We need simple terms to differentiate between good and bad governments elected by the people.
Here are two instances from recent news of what I consider bad government here in Canada: 1) Struggling B.C. sawmill industry is staggered as premier doubles the number of raw logs allowed to be sold overseas, reversing years of his own criticism and 2) An MP writes that successive Liberal and Conservative governments have lowered taxes for the rich, and Canada continues to sign treaties that make tax haven schemes “easy to hatch,” squeezing money out of ordinary Canadians and small businesses.
Is this democracy? The ancient Greek root of the word democracy, demos, or deme (δῆμος), meant neighbourhood. This gives us a basis for comparing good and bad government of the people, as in fact, Aristotle did:
Good - politicians, politics, political. We want more politics, government freely elected by the people to act for the benefit of all. Aristotle endorsed this and named it politeia. The word politician literally means statesman (statesperson), one who nobly serves the whole population.
Bad - demo-ticians, demo-tics, demotical. We have too much demotical government, like that described above: demo-ticians elected by their demos, or rich backers, for the purpose of benefitting their own neighbourhoods at the expense of the rest of us. Aristotle despised this and named it democracy.
I think that with such simple, appropriate contrasting terms we can more easily discuss good and bad government in our education, the media, and in government itself. Hopefully, we can thereby bring about more of the good through unifying civil discussion.
Jonathan Sevy
Penticton