Do we need a Democratic Elite?

 

A great weakness of the common voter is his refusal to take long term planning seriously. Yet sustainability, in the broadest meaning of the word, demands long-range planning. Population control is a massive (though far from only) part of this, and it shows us the weakness of our existing democracies. Hence, I will focus on this to make my case.

People presume that increases in wealth naturally lead to smaller families, so they think population is a non-issue. That idea is wrong. Observations in the relationship between wealth and fertility do not isolate for the impact of extended schooling, feminist movements (driving women to work), welfare systems and weakened religions, etc, all of which have dovetailed with the end of the western baby-boom. Industrialisation is only a part of what may be lowering fertility.

This is the thing: Over-population cannot sanely be allowed to happen. Over-population means replacing the remaining forests with farms, and finally it means desperation leading to wars. People get ruthless when they can't eat. Obviously, this is not something we should wait for.

Ok. What I've talked about is realistic but it's a political football that no one has time for, and what no democratic politician dares touch. It relates to necessary long-term planning yet we don't want to know about it.

However, our refusal to confront the eventual need for direct population control, is how you legitimise a non-democratic elite; that is, an elite who might well develop an attitude that can be described as..."Well, if these guys aren't going to manage themselves like they should, then we have to do it for them". And dare I say it, they could be right.

In my view, we do need some kind of an elite, and an elite that will not turn its back on uncomfortable problems. But that elite should not be formed incidentally out of wealth, nor by childish politicians driven by a hunger for status. We want a democratic elite.

Forming a democratic elite:

I suggest that everyone have the capacity to vote, but with conditions. To vote, we should have to do an online course on politics and economics, so we can demonstrate that we're prepared to be intelligently engaged.

When we vote, we vote for policy that affects everyone - not just ourselves. Voting is a serious business and should be respected as such. Many people will not be bothered doing the course and they will in turn not vote. That would most likely be a good thing.

We need to filter for people who are prepared to think long term, and people who are studious enough to not be so easily manipulated by the media.

So, if we must have an elite, it should be the people's elite. Not a self-appointed elite.

I worry that if we turn our backs on the need for serious leadership, then we may only create a vacuum for others to fill. Maybe this has already happened? The UN and associated organisations already talk about our future as though it's their place to design it. No thank you. We can do better. We can run our world primarily from the ground-up, but again we need to specify how democracy works so to remove blatantly short-sighted thinking.

-Andrew Atkin