Democracy and Opposition Politics

Democracy is a system formulated to give each differing views of the peoples same say on controversial issues, of which an equality of ideas is attained – and yet to this I find absurd. More importantly, then, a democracy is a fragile philosophy that prevents publicly announced authoritarians from ascending into power – yet, so fragile a philosophy that seemingly democratic but hidden authoritarians may too secretly come into government. Nevertheless, if we assume, for now, that this be a corruption-free philosophy, then equality is achieved. Therefore no such word of opposition or any other that relates to it should ever have existed in a democracy. Yet, it is not so for an Asian democracy.

The Asian democracy defines itself as having more of a paternalistic role in society. It has a party that, by majority or by cunning, overrules the overall condition of the country, and has other parties considered as aid to it. That is, these parties are Opposition Parties – parties to which oppose the rule or legislation of the ruling party. An Asian democracy thus molds a democracy into a soft-authoritarianism, but keeps the very essence of a democracy – to let differing parties too have a say in government.

Though it is true that the very notion of opposition politics is absurd in the true essence of a democracy, an Asian democracy can, if given the opportunity, be rather pragmatic. That is, if the ruling party has the capacity to stabilize and make sustainable an economy and a society, then peace and harmony be achieved – this be the ultimate role of a government. On the other hand, the Western democracy – definition as mentioned in the first paragraph – can be more intellectually fulfilling at the abstract level. Thus, it would be preferred that Asian democracies stop calling themselves a democracy, but rather, a more suitable name such as a monitored-democracy. Simply naming themselves a democracy would mean that they subscribe to a bankrupt philosophy that ignores the true essence of it – the equality of ideas and of the corresponding effection upon the whole.