On democracy/governance and disrespect (going in to discrimination ... )

I’ll begin this with: 

• an article calling for a nuanced rethink of the decades-long problems in Somalia;
  
• the massive failure of democracy/governance in Haiti, following a series of disasters coming on top of centuries of hate from other nations that could not cope with slaves achieving their freedom ... ; and 
• a focus on international tensions that sees the Kurds abandoned yet again;
• the people in Nigeria opposing intervention in Niger over the recent coup there out of concern for their own very real internal crises; 
• South Africa’s focus on Russia and BRICS is seen as an indication of democratic decay; 
• Russia, meanwhile, is continuing to suppress democracy - but see also this, on the USA and UK combining to destroy a democracy 70 years ago, which has had devastating consequences for West Asia and the world ever since (the people of that nation are still fighting for freedom - and those of another West Asia nation are also fighting to maintain democracy and restore decency).
  

Perhaps the biggest indication of poor governance/democracy in the recent news, however, is this article, which questions why, given its known benefits to all, reducing inequality is not happening?

However, good governance in the form of democracy is in action elsewhere - specifically, Ecuador, where an election is being combined with a vote on banning oil drilling in the Amazon basin. 

Also, a court has ruled that a local Council in my home state which closed its public gallery in response to disruption caused by right wing bigots did NOT impede democracy.

The recently announced (in my nation) housing plan is also an example of good governance (offsetting decades of bad, neoliberal-infused governance - which left housing supply to an INCOMPETENT market), but the problem of rising housing insurance in response to the climate crisis is an example of a (preventable) need that is not yet being addressed. 

Similarly, bail reforms are good ... but they don’t go far enough ... There is also concern about possible bigotry in the recent death of a young Bundjalung-Kamilaroi mother. 

Any time bigotry - even if allegedly unconscious - occurs it is a failure of governance. Other examples of governance failures involving, allowing or enabling discrimination include: 

• a US school board rejecting professional recommendations to sack a teacher who taught the truth about gender fluidity; 
• this is either disrespect for non-binary people (NBs) on the part of the police officers, or discrimination against NBs at the behest of keyboard bigots (see another example of social media problems here). Past behaviour of police makes it impossible to give them the benefit of the doubt ...  ; 
• but the biggest and most absurd example of bigotry destroying any semblance of good governance is chess - which is excluding trans women ... chess! A “sport” which does not involve any physical exertion, nor even change-rooms, and they’ve resorted to this utter rubbish ...
  

Another problem is when people pervert well-intentioned but flawed systems, such as: 

• domestic abusers weaponising subpoenas.
  

And there is erroneous use of data ... 

Democracy is still, in my opinion, the best  governance option we have - PROVIDED it comes with legally enforceable and effective protection of minorities (and this is an example of the endemic attitudes that make such protection necessary), effective accountability (such as this), and adequate education and access to knowledge for voters.

 

Possible flaws 

Where I can, I will try to highlight possible flaws / issues you should consider:

• there may be flawed logical arguments in the above: to find out more about such flaws and thinking generally, I recommend Brendan  Myers’ free online course “Clear and Present Thinking”; 
  
• I could be wrong - so keep your thinking caps on, and make up your own minds for yourself.
  

 

If they are of any use of interest, the activism information links from my former news posts are available in this post. 

 

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Finally, remember: we need to be more human being rather than human doing.