This Feudal Democracy section is a set of 9 chapters explaining why present political systems are not, and can NEVER be, truly democratic. The flaws are embedded within the design of the system itself. The only solution is true Democracy. Feudal Democracy eBook Chapter 9 - Summary I hope that by the time you have come to this page, if you have waded through all the preceding pages which I hope wasn't too difficult an ordeal, you will have a better understanding of just how undemocratic the political system is in Ireland and the enormous problems we face in actually trying to introduce one here. Hopefully you will now see that not only is this political system dysfunctional but its very organisation is guaranteed to fail - time after time. In a way it is a wonder it ever 'worked'' at all, though this is how life carries on. As I've stated elsewhere, Nations cannot just pack up and leave. After writing the previous chapters I am so filled with rage at the financial rape of this Nation by the political parties, the feudal elite, the feudal monopolies, and the Public Sector. To call this a democracy is a shameful disgrace. As I said on page one, the term democracy is just an empty word. It does not exist in Ireland. It has never existed in Ireland. The citizens elect a group of the most despicable, selfish, stupid, greedy, incompetent and corrupt individuals Ireland has ever given birth to and they, along with their 'loyal' supporters swindle this Nation day after day, month after month and year after year. From the day an Irish citizen is born to the day be dies be is thoroughly controlled by this so-called democratic system. Despite the fact that be is taught the propaganda that be is living is a democratic system be ends up having no real say whatsoever but is forced to remain a passive victim of the system. There is nothing, in fact, in our present political system which could be described as being democratic at all. As I stated in Chapter One, it is all a lie. It is all a pretence - a facade.
In simple terms, the facts are these:
Democracy can only come to Ireland, or any other nation for that matter, through a term that the West likes to use - Regime Change - for the political system cannot be changed from within. Our present political system needs to be dismantled - from its very feudal crumbling foundations to the rotten and corrupt top tier. Anything less will not achieve a true democracy.
The Future There is the Government, the politicians, the judiciary, the whole legal system, the financial institutions, the medical professions, the religious profession - all these are not only controlling the quality of our lives, to the detriment of our lives, but are draining this Nation of its wealth - the citizens' wealth, and enslaving each and every citizen. But, surprisingly, this turned out to be a minor problem. There are two major problems, or stumbling blocks, as regards any political improvement for the future.
Problem One - The Irish Citizens Before we were 'politically' institutionalised by the British we were a disorganised set of separate enclaves of tribal areas and kingdoms. The fact of the matter is that if the British had not conquered us we may well have ended up as a 'Nation' similar to Afghanistan, Rwanda, Sudan, Somalia and all those other countries which are cursed with tribalism, and which most likely will never really be capable of being a true democracy or even a true Nation. Even now, after being 'civilised' by the British, the attitude of many Irish citizens is one of tribalism. We are the masters of the art of cronyism. We seem incapable of considering ourselves as part of a non-tribal national organisation but rather can only deal with concepts like our local area and as a result don't have any regard for the Nation itself. So the first problem is the Irish citizens themselves. Apart from the passive, unthinking, aggressive but subservient attitude, far too many Irish citizens treat the State as that of an enemy, an oppressor. They do their utmost to take, and take, and take from the system as much as possible. The only ever consideration is - what can I get out of the State? It seems to be a National obsession to grab all you can. Every level of the feudal hierarchy, including the citizen peasants themselves, at the bottom, are grabbing all they can for themselves. The State isn't seen as the collection of all the citizens of Ireland but as some other separate independent entity which should be swindled and milked for its wealth as much as possible, as if the money didn't come from within the Nation, from the citizens' pockets. The terrible fact is that the citizens of Ireland are the ones tearing this Nation apart. They are feeding on the dying carcass of this Nation. The only consideration, the only motivation, the driving factor is too often the Mé Féin attitude - me, me, me! What can I get out of it! What's in it for me! What am I entitled to? This attitude is, in fact, exactly the same as the attitude of the politicians and their associates and the party supporters - the Nation is there to be swindled. It is approximately ninety years since we achieved Independence, at the cost of citizens' lives - those few who considered Ireland's future before their own, and in those years we have shown ourselves as individuals not deserving the title 'Citizens Of Ireland', for we are scavengers on the rotting corpse of Ireland, determined to take the last scrap of flesh from this dying Nation. In fact if you take a good look at those ninety years this Nation has never really been a Nation, merely a collection of individual citizens scrambling over each other to get what they can for themselves, regardless of the effect on others. Ultimately, the choice regarding the future of this Nation is in the hands of each and every citizen of Ireland, but unfortunately it depends on the answer to the question of how many citizens of Ireland are milking the system and would prefer the present feudal political system to remain in place. This Nation is bankrupt and not only because of the banking crisis. This Nation has to borrow just in order to survive day to day. We are actually condemning the future generations of Irish citizens to financial servitude and poverty because today too many citizens in this Nation want to live beyond what this Nation can actually afford, and what they actually earn. Unfortunately it seems to me that the numbers of those taking from the system is greater than the numbers contributing to the system and if that is the case then we are all doomed - not just this generation but all future generations of Irish citizens. All I can do is to hope I am wrong.
