The Danger of Democracy

So Muammar Gaddafi has been deposed and executed (but not before being sodomized with a knife and bludgeoned). Since his bloodless coup in 1969, he provided the Libyans with the highest standard of living in all of the continent of Africa. Of course, since he was the only Arab member of OPEC who did not end the oil embargo to the United States in 1974, Libya has been branded as the pariah state and subjected to a propaganda campaign a la Castro’s Cuba. Now let me make one thing clear – Gaddafi was a demagogue and tyrant – an arrogant dictator that got what he deserved (though not in the correct manner). However, when I learned that he had been found by a band of Libyan apes, I knew that the old colonel had been a veritable Ghandi compared to his replacement.

You see, the Al-Qaeda flag now flies above courthouses in Tripoli – and Sharia law is likely to be implemented. Although Gaddafi had ruled Libya with an iron fist, at least it was in fact, iron and not sharpened stones. Yes, the simian Islamic religion is set to poison yet another almost-out-of-the-woods developing country. In 2007, the combined GDP of the 57 Muslim countries was less than that of Germany alone. This is testament to the absolute caveman-esque religion that it is. The GDP of Saudi Arabia, U.A.E., Kuwait and Qatar combined is less than that of the Netherlands. Despite ridiculous wealth, these countries haven’t been able to pull themselves out of the quicksand of their faith’s innate barbarism, childishness and embarrassingly quaint laws (yes women still can’t drive in Saudi Arabia). I don’t see how this is a step forward for Libya. I watched the video of the torture of Gaddafi and how the trolls shouted ‘Allah hu akbar!, Allah hu akbar!’. This was the dysphoric moment when I realised the whole ‘Arab Spring’ revolution was nothing to be excited about at all. Basically, a bunch of terrorists figured out how to use twitter. Was getting rid of Gaddafi the best thing for Libya? I guess only time will tell – let’s see how their standard of living fares – will it be like Saudi Arabia? Is that not just as bad as having Gaddafi at the helm?

Greece’s Prime Minister George Papandreou has exposed himself and, indirectly, his country as the shambles that it is. Mindless retards line the streets of Athens protesting against austerity and what would amount to a war economy in Greece – whatever they decide to do. One thing is clear – Papandreou suggesting the referendum on the bailout deal was either an act of monumental stupidity (very likely) or a Bismarckian masterstroke. By suggesting he could ask the band of corrupt, lazy and stupid assholes that comprise the Greek population to vote on a matter of unbelievable importance was possibly the most frightening spectacle I have witnessed in my life. A deal to effectively save the European Union project had been painstakingly hammered out to a backdrop of palpably tense, Yalta-esque atmosphere not seen since the height of the cold war – involving two European heavyweights just a couple of wars between them. Merkel had warned that a European meltown could be a threat to peace – which had upped the stakes. Finally, the white smoke emerged and we could at least rest assured that the problem of a Greek default had been postponed.

Then, the blundering retard Papandreou decided to drop a bomb (unfortunately not a nuclear one on his own country). It seems he would have to check with the rabid, hand-biting, fire-wielding public that were blocking almost all civil service building, if this deal was to their liking. What do you say, Greece? 10 times worse than it already is for the next 15 years?….a ‘no’ vote seemed likely. Of course, markets plummeted and investors sought refuge in rock-solid German bonds. I’d say Merkel smashed something expensive when she heard the news. The largest gift horse in history had been subjected to thorough examination in the Greek orthodontic chair. Unfortunately this was not a real, Trojan-horse containing a 50 megaton nuclear device. Like the old proverb says – beware of Greeks. Now, having been rightfully put in their place, the Greeks realise that Merkel et al are not bluffing. If they voted no, they would be expelled. Economists have been speculating recently about what might happen if Greece is expelled. Some say all sovereign and private debt would be converted to the inevitably super-inflated drachma. Having pre-empted this, the crooked and thieving Greeks would have done the expected and performed a run on the banks and bought foreign currency to prevent their life savings going up in smoke. When the ATMs went dry, and the government could no longer afford to the civil service or social welfare, we could expect to see a fairly prompt dismantling of the social contract. Without money to pay for anything, military intervention would become necessary. The news that the Greek government has bought 400 Abram tanks from the US doesn’t bode well either. Even if this scenario is slightly pessimistic – it is a potential reality. Despite this spectre – who is camped out in the streets of Athens protesting? What do they expect? A wholesale public execution of public officials. Let’s suppose this is granted -now what? Would they play the card that ‘we didn’t create the debt, the corrupt government did!’. This argument couldn’t wash – especially with a country who was forced to sign the War Guilt Clause in the Treaty of Versailles. Thankfully, Greece is screwed either way – they are destined to a generation of abject poverty and misery regardless – since they have no hope of becoming a hard-working, forward-looking country any time soon (they joined the EU in 1981 and have done nothing since). There are more Porsche Cayennes in Greece (which cost €100,000) than tax payers who pay more than €50,000. How is it that Greece, founders of democracy – home of the ancient scholars, has been reduced to a bunch of caterwauling baboons who protest at measures that absolutely need to be taken in order to get their debt/GDP ratio back to reasonable levels. Let’s hope we aren’t behind them.

