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Britain should not lecture Libyans on democracy
Libya has better role models to follow than Britain’s mix of feudalism and oligarchy
Is there anything more nauseating about Britain's political elite than the way they promote their country as a shining example of modern democracy that other less "enlightened" nations ought to follow?
The latest to advise others to take their lead from the UK is former Tory prime minister Sir John Major, speaking on the Today programme. Major thinks that Britain, with its "long democratic tradition" and "civil aptitude" can "advise and help a great deal" with the "resurrection of civil democracies" in Libya.
But are we really the model democracy that Libya should try to emulate if and when the people rid themselves of Muammar Gaddafi?
Gaddafi may be barking about many things, but when he compared himself to HM the Queen, another unelected head of state (who is also fabulously wealthy), the Libyan leader, did, one has to admit, have a point.
Those who think Britain really is the last word in democracy should make sure they watch next month's royal wedding when the feudal nature of 21st century Britain will be there for all to see. But at least the House of Windsor wields no political power - unlike the House of Lords.
Despite the various proposals down the years to introduce a democratically elected second chamber, in the second decade of the 21st century, we're still left with the decidedly undemocratic mixture of hereditary peers, 26 Lords Spiritual and over 600 political appointees. Some of these peers are ex-MPs who were rejected by voters in elections - such as Oona King, defeated by George Galloway in Bethnal Green and Bow in the 2005 general election.
Not that the House of Commons, which is directly elected, is much better.
"The English people believes itself to be free; it is gravely mistaken; it is free only during election of members of parliament; as soon as the members are elected, the people is enslaved; it is nothing," wrote the 18th century Swiss philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau and how right he was.
On issue after issue, from renationalisation of the railways, to the restoration of capital punishment, or making the bankers pay up for the economic crisis they caused, our elected representatives happily ignore the views of the general public.
Our government rules not in the interests of the majority, as they should do in a democracy, but in the interest of a small, unaccountable financial elite. To conceal their true intentions, politicians are prepared to tell outrageous lies when it comes to trying to get our votes at election time.
Would the Conservatives have been elected last May if David Cameron had campaigned on a programme of opening up the NHS to private health companies, instead of pledging to protect the service?
Would the Lib Dems have found themselves in government if Nick Clegg had advocated a tripling of tuition fees, instead of signing a pre-election pledge to vote against any increase?
The Guardian's John Harris talks of the coalition pulling off a "coup" ... "the most far-reaching attempt to remodel British society in 60 years, undertaken at speed, and with a breathtaking disregard for what was offered to the country only months ago".
If post-Gaddafi Libya needs advice on democratising the country they'd do well to pass over Britain's mix of feudalism and oligarchy and look elsewhere instead.
According to the Economist Intelligence Unit's democracy index, the four most democratic nations in the world are all in Scandinavia. (Britain is in 19th place, below the US, Spain and Malta).
It's no coincidence that the top four - Norway, Iceland, Denmark and Sweden - are also among the most egalitarian countries in the world, showing a direct correlation between high levels of economic equality and democracy.
Norway's famous Allemannsretten ('the right of public access'), which gives the citizen the right to pitch a tent on private land (including in the grounds of Oslo's Royal palace), is a wonderful affirmation of the belief that without equal rights for all, there can be no true democracy.
In the short story The Comments of Moung Ka, the great Edwardian comic writer Saki argued that Britain is not a democracy, but only "what is called a democracy".
Things have improved since then, but there's still a long way to go before our leaders should be getting on their soapboxes to lecture others. ·
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Well said Neil Clarke. Also, when will certain arrogant bigoted people in the 'western democracies' accept that their brand of governing is not suitable or even desirable for many people in other parts of the world and simply would not work? Would the democracies now in hock to China, been is such a position if China had been practising their brand of governance? To each his own, let people do what is best for them and several factors determine this, following blindly is not one of them.
Excellent article. Bring on electoral reform!
Here, here, Mr. Clark. Thank you for saying what I have been telling my American counterparts for years. "Democracy" has been reduced to a cliched four-letter word both in Great Britain and the USA. The voting process in the USA is only there to give the illusion of freedom. As in Britain, American legislators lie through their teeth. A perfect example is President Obama. There is very little he has done in fulfilling campaign promises. As a matter of fact, he is referred to as Obushma for carrying on Bush's policies. I teach history to homeschooled students. One of my main points is that although we "won" the American Revolution, Britain's influence on our government never ceased.
We are similar in many respects. Both our governments do a hard sell on "democracy," but sell us short on delivery. Witness Afghanistan, we are told our troops are there to promote "democracy" and that it has nothing to do with oil or an oil pipeline. We are told our troops are in Afghanistan fighting for our "freedom" and the troops should be treated as heroes. Here in America, or as some spell it "Amerikkka," we too are ruled by an oligarchy of gangster banksters. They answer to no one. They committed fraud and caused a worldwide financial meltdown, and what was their punishment - they were given a trillion dollars of taxpayer money to dole out as bonuses to their people. Here as in most countries, there is a double whammy. First you get screwed, the second whammy is, we must now pay for that screwing. The banking oligarchy and their minions have gutted and co-opted any semblance of democracy while only preserving it in word. I find it telling that one of the people commenting on this page referred to the U.S. as fascist - another point I have trying to drive home to my people. Americans too, are experiencing their own feudal system as all workers heve been relegated to being nothing more than serfs. Most citizens own no land, all that is owned is private and trespassers will be arrested.
Working is no longer a right, it is now a privilege. What few rights that may have existed were eclipsed by the nefarious "Patriot Act," which by the way, our president just renewed. Many in the USA echo Neil Clark's notion, that before we lecture anyone on democracy, we should try practicing it here! One other unfortunate thing here in the USA, although we do not have a royal wedding on the agenda, we will still have to suffer through it as the divirsionary American media is obsessed with this type of non-news and is going to cover this debacle to the hilt.
Neil Clark may not have noticed, but no less than three of the 'top four' democracies that he applauds - Norway, Iceland, Denmark and Sweden - are also constitutional monarchies. They self-consciously modelled themselves - wait for it - on the British model in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
"Fundamental misunderstanding of our political system." Yeah, Right! Democracy, in the sense of "government of the people, for the people, by the people" died a long time ago in this country. In BOTH the last governments, Democracy has morphed to "government of the people, for the benefit of the provileged and corrupt few, by the incompetent and self-interested"
Fundamental misunderstanding of our political system. We're a Representative Democracy, not a Direct or Consensual Democracy. So it's functioning as designs. Basic politics 101. But then Neil Clarke, never ceases to impress. In the last few months we have had predictions of a Winter of Discontent that was going to overthrow the government, claims that we are Vichy Britain to the USA's facist regime, suggestions that Ed Miliband should adopt Harold Wilson's approach to leading labour, and bizarrely that capitalism caused Derek Bird to go on a killing spree in Cumbria. Bravo.
The presence of a symbolic monarchy tends to veil the powers of a British Prime Minister who controls the parliament and what it discusses, keeps the Second Chamber weak, can take the country into war without consulting anybody as both Blair and John Major did. They can even choose or veto Bishops which puts them in front of God. Indeed sickening to hear them talk about setting standards in democracy or even freedom with all their terrorist powers and laws. 19th seems a generous rating for a country which should be top.