The Failure of Democracy

In a large ocean there are two neighboring islands: perfect democracies with full civil and political rights. The first island is extremely rich and prosperous, and has 10 million inhabitants. The second is extremely poor: it has 100 million inhabitants, who live by subsistence farming. After a bad harvest last year, there are no food stocks, and now the harvest has failed again: 90 million people are facing death by starvation. The democratically elected government of the poor island asks for help, and the democratically elected government of the rich island organizes a referendum on the issue.

There are three choices:
Option A is a sharp increase in taxes, to pay for large-scale permanent structural transfers to the poor island.
Option B is some increase in taxes, to pay for immediate and sufficient humanitarian aid, so that famine will be averted.
Option C is no extra taxes and no aid.

What if if, when the votes are counted, 100% of the voters have chosen Option C...

After all, who wants to pay more taxes?

So 90 million people starve. Yet all electoral procedures on both islands are free and fair, the media are free, political campaigning is free, there is no political repression of any kind. According to democratic theory, any outcome of this democratic process must be respected. Two perfect democracies have functioned perfectly: if you believe the supporters of democracy, that is morally admirable.

But it clearly is not: there is something fundamentally wrong with democracy, if it allows this outcome.

I myself often wonder why people view democracy as the greatest and only way to live under. It has been viewed as something sacred and is referred to as "the only choice" we have.

Some of the greatest statesmen the world has known do not completely agree with democracy, but I am not talking about the ambitious Emperors or the ruthless dictators, I'm talking about the statesmen we have admired and respected as political legends of our time.

"It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried."- Winston Churchill, Former British Prime Minister

Just because a country isn't a democracy doesn't mean it will fall into ruin. Cuba, a socialist state, has been subject to severe criticisms by the media. However, what they fail to realize, ever since they became a socialist state, their country has flourished and they have become know for producing a large number of doctors and nurses. Historically, Cuba has had some of the highest rates of education and literacy in Latin America, both before and after the revolution. The Cuban government operates a national health system and assumes full fiscal and administrative responsibility for the health care of its citizens. The country proves that democracy isn't the only way to go.

I am not totally against democracy. The democratic way of life has allowed many countries such as the United States, United Kingdom and Canada to flourish. I believe that democracy should not be destroyed...it should be reformed.