Human Nature - Again! In many, if not all, cases human beings will stick with the status quo rather than change things despite the fact that they know the present arrangements are not working. It is not really a case of being easily led but rather being afraid of change, no matter what the present circumstances are. In the present financial catastrophic situation which most Irish citizens find themselves in (or thrust upon them), they are still desperately hoping that those in charge (their betters) will somehow know how to improve the situation, regardless of the fact that it was their betters who created the financial destruction in the first place. This attitude is so blind and irrational there is little that can be said to explain this self-destructive attitude, or more depressingly, there is little that can be done to alter that attitude. The hierarchical attitude which is an integral aspect to our day to day interaction, and our species organisation, creates a system where we 'follow the leader' because of the unsureness of our own ability to make the right decisions. In most cases the 'leader' will be someone who is louder or more bullying or give the appearance of being more sure, than the ordinary citizen, thereby making it difficult to not only constructively complain about those at the top but creates a situation where it is very difficult to consider oneself as being more capable thereby giving into the norm - accepting what appears to be the inevitable. In most cases the only type of individual to challange the leader of the pack will be just another bully - not an ordinary 'civilian'. This attitude is thoroughly natural - ALL human nature is! - but it is so destructive to the future wellbeing of the citizens of Ireland that it does defy logic. Unless this terrible debilitating flaw in our nature is somehow overcome there is no real hope for a true democratic system to be installed in Ireland.
Selfish v Selfless Throughout his 'career' in politics, whether in Government as Minister for Finance, or as leader of the guerrilla army, or as one of the delegation to Britain who signed the Treaty, his motivation and guidance was what he considered as being firstly in the best interest of the citizens of Ireland and secondly, the wishes of the Government and the wishes of the people. This is very extraordinary in a freedom fighter. Most freedom fighters, because the logic of freedom fighting is ignoring the wishes of others and being focused on ones own desires and goals and being willing to use force to gain those goals, tend to continue using force to get their own way even after the struggle for independence has been won. Michael Collins was a different type of man. At no point in time did he ignore the wishes of the Government even to the point of fighting an open battle with British forces, by attacking the Custom House, the centre of local Government in Ireland, against his own better judgment, because that was what the Government, and its foolish self-seeking President, had decided. At no point in time did he ever attempt to use the forces at his disposal to become head of the Government. He was ALWAYS subservient to the wishes of the Government. He SERVED the Nation. When he signed the Treaty he knew that, although it was the best he could get for Ireland, and that it would merely be a stepping stone to a full Republic, he would as he said be 'signing his own death warrent'. Yet he had the bravery to sign that document, knowing that it was in the best interests of Ireland. It is sadly typical that this individual whose mind and heart was focused on Ireland and its future was shot by a fellow Irishman, an anti-Treaty guerrilla. It is no surprise at all, for it is rarely the scoundrels who are assassinated, for they do not threaten the grabbers and the corrupt and the selfish. Individuals with vision and decency and who give hope for a better future, these are the deadly threats to those who want to abuse and misuse the system for their own benefit. Michael Collins, 31 years of age, was shot by a 'fellow Irish citizen' on 22nd August 1922. The difference between him and others was that he was a servant to the Irish people (if the citizens had rejected the Treaty he would have continued the fight), while others wanted to be the rulers of the Irish people. Éamon de Valera was never subservient to the Dáil. He was President. He was leader. He thought he 'knew' the hearts and minds of the people (many dictators think they know the hearts and minds of 'their' people). When he set up Fianna Fáil he was leader. When he retired from the Dáil he was President. He NEVER served the Nation. He just wanted to RULE the Nation. For example he famously said in 1922 that "the majority has no right to do wrong" regarding the acceptance by the citizens in Southern Ireland of the Treaty. His attitude was that the Irish had no right to disagree with him. I am sure many freedom fighters, come dictators, would have had the exact same type of attitude, though possibly more willing to use force to get their own way. I am certain that Michael Collins wasn't a saint, by any stretch of the imagination, and most definitely wasn't perfect, but he was a man of great honour - he was a true hero of this Irish Nation, and he most surely has my greatest personal respect that I could give to any human being. One wonders how the history of Ireland would have differed from that which we have experienced over the past decades since Independence had he lived and others instead had died. Unfortunately that is something we will never know. It is our terrible loss.
