The relationship between education and democracy and the education levels of the electorate could not have been brought into sharper focus the political events of the past few months in the United States.
I think most of us have known that democracy demands a certain level of education in the voting population to work effectively, at least those of us who went through a school system that taught “Civics” and how government works in a democracy. We also know, if we ever actually think about it, that trying to impose democracy on a population that is not well-educated just doesn’t have any traction; there are countless examples around the world where democratic systems have been tried, and in some cases continue today, but have gradually turned into dictatorships masquerading as democracies – Russia, Hungary, Indonesia, China and many other smaller states provide excellent examples of this seemingly inevitable trend.
I am reminded of an old film staring Peter O’Toole, called “IF” where he plays an “enlightened” general in a small South American country. He decides that the dictatorial rule that currently governs his country is wrong and should be replaced by a democracy. He stages a coup and succeeds. He then starts trying to implement a democratic form of government, only to discover that the people have little concept of what he is talking about. They not only don’t understand, they don’t want to understand and, perhaps, can’t understand, because they have low levels of education. He can’t even find people who can form his proposed democratic cabinet and agency heads. After trying for a year or two, he finally gives up and regresses to being a dictator, which is what the population can understand and want.
Yes, it’s Hollywood, but it also has a major element of truth that has played out in many attempts at democracy around the world. It is also true that the world seems to have no lack of potential dictators willing to exploit their population’s lack of education, but that seems to be a general human frailty that is unlikely to go away. Education, however, can be fixed, if there is the will, and the patience, to do so. Unfortunately, there seems to be a lack of interest in such commitment, even in the most “developed” countries – in some, regression away from education seems to be the current direction.
It seems an obvious statement, but the lower the education level of the electorate, the easier it is for leadership to impose its will on them. The U.S. appears to be currently heading in that direction.
I have reported before that the United States public education system stopped teaching “Civics” in 1976. I have to admit that I was amazed when I read that critical piece of information. That means that anyone going to school after 1976 has received no information about how government works, how it is supposed to work, and what the basic premises of “government of the people, for the people” means. AND THAT INCLUDES THE MAJORITY OF OUR POLITICAL LEADERSHIP, AT ALL LEVELS, TODAY – LOCAL GOVERNMENT, STATE GOVERNMENT AND THE U.S. CONGRESS! If our political leadership doesn’t understand the fundamental of U.S. Constitutional government, what hope can we have that they will abide by, and legislate, its tenets. It is an almost guaranteed slippery slope downhill towards dictatorship. I almost laughed a couple of days ago when listening and watching an interview of Steve Bannon by Bill Mahr, when Bannon said that he taught “Civics” to hs inmates while he was serving time for “Contempt of Congress”. What an irony?
I have said many times in these blogs that the last thing a politician wants is an educated electorate because they might start questioning the politician’s actions and, heaven forbid, start holding them accountable for those actions. Obviously, that statement doesn’t apply to all politicians but the significant disease that affects all politicians, namely megalomania, leads precipitously to that position. When the politicians themselves don’t understand the basic tenets of the system of government they represent, the downward slide into that position becomes even more likely.
AN EDUCATED ELECTORATE IS THE ONLY BULWARK AGAIN SUCH SCENARIOS AND, IN MY HUMBLE OPINION, IN THE U.S. WE ARE LOSING THE PLOT!
