There’s an interesting article on the Stuff website at the moment entitled, “Warped democracy and other outrages.” Although it’s little more than a benign opinion, it raises questions about the nature of democracy as a political tool that many people are questioning around the world. The article centres around Winston Churchill’s famous claim that, “Democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.”
Churchill was a complex character who observed, long before his political colleagues, that European totalitarian forces would overcome Britain’s democracy by filling the passive gaps resulting from a system that celebrated all political voices.
I think it’s noteworthy that the same observations are occurring today. The celebration of many opinions and lifestyles has potentially resuscitated the same concerns. It seems to me that the consequence of peaceful and wealthy democracy is a kind of passivity that over time leads to slavery to a new totalitarian regime. We become trapped by our incapacity to notice what’s going on or who is really directing us.
What is really disturbing however, is the way in which people appear to be equally passive in their own lives when it comes to beneficial change. We often know that something isn’t right, but a variety of voices will convince us that they are, so we remain the same.
All of us have a leaning toward one of two polarities. We either head to “corrosive cynicism”, claiming nothing can be changed so why bother? Or, we gravitate toward “irrelevant idealism” in which we only dream about the world or ourselves as they could be. Cynics and naive idealists don’t tend to like each other, but strangely both extremes end up in the same place - disengaged from life.
Where democracy shines, is not in the ideal that every voice is right, but that every voice can be heard. It only works, however, when we choose to have a voice and to engage with those around us. In doing so we then have a role in making a difference to our own life and the lives of those around us.
Democratic passivity is a dangerous place to spend your life. Corrosive cynics may think they have a better grasp of reality than everyone else, but in actuality they are little more than arm-chair critics with a beer in one hand and a remote in other. As strange as it may seem, irrelevant idealists often share the same couch. Neither will make a difference and neither act democratically.
Jesus claimed that wise people are cunning as snakes and as innocent as doves. An engaged life is a wise life. It’s a life that understands and experiences hopeful naiveté, but strengthens and activates it with a questioning eye.
Knowing which way you lean is the beginning of re-engaging with your own life and that of the world. The Bible claims we all have a part to play and we all have a difference to make. What stops you? Irrelevant idealism? Corrosive cynicism? We can easily becomes slaves to both.
Digby Wilkinson 2009