Is Democracy The Problem? jsuter@sbcglobal.net
Citizens blame leaders. Leaders blame citizens. Could it be that the problem is democracy itself? In an interview by Danny Haiphong with Sean Foo and Richard Wolff, they discuss the inability of US business and investors to know the investing landscape. If the current politics is unfavorable, investors only need to wait a few more years until another band of merry men and women take over. This does not bode well for future planning. China has a dictatorship but they still have 5-yr plans. Russia too is not held back by a three-legged stool of democracy and seems to move faster.
Are we seeing the end or an evolution of the Nation-State? A complex system must change several things simultaneously if it is to maintain balance. If only one thing is changed, the system will snap-back to what it was before, be it Deep State or whatever. It is important to look at all aspects of our existence within the Nation-State framework. This includes looking at the structure of government itself and analyzing what feedback mechanisms keep it on track.
One option is to put more authority in the hands of a single regional leader, but then also make that leader removable at any time by 80% of any minority. This would encourage communication in both directions and form a more Dynamic Democracy. Even Israel could use a Dynamic Democracy for the benefit of everyone.
A government which is set up only to divide the spoils will push leaders and citizens into separate spaces rather than have them work together to solve problems. Grassroot citizens – as a group – are often ahead of their leaders, especially in the knowledge of what is happening on the ground. Paraphrasing Friedrich Hayek: “there is often no substitute for information on the ground.”
Economics too must change if we are to address the health of the economy. An additional currency could be added at the hyper-local level with about 100 people. Properly used, hyper-local currencies (HLC) can be used to induce people to cooperate at the local level for the purpose of creating useful goods and services to trade on the open market. In addition, it creates resistance to inflation and a buffer against recession. Adding another currency at the hyperlocal level is where people can be accountable to each other without a court system.
Banks create incentives or gradients when they direct money from one sector to another. A business then uses that gradient power to create organization. There are other ways however, of creating organization that can be started by people at the local level. If ten bread winners are able to support two in their group for some period of time as determined by the group, then those two then can do any job that the group decides is important. They answer only to the group. This is an opportunity for grassroots engagement. In fact, many changes may not start without grassroots.
A new type of nation-state can join with other nation-states and maybe even business to form clusters that have defensive military capabilities. When the most powerful nation, where leaders dress in fine suits, cannot subdue one of the poorest nations where people dress like Star Wars characters, it may be time to think about different types of governing and military structures. An Association of Non-Nuclear Nations (AN3) does not need large, impressive buildings or fancy accoutrements, yet such an organization can create a purpose and flexibility that is missing from the United Nations. It is an exclusive club however, since nuclear nations cannot join.
Military industries too could find other missions, arming small clusters (3) of non-nuclear nations with non-nuclear missiles, maybe even some that are supersonic. Lots of money to be made here. It will be defensive buildup, yet able to reach critical targets within nuclear nations. This would remove the current advantage of nuclear weapons and point us toward a nuclear-free world.
If war and war games are the purview of the nation-state, then anti-war games may be the purview of citizens who must otherwise make the sacrifice for war mongers. What anti-war games look like is still unclear, but many things can be created by people at the grassroots with the goal of making the environment for a next-door neighbor or next-door country more predictable and stable. We cannot escape the fact that much of nature is about competition, so assertiveness and even aggression may be needed if a potentially dangerous or de-stabilizing threat is detected. The goal is to create a stable and predictable environment. Petitions to Congress may not be enough.
American citizens are told to “wake up!” - but sleep is not the correct metaphor. People have the wrong story in their heads due to mis- or missing information. Citizens can create additional information filters made up of small groups using any news source. They then bring ideas and information back to hash it out in a private space, maybe with team competition. This would benefit other readers and listeners of the news.
Another tactic is to focus on one target region or town (foreign or domestic) for a short period of time with the goal of giving people the tools to making their region self-sustaining. Others may benefit and learn from observation. This too can be done with competitive games. There are many places and many levels to start if there are people who see another pathway and share their vision. One person can also set a gradient, just like a bank, only smaller, by creating an incentive for an individual or small group to answer some specific question.
A transformed United States is more flexible and able to counteract the OBOR initiatives made by China in the developing world. Rather than regime change, we can contribute to the developing country becoming independent and healthy. That country will then be able to resist the OBOR initiatives – and we will gain trading partners.