Question

Give arguments to support or oppose the following assertions: a) Industrialised countries can afford democracy but the poor need dictatorship to become rich. b) Democracy can’t reduce inequality of incomes between different citizens. c) The government in poor countries should spend less on poverty reduction, health, education and spend more on industries and infrastructure. d) In a democracy, all citizens have one vote, which means that there is an absence of any domination and conflict.

Answer 1

a) Industrialised countries can afford democracy but the poor need dictatorship to become rich.

• This is not true, dictatorship will not help any poor country become rich.
• Creating a harmonious social life should be one of the important aims of democracies.
• We find growing economic inequalities while in parallel the process of bringing individuals into the political arena on an equal footing is going on.
• Those at the bottom of the society their incomes have been declining.
• Poor people find it difficult to meet their basic needs of life, such as health, housing, education, clothing, food.
• A highly disproportionate share of incomes and wealth lies in the hands of a few ultra-rich.
• It is reasonable to expect democracies to reduce economic disparities, perhaps more than development.
• In promoting freedom and dignity of the individual, democracy stands much superior to any other form of government.
• In a democracy all the people will have equal treatment before the law, in a democracy there are free and fair elections which are conducted regularly and importantly the dignity of individuals are upheld in democracy.
• In a dictatorship, only one man makes decisions for all the people without considering the pros and cons.
• Democracies have successfully eliminated the idea of political inequality.
• Political equality is the basis of democracy.
• Conflicts among different social groups cannot be resolved permanently and fully in any society.
• Internal social differences are usually suppressed and non-democractic regimes usually turn a blind eye to them.
• Democratic Governments are in a better position to reduce and handle conflicts, divisions and differences.
• Receiving respect from fellow beings is a basic expectation of every individual.
• The basis of democracy is the passion for freedom and respect.

b) Democracy can’t reduce inequality of incomes between different citizens.

• We find growing economic inequalities while in parallel the process of bringing individuals into the political arena on an equal footing is going on.
• Those at the bottom of the society their incomes have been declining.
• Poor people find it difficult to meet their basic needs of life, such as health, housing, education, clothing, food.
• A highly disproportionate share of incomes and wealth lies in the hands of a few ultra-rich.
• It is reasonable to expect democracies to reduce economic disparities, perhaps more than development.

c) The government in poor countries should spend less on poverty reduction, health, education and spend more on industries and infrastructure.

• Reducing economic disparities is one of the important goals in democracy.
• Governments in poor countries should spend on infrastructure and industries because the benefits of it will trickle down to all sections of the population.
• When we compare the rate of economic growth from 1950-1990, of different poor countries, some ruled through democracy, others ruled through dictatorship, there isn’t a major difference.
• Poor countries under democracy grew at 4.28% and poor countries under dictatorship grew at 4.34%.
• Economy of the country will start growing, when more and more people come out of poverty.
• If the healthcare system is not adequately available for poor people, then all their small savings are lost when their health deteriorates and they fall back into poverty.
• Hence it is important that people have access to affordable healthcare and nutrition and Governments should work on improving the healthcare system in the country.
• If the country’s economy has to grow then industries have to grow. Growth of industries is also dependent on availability of highly educated and skilled workforce.
• Hence it is important that Governments spend on the education sector, the returns will be slow and not immediate, but it will definitely take the country on the path of progress and drastically reduce poverty.

d) In a democracy, all citizens have one vote, which means that there is an absence of any domination and conflict.

• It needs to be understood that simply rule by majority opinion is not democracy.
• It is also necessary that rule by majority does not become rule by majority community in terms of linguistic group, race or religion etc
• Democratic rule ceases to be accommodative for that group or person if someone is barred from being in majority on the basis of birth.
• In case of every election in case of every decision, different groups and persons can and may form a majority, that is the meaning of Rule by majority.
• At some point of time, as long as every citizen has a chance of being in the majority, only then democracy will remain as a democracy.
• To make sure that Government functions to represent general views, minority and majority must work together.
• In a democracy all the people will have equal treatment before the law, in a democracy there are free and fair elections which are conducted regularly and importantly the dignity of individuals are upheld in democracy.