The recent debacle that was the Irish presidential election further highlighted the weaknesses of democracy. Apart from the embarrassing selection of candidates, the fact that ‘Fianna Fail’ association was synonymous with nazism. Indeed, there seems to be a policy of ‘deFianna-Failification’ in progress. Ironically, the party led by a theocratic asshole (DeValera) who walked out of parliament after a referendum affirmed the Anglo-Irish treaty, is suffering from the effects of a political system it failed to endorse and did so only with gritted teeth due to a petty ‘empty formula’. The people’s opinion seemed to swing on incredibly minute disclosures of past ‘indiscretions’. For example, David Norris, the early favourite to win the election, had his hoped dashed with the revelation that he had inappropriately abused his position to appeal for clemency for an Israeli pederast – this was made all the more alarming by the dissemination of information relating to a throwaway remark about the nuances of pederasty over paedophilia. Anyway, the issue that people were so appalled about is unclear. Was it that it was a ‘paedophile’ whose pardon was being begged? I mean ‘paedophile’ is a loaded term – it really means a psychopathological state wherein a person is attracted to infants – isn’t it? Or does the semantic definition vary with the attitudes of the people in the form of changed law? Had this petition been related to a plea of clemency for a woman who was sentenced to stoning for adultery (or being raped). The inappropriate abuse of power remains – what is the issue?

Similarly, in the double-whammy referenda, people failed to grasp what was at stake. The instruments of the constitution were being changed. Again, owing to a general lack of knowledge, people assumed, wrongly. The general public is ill-informed of the mechanics of government (which should be solved by a citizenship exam) – so the issue of a allowing the government to gain control over the remuneration of judges was dressed up and superficially sold to the undiscerning public as a means of punishing ‘dem robbin basturds wit de wigs’. Amendments to a constitution are often about the means, not the ends. As Aristotle sagely supposed millenia ago, a monarchy has its own interests at heart, aristocracy/oligarchy those of the wealthy and democracy is ruled by and for the needy. Microeconomics assumes that people have an incentive to help themselves and will make game-theoretical choices to maximize their benefit (and often, by coincidence, others). The communist Salvador Allende was the first Marxist to get elected. Kissinger had him shot in the streets of Santiago, which paved the way for Pinochet – were the Chileans Marxist? had they seen the experiments of Soviet Russia and China?. The ‘anschluss’ plebiscite of 1938 was ratified by the Austrian public with nearly 100% approval – did they know about the Holocaust?. You can say it was rigged, but like I say to all those foolish conspiracy-theorists – the onus of proof is on you, my friend – and the fatuous claim that ‘that’s what they want you to think’ or ‘ah yeah, but sure it was rigged’ doesn’t wash here. I’ve heard of people in Russia keeping pictures of Stalin on their mantlepieces – do they not know what he did?

If a bunch of morons can start riots in London over nothing using Social Networking, think what could happen down the line when the economic shit hits the fan.