Tag Archives: democracy

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Choosing Wisely

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The U.S. presidential election which was held yesterday (although the vote tally, law-suites, and results dispute will go on for weeks) makes me wonder about the democratic process.

For me, the key question will be is the population as a whole capable of selecting a leader in a way that shows experience, knowledge, and good judgment.  The results so far really make me think not.

Popularity Contest

These days the process of becoming elected by the general population is an expensive proposition which by its very nature limits who can be a viable candidate.

We have gone from the elected office being a noble role reserved for those that demonstrate worthiness by their actions to what is now largely a popularity contest.

Actors and reality TV stars have a better chance of being recognized and thus elected by the general population than seasoned politicians who actually can do some good for the public.

Emotions Versus Logic

Voting is a privilege that allows us to take a moment for ourselves and choose the option which best suits us.  That is,  a choice we feel good about and believe will be to our benefit.

Choosing does not require us to do rigorous analysis or think it through logically, rather it is usually easiest just to focus on what makes us happy.

Unfortunately, this methodology is prone to bad choices.  As a collective group many of us truly desire the best for everyone but when voting it is all about us and the candidates’ list, who do we like?

This concept of democratically elected officials to provide guidance to the whole population has a lot of merits but when it comes down to just the selection process it can really suck.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Obligations

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Sometimes we are morally or legally bound to do something, it is our duty or a commitment we made.  Are we obligated to work based on the explicit or implicit contract we made both with our employer and those we serve?

A case in point is the recent wild cat strike by health workers in the Province of Alberta.   Classified as a wild cat strike because it was not officially sanctioned as a union activity by the leadership but rather just an uprising by the rank and file.

In this time of a worldwide pandemic when medical support is critical do, the workers have a duty or commitment to the general public?

Freedom of Expression

In countries with democratic based political structures, we are fortunate in the ability of an individual or group of individuals to express their beliefs, thoughts, ideas, and emotions about different issues relatively free from government censorship.

However, there are boundaries, some structures, and rules, and it is the administration of these that is not always either exacting or easy.  We do have structures to make the assessments of fairness (e.g., our legal system) but sometimes the results are contentious.

Is it a right to express our dissatisfaction with our employer (in the case of health workers the employer being the government)?  Generally yes but what about when it affects the public good?

A Fine Balance

Freedom does not equate to anarchy and sometimes the separation of the two states can be a fine balance.  Groups (union members) have rights but does that mean they can be righteous?

The answer to this question is sometimes a real moral dilemma.  I support the right to express disagreement with the government policies but also the need to maintain public health services (particularly in times of crisis) is critical.

There probably is no clear answer to this situation, fortunately, we do appear to be muddling through with some civility.  Yeah for democracy.