In previous discussions, we explored the theories of various Western scholars who have rejected the concept of democracy. In this research, we aim to demonstrate that, within a democracy, the people do not genuinely possess the power to govern. Instead, it is the wealthy minority who control the government and steer it in their desired direction.
A truly effective and authentic government should be founded on a transparent electoral process, extending through the tenure of the people’s representatives and persisting until the next election cycle. However, some democrats acknowledge the reality that the people’s sovereignty is often limited to the brief period during elections. After the elections, the people’s perceived sovereignty diminishes, becoming more of an illusion as they lose influence over governance.
This article investigates these dynamics and challenges the notion that democracy equates to real, continuous sovereignty for the people.
By paying more and deeper attention to this matter, we will realize that even during elections, people do not have their own sovereignty in their pockets, and sovereignty is not suitable for them, and they have fake coins in their hands.
First, we quote a quote from Rousseau, the prophet of democracy. As stated earlier, Rousseau considers true democracy to be direct democracy. For this reason, about the representative democracy of contemporary Britain, he says that the British people are not free except during the election, because as soon as the election process is over, the people become slaves, rather they become “nothing” and “absurd”.
French Paul Claval also mentions the active participation of citizens only during elections.
But Russell went a step further and stated that out of twenty million people (the number of voters), you are only one person; Therefore, you feel that you are being ruled rather than that the government is at your disposal.
Now let’s talk about some of these obstacles as follows:
1. Selfishness; People are mostly looking for the fulfillment of their desires and dreams, not more. People are busy with their own lives and care less about influencing the politics of their own country. Very few are willing to put themselves in trouble and are rarely willing to make sacrifices. Even at the height of revolutions, which are considered national uprisings and take root from the depths of people’s hearts, only a part of them is willing to make sacrifices in this way, and that is only during clashes and tensions and nothing else. Today’s West is much more negative than the East; Because more factors and effects of negativism can be seen in it. Not caring about politics is one of the phenomena of being negative. In America, most people do not care about politics, and most of the domestic news and related to daily entertainment attract their attention, because domestic news mostly contains sports and entertainment events. If they happen to see a political issue on TV, it is because they happened to be watching TV at that moment.
Padover says: “Ordinary people, for whom the theory and democratic systems were founded, rarely care about the issues that they need to be aware of and be informed about.”
He talks about the strike of New York newspapers in 1962 and claims that a survey has shown that ordinary citizens do not care whether they have access to news or not, but they are more interested in television programs and movie commercials and stock market listings and sports news. cares. In this way, the scope of the theory of public will is reduced and it applies to small groups and not to the general public.
2. Occurrences; The citizen sees himself against the reality. The imposed situation deprives him of the possibility of changing it. Trying to change requires struggle and sacrifice. Also, the citizen has become a negative citizen; Therefore, he obeys the reality and adapts himself to it. The fact is that several parties control the political field and citizens cannot do anything significant against them. In a situation where the existence of strong financial power is one of the conditions for the survival of parties, the chances of survival and growth of small parties are very small. On the other hand, the citizen observes the specific system of the parliament and the executive branch that even if they do not like it, they are not able to do anything to change it. Changing the members of the parliament and the heads of the executive branch causes a slight change in the issue. Officials will be dismissed, but the system will remain. Also, a number of big economic powers have become the source of material life, and the power of the citizen against them is much less than a drop in the sea compared to their power against the government, and powerful news and information devices have surrounded him and he has to build with them willy-nilly.
We will discuss all these forces in the coming pages. Here we will only say a few things. When man sees himself in front of a reality that cannot be changed due to its greatness, how can it be claimed that man rules himself? Of course, this issue is about someone who thinks and feels, but most people are drowned in the sea of this concrete event; Therefore, they are not the rulers of the government; Worse, they don’t even feel this fact.
By admin2
