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Why democracy failed. It sounds awful, and perhaps a bit self-certain. I could’ve at least ameliorated it. Instead of stating Why Democracy Failed I could’ve asked, Has Democracy Failed?

But keep in mind, every time you see a news headline ending with a question mark, the answer is invariably “no”. It’s just that the so-called journalist who wrote the piece didn’t have the guts to put her/his name there without leaving this escape hatch open.

There won’t be any question marks in this case. I’m not asking whether democracy has failed. I feel convinced that it has. If you have a different opinion after you’ve read this piece, you are free to share your thoughts in the comments.

Signs Indicating Democracy Failed

The motivation behind these musings came after two separate but meaning-wise interconnected events that happened in quick succession.

The first was seeing that someone left a 2-star review of my work, the rationale being that it was written in English, not the person’s mother tongue.

Mind you, I saw this soon after I woke up and there’s nothing like being met by unfathomable stupidity to begin the day.

Then some minutes later, checking out some music, I heard the lyrics: “I am maddened by the success of failure”. That’s when it struck me; that’s what we’re dealing with.

Democracy is a Bandwagon Phenomenon

Remember the Bandwagon Fallacy. I wrote then how democracy is literally picking the most popular candidate (at least theoretically, in a perfect, direct democracy).

The thing is, why on earth do we think the most popular candidate would be the best choice?

Let’s face it, the data are not encouraging. As George Carlin said, imagine how stupid the average person is, then realize half of them are even more stupid.

Democracy is not about merit; it’s about popularity

So, let’s see what “popularity” has brought us.

The “Achievements” of Popular Opinion

• People who believe the earth is flat
• Those who are given a free or near-free, safe, life-long protection from deadly diseases, and they say: “Err… No.”
• Every third of your American neighbor who seldom or never attends church isn’t convinced by evolution and natural selection. The percentage is up to 99% for those who attend church regularly.

If you didn’t click on the flat earth link above, it’s an apology – notice: an apology, not a recantation – made by the NBA star Kyrie Irving about having said the earth is flat. It really doesn’t get any more laughable than this.

You have a guy who makes astronomically more money than any artist, researcher, and overall 99% of people out there (simply because he can throw a sphere into a basket), someone who is – appallingly – a role model for young children, and what does he do?

Not only does he state something so outrageously stupid, but then he apologizes for hurting other people’s feelings with his views. This is the world we live in: a world of popularity and hurt feelings, not merit and facts. “I am maddened by the success of failure”.

Why Democracy Failed: What Plato Foresaw

Plato lived about twenty-five hundred years ago. Ancient Greeks not only knew the earth wasn’t flat, they had calculated its circumference, too. Imagine, without internet… I know, right?

What Plato said about democracy is pretty revealing.

When a democracy which is thirsting for freedom has evil cupbearers presiding over the feast, and has drunk too deeply of the strong wine of freedom, then, unless her rulers are very amenable and give a plentiful draught, she calls them to account and punishes them, and says that they are cursed oligarchs[…] In such a state of society the master fears and flatters his scholars, and the scholars despise their masters and tutors; young and old are all alike; and the young man is on a level with the old, and is ready to compete with him in word or deed; and old men condescend to the young and are full of pleasantry and gaiety; they are loth to be thought morose and authoritative, and therefore they adopt the manners of the young.

Plato’s Republic, Book 8

Plato realized why democracy failed – even in ideal conditions, such as the direct democracy of ancient Athens. Democracy inevitably fails because it is predicated not on merit but on popularity.

Not All Opinions Are Equal

In a democracy all opinions are equal. But why should they be? Why should an ignorant person’s opinion carry the same weight as that of a learned master?

One’s right to voice an opinion should be safeguarded. But this right does not extend to one’s opinion carrying equal weight. Indeed, it is imperative that better argued opinions (not to mention facts) should have the right to tear ignorant opinions apart. Despite what you might think, no, you’re not entitled to your opinion.

And yet, the exact opposite is the case today. As Plato foresaw, the masters fear and flatter their disciples, so that they won’t…offend them.

The Failure of Democracy Today

The situation in our times is even worse when one compares it to ancient Athens. We no longer have direct democracy but representative democracy which, really, is just a camouflage for oligarchy.

In such a context, it is far harder for people to become and remain engaged. This leads to a lack of responsibility and a focus on hedonism.

It also facilitates the creation of a system which, in a vicious cycle, inhibits the possibility that meritocracy could prevail. In simpler terms, a system operating on popular idiocy assures that only idiocy can be popular.

If Democracy Is a Failure, what Can Be Done?

You might call me a pessimist or a nihilist – presumably some might think of me as a realist – but I don’t see any solutions. There just isn’t enough gravity of merit and collective potential to overcome the monster.

We could plausibly have a better democracy. One which would be direct, as in ancient Athens, and hence would place more responsibility on the individual – rather than allowing them to seek solutions in heroes. Perhaps (a grand “perhaps”) this would elevate the average level of critical thinking.

Would it be enough to avoid tyranny? Plato says no, and I agree. The problem with popularity is that it seems to precisely shun critical thinking and avoid controversial topics.

This leads to a condition where one operative element (popularity) is in conflict with another operative element (criticism). Or, as someone far smarter than I am said:

The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt.

Bertrand Russell

This sums it up nicely, I think.