Problem Two - Corporate Government It is so easy to presume that your Government isn't like those dictatorial ones which take away the rights of the citizens. You can trust YOUR 'democratic' Government. Can you? Well, if you do you deserve to have your present feeble freedom stolen from you. The history of humanity is one of oppression and abuse of the weak by the strong. Justice, freedom and equality are empty words. They are hopes. They are aspirations. They rarely are facts. In life there are many who want to take those aspects of a good life away. Unfortunately this is human nature at its predictable worst. Look at the USA and Guantanamo Bay where they incarcerate people, some who are innocent, and torture them. They do their very best to change regimes which do not back their aggressive stance and their empire building. They do their best to prevent the Occupy Wall Street movement from achieving anything. They now aid and abet the financial institutions in committing fraud on a massive scale. They are the bullies on behalf of large US corporations and for example, use 'their muscle' to try and force the European Union to accept genetically modified produce, as they did in the USA. The large US corporations are determined to create a situation where the citizens of as many Nations as possible are forced to be controlled and become consumers of these monopolies with no choice to do otherwise and once gm crops begin to be planted there is go going back, the damage can never be undone. You should be aware that the USA Government has been totally bought by the large corporations and financial institutions to the point where the USA Government is merely an enforcer for these businesses. It would not surprise me if future generations of Americans view President Obama as the worst President they have ever had - even worse than George W Bush! He has allowed all this to happen on his watch. Democracy is a prize worth having and is worth the struggle but a feudal hierarchical system of authority will continue taking over everything unless the citizens make a conscious decision NOT to be overrun by those who would enslave each and every citizen again if they were let. They have the power and the secrecy on their side, and making matters a lot worse is the unconcern of most citizens who will allow all this to happen. Whereas in the past it was an army which took over a Nation - and armies can be fought, but these days once the large corporations and financial institutions take over, by merely buying the politicians, they will truly enslave and control the citizens with very little opportunity for those citizens to make a stand. Because most democracies have a feudal hierarchical structure in place the power of each citizen has been emasculated so it only takes someone to 'buy' the politicians in order to take over the running of the Nation in stealth. What can the citizens do? Very little. Just recently President Obama signed into law that any American can be arrested as a terrorist and imprisoned indefinitely, without public trial. There are very many reasons why I would never want, or be proud, to be an American citizen and this is certainly one of them. The USA is transforming itself into what may very well become a mighty destructive corporate dictatorship. Freedom is not something that every citizen in every Nation enjoys. Everyone may have a right to it but that doesn't guarantee it. The North Koreans know that. The Syrians know that. The Burmese know that. The Zimbabweans know that. The Sudanese know that. The Yemenis know that. The Somalians know that. These oppressed citizens know that freedom and democracy isn't handed out like candy. IT IS NEVER HANDED OUT LIKE CANDY. (I am very sorry to see the Egyptians, who sacrificed a lot to gain freedom and 'democracy' to so quickly hand their power over to the political parties. The Muslim Brotherhood are already talking as rulers of the citizens - they will do this, and they will do that etc - rather than as servants of the citizens. I fear the Egyptians have made a huge mistake for which they will regret.) I know you are thinking that Ireland is different. I presume on account of the fact that human nature in Ireland is different? Really? The fact is we have criminals of all types and in all strata of 'society'. Apart from the usual criminals, we had bankers behaving in a criminal manner. We had politicians behaving in a criminal manner. We had business people behaving in a criminal manner. Their threat to each and every citizen is only limited by how much power and control these criminals have. Unfortunately in a feudal democracy those