“ All ancient authors who have extolled democracy have praised it not because it is an intrinsically egalitarian regime, but because it is a regime in which competition is open to all and enables a better selection of the elite. Plato, in his Republic, denounces those systems which dispense ‘a sort of equality to both equals and unequals alike’.
Aristotle points out that justice also implies the idea of equality and inequality: ‘Justice is thought by them to be, and is, equality; not however, for whomever, but only for equals. And inequality is thought to be, and is justice; neither is this for all, but for unequals’. Pericles himself, according to Thucydides, stressed that equality goes hand-in-hand with the systematic search for merits, which are by nature unequal.
Some modern authors have held much the same opinion: ‘No intelligent person can believe that all men are equal’, Francesco Nitti writes. He adds, ‘Democracy does not mean equality among men, nor does it mean equality of wealth or of situations. Liberty enables all attitudes to find expression: as it is based on the equality of citizens before the law and in public offices, democracy inevitably engenders inequalities, which are necessary conditions for development in all advanced societies’. Much in the same spirit, Giovanni Sartori argues that the aim of democracy is not to make individuals equal, but to give them equal chance of being unequal.”▪ Alain de Benoist, The Problem of Democracy (Arktos, 2011) extract from page 47. SydneyTrads is the internet portal and communication page of the Sydney Traditionalist Forum: an association of young professionals who form part of the Australian independent right (also known as “dissident right” or “outer right”).
Those who love to regurgitate the word ‘democracy’ are usually those who know little about its meaning in the first place. One could draw a parallel with a criminal on trial who never calls himself a crook.
It is only his accusers who call him a crook.De Benoist rightly states that every single political actor today, regardless of which corner of the Earth in which he may dwell, likes to decorate himself with the noun ‘democracy’. Every tiny criticism of that word, each skeptic who doubts its current methods of employment, is immediately denounced as undemocratic.
Modern liberal democracyEven discussing the notion of our modern liberal democracy means to step onto the minefield of a new religion, whereas making any critical comment about modern liberal democrats is tantamount to intellectual suicide.The noun ‘democracy’ works miracles, to the point that its four syllables, ‘ de–mo-cra-cy’, when loudly uttered in public, easily disarm any of its adversaries and dismiss all of its critics. This word, especially when inscribed on the banner of the modern liberal system, can also become the ideal cover for the most despicable political crimes.In recent history it came in handy as an alibi for carrying out serial killings against custom-designed non-democratic political actors.
Or, for that matter, its loftier expression, such as ‘fighting for democracy’, can serve beautifully as a safe venue for firebombing entire ‘non-democratic’ nations into submission.The surreal beauty that this generic noun implies, based on the specific time and place of its user, can mean everything and nothing at the same time. Today, this noun and its democratic qualifiers have become part and parcel of every politician’s lexical arsenal. Quasi-religious significanceGod forbid if a politician in the West dares to voice critical views of its quasi-religious significance!
Alain De Benoist The Problem Of Democracy Pdf Online
Not long ago, the Christian masses in Europe were obliged to chant ‘cantate domino’ in order to reassure themselves, amidst their suspicious co-religionists, of their eternal devotion to the singular Lord in Heaven, and thus avoided the risk of being chastised as heretics, or being burned at the stake as devils incarnate. Back then, nobody wanted to be ratted out for seeing the shortcomings of the dominant belief, or kicked out of his community for being out of the monotheist loop! Hallelujah! Similar fancy buzzwords, such as ‘Son of Yahweh’, and a plethora of other Levantine sermons from Sinai, are still heard amidst the enraptured congregations of the Bible Belt. These words are still in use as the pious trademarks of the chosen people.
Short of that, for an agnostic or a more urbane layman, the divine word ‘democracy’ can work miracles if he is desperately scrambling for an effective way to complete his dangling and embarrassing sentence. World-improversAn American serial killer often discovers an alibi for his misdeeds by invoking loudly in court, ‘God made me do it!’ We should not blame him too harshly. During the Second World War the self-proclaimed democratic world-improvers, both from the east and from the west, used the normative principles of democratic limitations to justify large-scale killings and expulsions – and the exclusion of their non-democratic foes. Tomorrow, should the Third World War break out, it will likely be rationalised by the adherents of democracy, who will invoke the already well-tested phrase, ‘ Let’s make the world safe for democracy!’We live in an oligarchic society where everybody pretends to be a democrat – but where there is no democracy.Yes, that was the word in the beginning. And then came the ugly deed. It is therefore a merit of the philosopher Alain de Benoist that before tackling the concept of the political within the democratic system, he first deals with the etymology of the word and its semantic deviations and aberrations in different historical epochs. After following his narrative, which he skillfully outlines in this little book, one can only come to the conclusion that the current overuse of the word ‘democracy’ often results in inter- and infra-political mayhem which will likely bring about political catastrophes in the near future.
Alain de Benoist Treasure trove of ideasAll those who are familiar with Alain de Benoist’s books know very well that all of them are instructive. They represent a treasure trove of various ideas, ranging from literature, art, and history to political science, and they all attest to a man of classical erudition. Conversely (and this is something the reader must particularly bear in mind when reading de Benoist’s book), the most visible and the most vocal democrats in our age have often been individuals and systems of the most despotic and despicable character. Witness, for example, the ex-democratic Soviet Union with its purportedly democratic Constitution of 1936! ConclusionThe additional asset of De Benoist’s book is that it is not a propaganda piece. It is not a pamphlet; nor does it endorse a specific political or ideological agenda. However, this precious book surely does offer some quick clues as to how we need to proceed while we are submerged in the bombastic rhetoric about democracy in our times.Recently, Alain de Benoist made a short summary of our modern liberal democracy: ‘We live in an oligarchic society where everybody pretends to be a democrat – but where there is no democracy.’de Benoist originally wrote and published his book, the problem with democracy, in 1985Source, Tomislav Sunic (translator)Get the book at Amazon.