in '89 and '91 failed to take the time to grasp what democracy really means, and instead just rushed straight into the new system. Big mistake. Consequences will probably still need to be faced many years from now. What can we learn from it?
*
Well that was my democratic duty of understanding, analysis and self expression for today :-) In case anyone somehow serendipitously landed on this page and actually read it, I will be more than happy hear your thoughts.
Please note that these are just my reflections about the concept of democracy. I am not, and I aim not to be a politician nor a philosopher. But I think in a true democracy, everyone should ask themselves, think and decide upon such matters.
