In the Ukrainian mass media in numerous speeches of Ukrainian politicians, the social order of the so-called civilized nations, particularly the USA, is presented to us as a model of democracy to which Ukraine has still a very long way to go, but to which it aspires and is moving fast. Living, unfortunately, in an “uncivilized” country, I want to understand what real democracy is. But since I’ve never been to the USA and never lived in that democracy, I can only judge from the information given by mass media and reflect:
ON DEMOCRACY
In the USA, as we know, the people’s will is exercised in the form of representation. US politicians, both members of political parties and non-party ones, compete in elections and rival fiercely to be elected President, Senator, Congressman, Governor, Mayor, Sheriff, etc., thereby representing their voters in the relevant institutions of POWER.
Just like all normal people, US politicians try to make their way to offices of power above all for the sake of their personal and career interests. Political success makes very big money (not really — Consultant). And there’s nothing wrong with that. Any man works well only where it pays. BUT! Why does a voter in the USA who is perfectly aware of the candidates’ main objective go to polls and vote? The reason must be that the overwhelming majority of the US population is the famed “middle class,” citizens with average capital and incomes (quite real, too). And the overwhelming majority of candidates in any elections or those already elected are delegated directly by that very middle class. Consequently, a congressman who drafts and passes a law to his own advantage is confident that the law will certainly be advantageous to the majority of Americans, namely the middle class. As they say, “What’s good for General Motors is good for America.” But such a law may be absolutely disadvantageous to both the superrich (the lawsuits against Microsoft are an example) and the impoverished. However, both have to put up with it and obey the will of the majority, the primarily rich majority.
So, judging from this, real democracy in the USA is dictatorship of the majority, the rich majority.
And now it is quite to the point to reflect:
ON WEALTH
Everybody wants to be rich in material terms. And that is quite normal. Because wealth makes one independent, self-confident, and certain of the future. As Americans say, “Freedom begins with the first million.” Not a bad phrase, very exact. In short, it is bad to be poor. But we are talking about wealth. Wealth is a comparative category. Wealth cannot be absolute. If the population of some country can enjoy material wealth in a greater volume than the population of another country can, then the first country is richer than the other. And there are very few such rich countries in the world. The overwhelming majority are poor, often very poor. Although they often possess excellent natural and human resources. How can this be? But if we understand that wealth is the appropriated labor of others and big wealth is a great deal of appropriated labor of others, everything becomes clear. A small number of rich and strong countries dictate their will to the rest of the world and prosper at its expense. Occasionally, they send humanitarian aid as a small compensation for the resources appropriated. This is not fair, but I do not accuse anyone. That is how our world is built. But it hurts me to know that those civilized countries live at my expense also. I just put it all rather schematically and in a simplified manner. The world is much more complex. But the general picture of relationships in it looks exactly like this.
And now it’s the right time (with elections round the corner) to think:
ABOUT THE COUNTRY’S FUTURE
Can Ukraine, in the foreseeable future, become “a prosperous European country” with its people living according to European standards? No, it cannot, and those who say such things are simply telling lies. Because we have and will have to live only by our own devices and capabilities, fattening the prosperous civilized nations who occasionally grant our leadership loans “for good behavior.” But we will never be allowed to live at the expense of other nations as Europe or North America do. Consequently, one can hardly expect the emergence of a middle class — the rich, independent, overwhelming majority of Ukrainians — in the near future. The actual overwhelming majority of Ukrainians are poor. They cannot be full-fledged citizens because of their poverty. Ukraine has citizens, but very few. They are more or less rich (at the expense of the rest of the population, since they have no other sources of enrichment), more or less independent, they are on friendly terms with authorities or are in power, and on the whole, they do not feel bad at all. But there’s no middle class and there will not be any time soon.
One more question arises. Can a form of representative government meeting the majority’s interests exist in Ukraine, with such a composition and proprietary stratification of its population? Can there be a democracy like in the West? In theory, yes: there is a majority, after all, but God forbid! (Members of parliament representing an indigent majority would be something truly horrible). In reality, no. Because the representatives elected by us (!) represent the interests of the CITIZENS and are such. Like deputies in other countries, they are out to pursue their own ends, their own political careers, and their personal interests coincide completely with the interests of Ukrainian citizens, that is, the overwhelming, rich and omnipotent MINORITY of the country’s population! Subsequently, what is called democracy in Ukraine is nothing but the dictatorship of the rich minority. The rest of the population are called “voters” and are of little interest to the authorities.
Incidentally, for SUCH money this minority might as well have delegated powers to more decent fellows. When Verkhovna Rada sessions are accompanied by fist fights and mineral water showers, when I hear what most of people’s representatives and government officers say in their interviews, I simply feel depressed. When the leader of one of the new party blocs says in his interview on the national television, “We, the present-day authority are first-generation intelligentsia (how do you like that term?)... We all come from the countryside plus some education,” it reminds me of Bulgakov’s sturgeon. And they call themselves the elite. I just can’t help laughing! Pardon me for the emotion.
What, then is the conclusion from such ample reflections? Elections are coming. We are obliged (are we?) to vote. For whom, for what party or personality? For a representative of the rich minority? That is not to my advantage; he does not care about me even if he might throw a bone or two, out of good humor, as charity. As for a representative of the poor minority (though I see neither such a party nor a personality), it is even worse; they hardly need me either; they are poor and have anything to give me.
What is to be done? Perhaps simply dream a little. If the dictatorship of the minority actually exists, there’s no point in calling it democracy. That is why I want to have an ordinary, normal dictator. First, this form of authority is economical. A dictatorship has no representative corps, the administrative corps is limited by the necessity, and so much money is saved! Secondly, we might be lucky to have an intelligent dictator. He might realize that we (he and I) are in the same boat, that I feed him, that if I earn decent money, he would get much more from it than from meager wages, that people who want to live a decent life need clear rules of the game, I mean laws that he could enact quickly and without much talking. And then...
So much for dreaming. And what if things turn out the same as always? Well, I think things cannot get worse anyway.
That is what comes to my mind before the elections. Sad thoughts, ladies.
