Democratic Progress and Perversion

It was almost exactly a year ago that I wrote the entry, "How Difficult Can It Be?" describing some of the complications involved in forming an amutah dedicated to our goals of individual accountability and public service among our leaders and representatives. Well, I guess a year of pushing is about how difficult it can be.

This morning, I called the registrar of NPOs (non-profit organizations) to check on our application. I was pleased to hear that our certification as been approved and the certificate was mailed out this morning. Now the clock is ticking. Time to fine tune our organizational plan, put together our marketing strategy, and "hit the mattresses," as the Corleone footsoldiers said in "The Godfather" when they prepared for battle. To start, that means fundraising.

Last Wednesday, Mordechai Kremnitzer, a fellow of the Israel Democracy Institute, proclaimed something arguably very un-democratic. He stated that referenda, putting key decisions of law and policy to a public vote, "harms democracy." Kremnitzer has clearly lost track of the concept that democracy is defined as government of the people. This means that decisions must be made and that those decisions must account for majority sentiments among the populus.

Perhaps it was the specific topic of the proposed referendum at hand, whether or not to abandon half of Jerusalem and whether or not to abandon the Golan Heights. When it comes to these crucial issues, upon which Kremnitzer's views lean decidedly left, Kremnitzer is not so willing to let the will of the people, the majority reign supreme, not unless he is assured that majority sentiment agrees with him. What goes against Kremnitzer goes against "democracy," vox populi be damned.

Kremnitzer is not the only demagogue who claims to safeguard "democracy" from being tainted by the public. Perversions of democratic values are a growth industry in the Knesset and in the courts. Due process, protections against abuses of power, and true, accountable representation have all been twisted for political gain or sectarian advantage.

We've got a big job to do and we can't afford to fail.