"Democracy … is a cultural mechanism for maximizing the accessibility of agenda-free individuals," writes Philip Slater, author of The Pursuit of Loneliness. "Everyone talks about democracy, but few people have any idea why it exists, why it is happening now, or where it will lead. Most people see it as a merely political phenomenon — which is a little like seeing TV as merely an electrical phenomenon."
Slater cites four reasons why this deterioration is taking place:
- the widening gap between the rich and the poor,
- the warrior mentality of the military,
- the top-down authoritarianism of those in political power,
- public apathy.
Slater contends that by putting our core values to work — equality, openness, fairness. and freedom — we can transform the world into a place where sexism, racism, greed, and civic indifference are banished. He makes a good case for activism in a time when it is sorely needed!
