the post-democratic age

[I drafted this yesterday (090505), in answer the question Q:
"How Can This Be? Are People Getting Better While the World is Getting Worse?"
I reserve the right to revise; IF ... THEN, the correct impetus and time allows.]

Thesis: That cheats never prosper.

[The following may *appear* political; IMHO it is not; sub-thesis: That we have moved (been dragged) into a post-political, aka a post-democratic world. The voters have been 'sidelined,' the media relay lies - and even tell lies to us on their own behalf; our 'leaders' betray us, we the (dumbed-down) sheople. Behind all that is what? - Who knows, but in the 'for the people' frame, our so-called 'democracies' have become 'inoperative.']

From the headline, Q: "Where does it go wrong?"

My general answer, A: "Almost from birth."

One, if not the specific answer, A: "Leadership failure."

From the two comments already in [some other-where], two words: a) microcosm and b) beliefs.

As to human nature, recall "the curate's egg: ... parts of it are excellent!"

-=*=-

On the whole, 'human nature' is good, the problems occur with the (minority) 'bad bits.' (Well, of course!)

Altruism works in small groups (where all are known to one another), because miscreants can be both identified and (gently) sanctioned. The current situation, tending to become uniform, is for people to live largely in isolation; running home, slamming the door - and turning the TV on. Some 'life.'

A good 'microcosm' is the Kindergarten, and one of the biggest problems there is 'the (horrible!) bully.'

The place where *that* went wrong (the bully) is beforehand, i.e. in the pre-Kinder home. Could be termed 'inadequate socialisation.'

In our current society (most of the so-called 'West,' say), many children are *not* being correctly reared. IMHO, the following three 'rules' should be universally adopted: Number one: *NEVER* lie to your/any child, not even telling 'little whites.' (Littlies can detect lies from an early age; any liar risks (permanently!) losing credibility.) Number two: *NO* TV, or at least, the very least; and IF - THEN, only stuff *guaranteed* to be non-damaging. That means, for example, no violence (most cartoons), no lying, screaming or any (copy-able!) bad behaviour (most Hollywood). Number three, *NO* religion, until at least (late) teens. IF religion is encountered (mistake, chance) THEN explain that it's just a cruel & wicked fantasy, and is to be otherwise and henceforth totally ignored...

This brings up 'belief;' there is an age (5-7 yrs) before which children do *not* have fully functioning brains; this period could be termed 'before the Age of Reason.' In this period, the child's mind is, by 'evolutionary design' a completely indiscriminate sponge; they suck up information - assuming all such is survival-critical. (Think: Do not run onto the road!) A not so 'funny' thing is that from a fairly young stage, a child can understand - and therefore fear death, can 'understand' the (despicable fiction!) of 'life after death' - and so can be deceived - into 'believing' in some g*d, say. IMHO wrong, wrong, wrong - serious, if not the ultimate in child abuse. (IF religion is thought necessary (I obviously do not), THEN only to be offered to a *much* more mature mind - i.e. one fully capable of rational evaluation.)

Teach a proper, *secular* morality, based on reflexive altruism, "Do unto others, ..." "Do no harm, ..." and a new addition, "Return any negatives, ..." i.e. tit-for-tat (within reason). There's a charming idea here, recall that "All [we] really need to know [we] learned in kindergarten"

So, if we accepted & applied all that conscientiously, it gets us past Kinder and into schooling in general - where inter-personal relationships should be fully 'explored/explained' with emphasis on mate-searching and eventual child-rearing, each in their own appropriate time-frame.

-=*=-

OK, we're out of school and into the 'real' world - of supposed (representative) democracy. Problem is, it doesn't work - as generally alleged. Of at least three necessary prerequisites, namely aware, informed and involved voters, free, fair and comprehensive info-flows and properly-representing 'leaders' - we have none.

We need some words/concepts here: consider 'obvious and irrefutable,' aka "o&i:"

1. It is o&i, that the people have been turned into 'sheople' - by being both (psychologically) manipulated and propagandised; the process is called 'manufacturing of demand/consent.'

2. It is o&i, that the sheople are being outright lied to, by politicians (our so-called 'leaders'), via and actively by the (corrupt & venal) MSM (main-stream media), including (to their eternal damnation) big bits of many publicly-funded broadcasters.

3. It is o&i, that our so-called 'leaders' are not properly representing us; the example of Iraq is one stand-out, but essentially most of if not all wars since WW2 have been carried out on false pretences, including the vicious attacks by Israel on its neighbours, mostly the hapless Palestinians.

-=*=-

Intermezzo: I have made basically unsubstantiated allegations and assertions - my claim is that a properly aware observer will see the same. I have left out providing supporting links for brevity and short-on-time reasons.

-=*=-

I said (asserted), that this comment is non-political, on the grounds that since our democracies have failed (have been crippled); this on account of the whole process having been subverted, see 1-3. Returning to 'human nature' and its minority failings - there they are, all in one easily identifiable group - our so-called 'leaders' (plus those on whose behalf they rule over us for, namely the kleptocracy); a more pathological bunch is hard to imagine.

-=*=-

Fazit: Oh, yes; some cheats certainly do prosper. Them.