It starts with the human condition. What we are. How we have lived for thousands of years.
Things are more complicated than most understand. For most of our history we had no freedom but were ruled by despots and dogma.
Up until we had republics/democracies, no one without power had any freedom. The masses were ruled by two entities: leaders: dictators: tribal chiefs, war lords, kings / queens, but people did not vote for their leaders.
2) Dogma: Until we had science we had no freedom from dogma: whatever myths the culture ruled was how one was to live that, how they HAD to live. They had no choice. Little girls are still being mutilated in the middle east and Africa and women are slaves to the men in most of the world. Read Virgins of Paradise. Great book by Barbara Woods.
Women had almost no freedom until just recently, anywhere, including here. Women couldn't even vote until 1919 because men wanted to keep women down and thought they were stupid. Now more women are going to college than men., but still only have about 1% of the worlds wealth, I think.
What changed was an idea. Peoples right to elect their leaders. Republics. Ancient Greeks thought of that around 500 BC.
So now the way we live is that the people vote for everything from housing set backs to when to put the garbage out by boards and commissions, starting at the local level, which is the ultimate exercise of democracy. How civilzation works.
They say about democracy: "it is the worst form of government, except for all others."
So the best thing for humans is to have a vibrant democracy. The exercise of democracy is the governments they form to govern us, without which we would devolve back to being ruled by dictators.
You can even see countries or areas which have lost their demcoracy go back to dictatoriships.
So democracy is the best form of government, but is only as smart as the electorate.
And then look at which countries are doing the best. It is the Scandanavian countries, Canada, Australia and New Zealand and some European countries. As meassured by health, education and happiness.
And so what do they have in common?
High taxes, extensive welfare systems and low income inequality. We are 65 in inequality which is criminal. The Walton family alone has more wealth than the bottom 40% of the population.
Society has to be kept healthy if it is to serve and protect the people and major income inequality is a cancer on a society. |
