The failure of democracy

I just put this post on my facebook page. After the NY Times discussed the worldwide failure of democracy yesterday on the front page, I felt I had to contribute a shared vision. Yes, democracy is DEAD. But what can replace it? I still don't know, but I have a feeling that it has something to do with the interconnectedness of the internet. This is a passage from a Frederick Maryatt book written in about 1820.

"The question now is," continued Alfred, "as two of the parties, France

and England, have proved so short-sighted, whether the Americans, having

thrown off their allegiance, have not been equally so in their choice of

a democratical government?"

"How far a modern democracy may succeed, I am not prepared to say,"

replied Mr. Campbell; "but this I do know, that in ancient times, their

duration was generally very short, and continually changing to oligarchy

and tyranny. One thing is certain, that there is no form of government

under which the people become so rapidly vicious, or where those who

benefit them are treated with such ingratitude."

"How do you account for that, sir?" said Alfred.

"There are two principal causes. One is, that where all men are declared

to be equal (which man never will permit his fellow to be if he can

prevent it), the only source of distinction is wealth, and thus the

desire of wealth becomes the ruling passion of the whole body, and there

is no passion so demoralizing. The other is, that where the people, or,

more properly speaking, the mob govern, they must be conciliated by

flattery and servility on the part of those who would become their

idols. Now flattery is lying, and a habit equally demoralizing to the

party who gives and to the party who receives it. Depend upon it, there

is no government so contemptible or so unpleasant for an honest man to

live under as a democracy."

"It is my opinion, sir, and I believe a very general one," said Alfred.

"How far the Americans may disprove such an opinion," continued Mr.

Campbell, "remains to be seen; but this is certain, they have commenced

their new form of government with an act of such gross injustice, as to

warrant the assumption that all their boasted virtues are pretense. I

refer to their not liberating their slaves. They have given the lie to

their own assertions in their Declaration of Independence, in which they

have declared all men equal and born free, and we can not expect the

Divine blessing upon those who, when they emancipated themselves, were

so unjust as to hold their fellow-creatures in bondage. The time will

come, I have no doubt, although perhaps not any of us here present may

see the day, when the retribution will fall upon their heads, or rather

upon the heads of their offspring; for the sins of the fathers are

visited upon the children, even to the third and fourth generation.