I am actually concerned about two failures, in the foundation due to the same thing. First, society’s great failure to reverse environmental degradation, which was evident during the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen in December 2009. Second, a small experiment in democracy failed Vallentuna, a regular municipality in Sweden. Both of these failures are due to hierarchies. Hierarchies mean that power is concentrated on a few people and none of them serves to sacrifice their own interests for the benefit of the whole.
The solution is cooperation. Unfortunately, it is difficult to work within the existing political system, because those in power see it as their task to get their own way. The desire to take control makes the politicians work against each other. Ever since man began to cultivate the land there have been competitive hierarchies among individuals, groups, parties, nations, and unions, instead of cooperation. Competition between ideas is important for society, but the hierarchical system harms this competition because people discourage the free flow of information in order to defend their own interests.
What is the least we can do to change the political system to reward cooperation? It is important that the change is as small as possible because it is extremely difficult to change the hierarchy. It is almost impossible to change a stable and functioning society because change creates insecurity. So my question is: What is the smallest change we would need to do to create better political systems around the world? And my view is that it can be done by creating “Trojan horses” to invade the system of direct democracy and let the citizens in decision-making. If we do that at all political levels, we will get a free political market that can balance the free economic market.
A failure or success? 
August 18, 2010 at 8:10 am |
Hi Per,
I fully agree with the Troyan horse strategy. But from a distance (in Belgium) we saw Demoex as such. And the politicians at Vallentuna also as far as I understood.
But unlike the Trojans, the politicians knew what was going on and they let the horse outside.
You wanted to cooperate but they saw the danger and blocked the initiative.
Diffusion is maybe an other option. When the time is come a good idea will be accepted.
With Akiva Orr : Keep up the struggle
Paul
August 18, 2010 at 9:00 am |
Hello Paul,
“Trojan Horse” is maybe a misleading metaphor – I think of war, invasion, virus etc. But there are other kind viruses also, preventing us from sickness and decease.
August 18, 2010 at 11:02 am |
Hello Per,
Maybe you went on a health care mission but it was certainly perceived as a declaration of war for the “elected oligarchy”.
As you said, they “forced you to compete” and they “imposed silence”. Not a kind of reaction one expect against a health care mission.
That is maybe another reason for the failure (but I would also put the failure in perspective, a near doubling of the votes every election must have been a nightmare for the elected oligarchy).
If it is a declaration of war, make it clear it is.
Raise your colours (direct democracy)
Take the biggest target (national elections)
Open fire (take part in the elections)
Paul