(© RKP, 1960)Democracy
Probably humanity has tried most of the systems of governing itself, but they have nearly all been based on giving power to the qualified, powerful or able. It has been left to present-day humanity to try giving power to the least qualified element within itself, and to erect that attempt into something that resembles a religion.
The sages of all the ages would surely be astonished by the present attempt, if they could know of it, and they would almost certainly point with uniform fingers at the current results which surround us. But such is the power of dogma and propaganda that blindness of faith and blindness of eye combine to impede vision, while the ear listens to the rustling of paper to which has been given a value as fictitious as water in a desert.
Note: Qualification of any kind is usually the prerogative of a minority.
Rule by the unqualified, represented by the ambitious, and by a conflict of greeds, bears no resemblance to the Taoist doctrine of the power of non-action.Demophily
In contrast to Democracy, Demophily* is the child of good-will and of good sense, and so the grandchild of Love and Wisdom. Realisation of the fundamental maleficence of the former should deepen realisation of the fundamental beneficence of the latter.
A genuine demophile (one who profoundly cares for the people) can never be a democrat - for he must desire their total good.
* (Ed. note: WWW is here seeking a term to describe the notion of compassionate government based on the concept of the 'Sage-ruler' found in the Tao Te Ching, as opposed to what he sees as rule by a self-interested, power-backed elite elected via a system offering very limited choice and (perhaps erroneously) termed 'democracy'.)
