Is democracy in trouble?
Details
## What IdeaVerse is about
We meet usually once a month to discuss some of the current challenges as well and perhaps come up with new ideas on how to overcome them. The format of the meeting includes an initial sharing of viewpoints by each participant without judgment, and in the second half we will discuss our ideas and try to find things to learn from each other.
In this next meeting...
we'll be discussing the growing spread of far right and the fading of democracy popularity among voters worldwide.
Democracy started as the story goes in Athens, in a city, with limited access to voting. No slaves, no wives, no immigrants. But there were direct discussions and voting on matters several times a year (not every 4 years like us), so it was more transparent and equalitarian in a sense. J.J. Rousseau, a famous political philosopher back in 18th century France envisaged his ideal democracy also as a city state like Geneva where he lived.
We live in far less ideal democracies, with the largest one India currently standing at 8500x the population of his state at the time. USA by comparison is 2000x. That's a lot of people to make happy.
Recent polls show a growing distaste for democracy, fueled by rising inequality, decreased housing access and increased corruption of states by lobbyists. There's some complaints of over-legislation like protecting minority rights, under-legislation like preventing immigration to add to the mix.
These are all problems, but in this next meeting we'll be asking and trying to answer a few questions:
1. What makes people think rich and/or violent people taking political powers can solve these problems?
2. What's causing these problems? Too much or too little freedom? Capitalism or socialism? Illiteracy or overthinking? Venus in retrograde?
3. Can we somehow make democracy great again? How?
Some suggested reading/watching:
- Poll: Most feel democracy is threatened and political violence is a major problem (USA)
- Young Europeans losing faith in democracy, poll finds
- Jonathan Sumption: This is how democracy could end (20 minute interview with a contemporary political scientist)
- Every Political Ideology in 17 Minutes (always good to clear the vocabulary before a discussion on a heavy topic like democracy)
The meeting is free to attend, but please buy a drink or two at our patron's place, to make them happy. They also have food in case you find the meeting too early (see menu).