at the top have, to all intents and purposes, unlimited power. That is why this political system is so dangerous for the citizens. You must genuinely ask yourself what REAL rights do you have, not what rights you think you have. Don't be fooled by the fact that you can criticise the Government, or that you can replace one incompetent politicians with another - they ACHIEVE nothing. The question is - what rights have you got to alter the system (political, judicial etc) by which you are controlled and ruled? The simple answer is NONE AT ALL. You should NEVER take freedom and democracy for granted - if we ever get it in Ireland. They are precious. They are delicate. They are fleeting. It is very easy to give freedom away, there are many who would like to take that away, but it is a mighty struggle to get it back. Eternal vigilance is required - especially as these political systems are feudal democracies and already the power is concentrated in the hands of those few at the top. I know you may think this is 'over the top' and exaggerating things. So what about the fact that the troike FORCED Ireland to pay the senior bondholders money from the Public Funds which the citizens of Ireland did not owe to anyone. The citizens of Ireland have been forced to hand over their money to financial institutions. You really need to spend some time thinking about that. The truth about the quality of Irish democracy, and most other democracies, is unpalatable for most citizens. It is something which most citizens do not want to admit to or confront. We were all brought up to consider Ireland a democratic Nation. For many, it is difficult to actually question that belief. The foolish American citizens are brought up to believe in their democracy also! Ask yourself this very simple question - do you think you will ever have an opportunity to alter the very system you have to live under? The simple answer is _ _ (I'll let you fill in the blanks!). THIS IS NOT A DEMOCRACY IN IRELAND IN 2012 and the future is not going to be a good one unless there is true change.
End Of Section One
Temporary Paragraphs (January 2012) I don't see this as being a choice between the old political system and a better system. I am not out to 'sell' anything to the citizens or persuade them to do anything. I merely want to enlighten the citizens of Ireland so they can be in a position to purposefully and deliberately question the political system they are ruled by, and possibly reject the present system, if they consider it deserves rejection. I don't see it as being a choice. It is not a choice. Also, the fact is, that there is no point in proposing an alternative political system unless all the various weaknesses in the present political system are thoroughly understood by a majority of the citizens of Ireland. To be honest, I don't think there are enough Irish citizens NOT grabbing all they can, for it to be important.
Last Words It is time, though it may be too late, for each and every Irish citizen to consider the future of Ireland. If your only concern is what you can still grab from the Nation in the sorry state it is now in then why would you want to change anything? If the future of this Nation - the future of all its citizens and the future of all generations of Irish citizens to come - is of any concern whatsoever then the choice is a simple one. I believe in democracy - the will of the majority, and unless there is a majority who want this present feudal political system to be torn down and replaced by a Democracy 1.0 political system, then things must remain as they are - no matter how destructive the result. There is no point in fighting for a true democratic political system against the citizens' wishes because the very nature of a Democratic 1.0 political system is that the citizens partake in the political process and thus if there isn't a majority who want Democracy 1.0 to come to Ireland it could never work. A truly democratic system cannot be forced upon the citizens of any Nation. The decision of the citizens of Ireland is final. Finally, if you are one of those Irish citizens who truly wants to see a change, even if that means you taking less from the system and being more a contributor to the Nation, then please email me using the link below just to let me know that I am not the only fool who cares about the future of this Nation. (please note: I am NOT asking for any money, and I will not be keeping you email address, unless you request it). Please keep any messages fairly short and when necessary I will reply as soon as possible. Thank you. Lou Gogan |
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