INTERPRETATION OF DEMOCRACY

Chronicle (Levin), 20 September 1946, Page 4

INTERPRETATION OF DEMOCRACY

H

. L. '

Sir, — Sir Patrick Duff, in his recent speech in Levin, made some comments on democracy, but left a few things unsaid which it is necessary to say to-day about it. Democracy .to-day has many interpretations . since meanings change with the passing of time. Tolerance, which is a characteristic of British people, is an essential ingredient of democracy, but we must not forget that an excess of tolerance, or compromise, self complacency and appeasement, can also lead to its opposite, which is despotism, and to fascism, as shownby recent events. Wealthy and prosperous nations give rise to powerful privileged minorities, but also to their corresponding opposites, a democratic majority since nature works by contrasts. Ancient Greece and Rome in their powerful periods had both their dictatorial minority, and in conjunction with slavery — had also a limited form of democracy, long before British demtocracy was born. These were the tentative beginnings of democracy, but the vastly more powerful anti-democratic elements soon stifled them. The same forces are at work to-day, but in spite of ruthless fascist methods, the stifling of democratic process is somewhat harder than in the past. Every nation can and will have its own democracy in its own way, provided the economic and social impetus is present and sufficiently powerful. A nation in a state of backward development, corrupt superstitions and feudalism is not ready for democracy until the feudal octopus loses its grip. To-day the word democracy, like Mesopotamia, has various meanings which need dissection. The real meaning of democracy is government of the people for the good of the whole, but its interpretations are a sourae of confusion. A powerful minority interprets democracy as freedom to impose its will upon the rest. We have political democracy, but not economic democracy, and the powerful minority in control of economic power can stultify and dominate political democracy, which is the main cause of wars and social friction. That is what we need to be told about democracy. The rest is just a smoke screen to conceal its meaning. Yours etc..

Levin, Sept. 17.