Editorial – October 24, 2014 :
For some time now we have sought through this medium to concentrate on how the people in Montserrat need to treat with its governance and the democracy which we in these parts claim that we practice and even believe in.
As far as Montserrat is concerned we find little or no difference in belief and let’s venture, in ideology as to how the people who are supposed to uphold and practice democracy which, as one person puts it simply, “democracy is the least of the evil methods to control people.” Then there those who will say that thought is a subjective one.
The thought of democracy led us to think of ideology and then we wonder just how these would go together and would this be worth studying to see if these two might force our ‘leaders’ to strive to be better than what the skeptics, doubters and haters expect.
It makes interesting reading even though it doesn’t necessarily leave you to decide. A Johnny Reb writes on: Ideology and Democracy
The Golden Rule: The Rules are written to protect the wealthy and the powerful – because those who have the gold make the rules.
Reb writes: “When I think of the word “ideology” I conjure up visions of an all-encompassing, typically doctrinaire, socio-economic world view such as capitalism, communism, socialism or fascism. But I suppose one could include religions as ideologies, particularly when they dominate or dramatically influence the political machinery of states either directly as in Iran or indirectly as in the United States. Often the term “ideology” is seen as referring simply to a system of ideas and beliefs.
Then he introduces “David Hume’s Dilemma of Democracy”, and comments: “…People more often than not will accept not only their conditions of misery and oppression as the normal state of affairs, but will also be convinced that it is just. Religion, particularly Christianity, has been a willing partner with power in promoting this belief. “The poor will always be with us” the Bible tells us – and justice will prevail in the afterlife…”
Sadly for the state of democracy, people rarely conceptualize or think beyond the narrow constraints of the inculcated cultural norms that have been instilled by the indoctrinating coercive forces of their culture.
The whole of the discussion from this guy does require an open mind and a type of understanding. But when it comes to thinking that among us are people, who understand those words from the Bible to mean that we should treat with ‘the poor’ with disregard, while believing that they do practice Christianity, that this is democracy, be very careful. Do encourage the conversation soon rather than later or we may have people, so completely disenchanted, they lose hope.
