More and more I read about freedom and democracy and more and more I get the feeling that they are taking it away from us. The first question that arises is who are ‘they’?
Current at this time, the debt crisis and the role of Greece in it. Greece is currently on a leash in the EU and as the Greek people accept this they will remain in this situation for decades. Leaving aside the question of who is responsible for the many debts of Greece, it is interesting to look at the role of the financial world and politics. Both are supportive of the ordinary people and everyday life, but now it is increasingly the reverse situation. Politicians have to dance to the tune of the financial world and they dictate subsequently the nation. The move by the Prime Minister of Greece, George Papandreou, was terrific. He puts the choice back to the people: is this what you want? Isn’t this the ultimate democracy? Freedom and time for the people to express their views?
Very well known in the Netherlands is the way in which the EU Constitution was accepted by the Balkenende government without debating with the Dutch people, who were actually against: no referendum. Just now, the debate about the Angolan boy, Mauro, was completed. The entire parliament was involved. But if something important about the future of the whole nation must be decided, then Prime Minister Rutte does it on his own during a dinner with his European colleagues. Very strange. And the same can be said of his colleagues. What do we have to say about our own future? What freedom do we have to make choices?
Democracy is a wonderful principle linked to the concept of freedom. Freedom for people to unite in order to express themselves and also to choose occasionally together a different path if the current path does not produce the desired results. Democracy has to do with equality and equity. Every vote counts and is equal and as much worth as the other. Power and interests play no role. More than one hundred years ago, that was in fact the situation and it seems that it’s coming back. Multinationals unite and are asking governments for guarantees about their investments. Thus they indicate that they would have something to say about that country. To stop things from changing in a direction unfavourable to their companies. That this goes against the democratic principle they do not care. Freedom is not subject to interest or power, just the opposite. Responsibilities indeed play a role even if it comes to freedom, because it is still about people’s lives. That is to important to be hindered by (abstract) support systems. An interesting question. These are times when we have much to learn and really can make big progress …..
November 1, 2011 at 11:04 pm |
Allow me to disagree with you on Greece! The move by George Papandreou had nothing to do about democracy and a lot to do about political manipulation! You see the crisis was obvious from the time that he was campaigning for election yet he chose to offer promises of prosperity for the future. Now, after two years of being unable to lead and to offer real solutions to the crisis, (such as reforming the laws that give immunity agains any wrongdoing to members of cabinet or congress for ever, instituting an american style system for rule making, and amending the constitution in ways that would separate the balance of power and create an executive and a legislative branch to allow for checks and balances – by the way these would have been credible issues to call for a referendum vote and could institute processes that could prevent similar future crises) instead of calling for national elections to allow for a more capable leader to come to the forefront, he is calling for a referendum to approve the terms under which the other european countries members of the Eurozone are willing to take a haircut on their loans to Greece in order to avert a collapse of the Eurozone and an economic catastrophe to the US and world economies. He is calling for a referendum vote because he would loose if national elections were held now. By calling for a referendum vote he places a decision of Leadership (the job he was elected to do) on the people so that he is not blamed for that decision in the future and furthermore he secures his job for another year or two while continuing to institute failed policies that promote a climate of malaise. This is not democracy at work!!!
November 2, 2011 at 8:13 pm |
Thank you very much for your reaction ! It is always good to receive opposite reactions, because this gives me the chance to add some positive information on my weblog-article. And it is always good to have conversations with different viewpoints so that readers also learn to see things in others ways and from other directions. This will always lead to better decisions about what to do next.
I am not very well informed about the Greek situation, I must admit. And I also know that politicians are people who are hard to trust, but isn’t anyone in a situation of power ? Where there is to much power, love goes down, I always say. Therefore I have developed a new system that isn’t based on power but on love. But knowing that politicians are hard to trust doen’t solve the problem. On the other hand, imagine that you yourself would be the Prime Minister of a country, like Greece. It must be a very tough situation you are in ! Not like Hugh Grant in the movie ‘Love actually’. It is very hard to be a good politician or manager. you have to deal with the situation and the system you are part of. The capitalist system creates loosers and even more loosers than winners. So there isn’t much to win when your a leader. It’s a ratrace and even if you win, you are still a rat ! That’s why I am a glad to be a messenger and not a leader. I have to oppertunity to tell the good news and do not have to make hard decisions.
So maybe Papandreou isn’t quite straight in his way he is dealing this situation. Do you think you really would be better of with someone else ? In the Netherlands we have had all kinds of political directions in our government but they all go the same way once they are in. They are all bookkeepers without vision. So what can you do ? Get into contact with these people and try to make them do the right thing. And I think a referendum is always better than when a government makes decisions on their own like they are doing now in the Netherlands. A Referendum is not allowed here anymore. The politicians think the people are stupid ! What do you think of such politicians ? A lot of things have to change.
I have sent Papandreou my book and offered my help. I have developed an alternative system opposite to the capitalist system but which makes any country more competitive than any other country in the world. It creates welfare and prosperity for the people in such a country and once we get this started up other countries will follow soon and the world will be a better place for all the people in the world. A system in which people come first, where people are helping each other. In which all the great problems like crime, climate change, food shortage, over population will be solved. A utopia ? Of course, but the direction in which this new system goes is much better than the direction we are going now. Every society is first going up and after a while it will go down. A new system comes and we are starting all over again. But in the meantime we all have lost a lot. It is better to step on another system as soon as you discover that your system is going down. We cannot beat large cheap economies like China and India with product innovation. We can only do this by changing our society system. We have to be smart, we have to be creative !
Read my book and you will discover that there is a positive solution to the problems we are facing: ‘How to save our world, the ultimate spiritual society’, from the Netherlands !
Greetings and I wish you all the luck in the world.