I'm a democrat.
Not in any party political sense (though if I were in the US, I probably would vote Democrat). I mean it in the broader sense that I fundamentally believe in democracy as a means of organising public life.
And I believe that democracy should have a much wider role than it currently does. Why, for example, is democracy the only acceptable system for choosing a government, but is generally sneered at as a means of choosing a board of directors or CEO? Prior to ministry, I spent several years in the co-operative movement and I know from experience that democracy can and should have a role in commerce and industry.
But if democracy needs to go deeper, it needs to go wider too. Why should democracy stop at national borders? The effects of one nation's activities can extend well beyond the nation's arbitrary borders. If, for example, your President's actions will have a big impact on my life, should I not have a say in choosing her?
There's no settled policy here. I'm really only shaking my fist at the world as I share my frustration.
But I'm a democrat. And that means I believe that those affected by decisions ought to have a voice in making them. Even when it's inconvenient. Especially when it's inconvenient.
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richard <AT> deckzero <DOT> uk