Democracy: The Least Bad System
Democracy is often praised as the best form of governance because it is supposed to run by the people. But it is more accurate to call it the least bad among all the flawed systems. Monarchies, dictatorships, and democracies all share one fundamental trait and that is, a clear division between rulers and the ruled. Even in democracies, elected representatives function as rulers. The only distinction is that they are chosen through voting, which is a process that is itself vulnerable to manipulation. Sometimes it’s swayed by propaganda, news channels and social media, other times by outright intimidation and coercion.

These so-called representatives rarely dedicate themselves out of pure service to the people. Instead, their driving motives are often the thirst for power, luxury life, the accumulation of wealth for their families, and the security of their own privileged lives.

Even if we accept democracy as “rule by the people,” should representatives hold unchecked authority to legislate as they please? In practice, no matter how loudly democracy is celebrated, those at the top frequently act without meaningful accountability.

And this is not confined to developing nations. Even in advanced Western democracies, the system often exists more in name than in reality. Leaders still pass laws and make unilateral decisions—even against public will. For example, when the majority opposes war, elected politicians may still send troops into battle, justifying it on the grounds that this is being done to protect the interest of the country and their electoral victory grants them such power. Example of Donald Trump is the latest who has puzzled his own supporters.

This leads to a deeper question: what truly is a country? At its core, it is a community of people living within shifting borders - borders that can expand or contract with time. If we imagine a country as a company, then representatives are its CEOs and managers; government employees are staff; and the public are the shareholders. But in this company, the “shareholders” hold no real influence, while management holds all the power. Clearly, this is a treachery with the true owners of the nation.

Meanwhile, the police and military, and other agencies, like obedient employees, enforce the will of the management, even when it means suppressing the rightful owners, i.e., the people themselves.

In this sense, democracy often resembles an oligarchy, where a handful of elected officials wield disproportionate power. True democracy can only exist when the people are the masters, and those in authority act solely as their servants—not the other way around.

What is your opinion?