The problem with democracy is that most people are ignorant. Discuss.?

Question

It's a question that's been around for a long time, but is perhaps getting more pertinent by the decade.

Answer 1

I was trying to trace a woman who had been taken into custody a few years ago.  I rang up the police station and demanded to know which prison she had been taken to following a court appearance.  I quoted Habeas Corpus and Magna Carta.  (A treaty bad King John signed in 1215 which prevented arrest without trial and the inalienable right for someone to know where another person was being held and on what charges within 48 hours.  The young Woman Police Constable I spoke to had never heard of Magna Carta or Habeas Corpus and said she only knew about a very recent law called PACE (Police and Criminal Evidence Act).  If even those placed in positions of trust to guard us are not aware of our historical liberties how can we be democratic.

Education is the key to democracy.  If you do not know your rights and freedoms how can you protect them?  The USA was founded by freedom seekers who had become wholly disillusioned with the abuse of power in Europe.  Unfortunately it does seem that both sides of the Atlantic we are keeping our children deliberately ignorant as we strip them of their liberties.

Answer 2

It's true that most people don't understand how govenment works as much as they would like to think, which is why I think the institution of a republic is in place rather than a pure democracy. People can vote for those who do understand the government to represent them, as opposed to making all the decisions themselves.

It may have its problems, but that's the price we pay to have a choice, I guess.

Answer 3

Who decides what constitutes "ignorant"?

My definition would be anyone who can tick 3 or more of these boxes:

Owns a mobile phone;

Follows a religion;

Reads a tabloid newspaper;

Watches TV soaps;

Subscribes to cable/satellite TV.

Answer 4

Ignorance is not so much the fault of the people but the fault of the power elite. If we accept that we do not live in a true democracy and we also accept that less than 1% of the worlds population hold as much as 90% of the worlds wealth then we have to accept that there is another agenda. In the western americas region the USA along with Canada and Mexico have plans to unite unser one super continent and have a single currency called the AMERO. Her in the UK we are being led towards a Unified European State and our single currency called the EURO. In the African States and the far eastern states plans are set for them to follow suit.

In a few more decades we will see the world divided into four superpower states. At the very top of these four will be the world government made up of ex presidents and prime ministers who are under the direct control of the ultra rich.

Not much is known about these plans as the power elite own the media and in turn own many politicians therefore the ignorance is deliberate but not at the exclusive blame of the people. The biggest problem is that trying to tell people the truth sounds like a conspiracy story. The media on the whole ridicule even those who have academic backgrounds when they tell of a government conspiracy. The simple answer is that money is the true evil and the power of money has corrupted many.

Answer 5

You can spot them a mile off, ask why they vote like they do, you hear I always voted, labour, I vote labour cause my dad voted labour, labour th party for the working people. the conservative look after the rich.

Ask them to explain a command economy and they  say I don't know. Ask who should control the means of exchange, they say  whats the means of exchange.

The politicos control the education system they want most people to have a limited education,  they don`t want you to be trained to think. Don't listen to education,education education they are just words. Just look at what comes out after twelve years of secondary education. The University graduates ars less sophisticated than the street wise yob.

Nobody should be allowed to vote until the age of 35 and only then having answered  some simple questions about politics and economics. There of course some who should never be allowed to vote ever.

Answer 6

I agree.  The most intelligent and prudent solutions are rarely the most popular.

Answer 7

that's like saying 'the trouble is the sea is made up mostly of water!!!.....these 'so called' ignorant people are the vast majority....your probably one your self. AND! democracy means the majority rule!! i think the real problem is that people are becoming better educated and are getting wise to the con artists and liars we laughingly call  MPs. most "ignorant people" have started to come to the RIGHT! conclusion that they (being the tax payer and employer) deserve better than the criminals traitors and deceivers we have in government......i assume you prefer the alternative. dictatorship?

Answer 8

The problem is, who will decide who chooses our leaders, if it's not everyone?

Answer 9

The problem with democracy is that the supposed leaders of the free and democratic world - who's self proclaimed only motivation is to bring this beautiful thing called democracy to the non-democratic countries - set such a lousy, pitiful, pathetic example and demonstrate NO democracy in the process of running their countries and imposing their will on the rest of the planet.

Answer 10

Ignorant of what? Is this not an arrogant assumption by people who think putting 'discus' at the end of a statement makes them intellectually superior?

Answer 11

I agree.  I mean how can ignorance not be prevalent in America, when George Bush got elected twice ( even though he lost the popular vote)  

People are stupid.  Apparently proven in 2004 being anti g*y and anti abortion is more important than the war.

Answer 12

I agree in principle, but who would then speak up for the weak and the poor if they didn't have to? Nobody. And it wouldn't then be a civilized society.

Answer 13

are you suggesting that you know it all?????