#4060: Democracy enhancement : Chamberlain replies to Dorc

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

From: Greg Chamberlain <GregChamberlain@compuserve.com>

Kathy Dorcé wrote:


> It seems to me that what you are advocating is instant membership in the 
American Democracy Club.  Everyone alive in Haiti has never known 
democracy.  Only dictatorship, military juntas, terrorism and oligarchy.  

(...)

> So you turn a switch and people know how to behave with all this 
newfound freedom? 

(...)

> Dissent is part of democracy.  But not until it is firmly in 
place and people learn how to dissent without drawing blood.

___________


Dissent is at the core of all human behaviour.  Everyone dissents 
about something every day of their lives.  Dissent is also at the 
core of democracy, which cannot exist without it.  If democracy 
("rule by the people") does not include dissent right 
from the beginning, then it ceases to be (or never becomes)
democracy.  Because once there is no dissent (or right to it),
"the people" no longer rule and only their "leaders" do.  Hence
"the dictatorship of the proletariat" always means a large number 
of people in jail (the ones who dissent).

So no "instant membership" in any "American Democracy Club,"
just a basic daily human right to dissent.  I think you've fallen into
the old trap (with the best of intentions) of simply not trusting 
people to be generally level-headed, serious and mature in their 
daily lives (the distrustful attitude that any authoritarian 
regime has).  This is a pure Poincy point of view, if I may say so.



        Greg Chamberlain