Direct Democracy: friend or foe?

Direct Democracy has become  more prevalent in the 21st century. A BBC Radio 4 series – “Can Democracy Work?” (episode one,13th Jan 2015) – discussed Direct Democracy (as opposed to the traditional Representative Democracy). In the programme, ex-British PM Tony Blair said that he wasn’t too keen on it. I wonder if this is the Ruling Elite provoking us into taking Direct Democracy (DD) more seriously. While I am generally in favour of DD, the Ruling Elite will obviously want to control it, just as they have controlled Democracy in general up till now.

In Britain there is a DD Party called the PA (People’s Administration) Party, though you can’t vote for them at the moment, due to voting restrictions.

I see Direct Democracy as a stepping stone rather than an end in itself. Whatever the solution is to the world’s problems, it’s not going to happen overnight, so compromises will need to be made, especially bearing in mind that there are 7 and a half billion people in the world, with diverse opinions. We need to talk with each other and negotiate.

DD has been promoted by the arch Euro-sceptic and ex-UKIP leader NIGEL FARAGE, who was President of the pro-DD and eurosceptic political group in the European Parliament: the EFDD (EUROPE OF FREEDOM AND DIRECT DEMOCRACY).

Another DD supporter has been the wealthy British politician and ‘environmentalist’ ZAC GOLDSMITH, who – like his brother BEN – married into the also wealthy ROTHSCHILD family. Zac’s billionaire father Sir JAMES GOLDSMITH was a prominent Eurosceptic, as is Zac. Zac’s uncle TEDDY was a prominent environmentalist who made Zac editor of “The Ecologist” magazine.

Zac and his mother LADY ANNABEL GOLDSMITH were both patrons of the FORTUNE FORUM Club (not to be confused with FORTUNE magazine), set up to persuade wealthy people to be more charitable and to solve financial inequality. Influential speakers at its’ Summits have included ex-US President BILL CLINTON; billionaire philanthropist GEORGE SOROS; film star MICHAEL DOUGLAS; the ‘Green’ ex-US Vice-President AL GORE; “Live Aid” co-founder BOB GELDOF; Wikipedia co-founder JIMMY WALES.

Other patrons of Fortune Forum have included the New Age leading light DEEPAK CHOPRA and the FABIAN SOCIETY President/chairman Lord PETER ARCHER. Archer supported a world government and was President of ONE WORLD TRUST, set up by the ALL-PARTY GROUP FOR WORLD GOVERNANCE (a British parliamentary group). The One World Trust is an NGO with special consultative status with the UNITED NATIONS Economic and Social Council.

Fortune Forum’s philanthropy partners have included the UN FOUNDATION and the UN Office For Partnerships.

Annabel Goldsmith continued her husband’s eurosceptic work by being President of the DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT, of which its’ chairman was her son (through a different marriage) ROBIN BIRLEY.