# 3 of 4: The Primal Issues of Democracy
THE GRAVE YARD AWAITS
(The Fate of Democracy)
At the entrance to the Port of Democratic Fulfillment stands the Lighthouse of The Common Good, shining its beacon of guidance to incoming nation ships. Its purpose is to warn of the treacherous shoals which depth is the graveyard of numerous ships of state that lie just off this entrance. These submerged rocky shoals have been called by many names but they remain solid in character as they have since the birth of civilization – that of individualism.
In my new book on democracy are these definitions:
An individual is a distinct person who is in charge of their own decision making whereas individualism is the view that everything exists to serve one’s personal whim. Individualism makes fulfilling private agenda the goal of democracy and violates its conscience of the common good in absolute fashion. This violation prohibits the possibility of democracy and invites its suicide.
Individuals are the reality of human existence. It is me among we. Individualism is a self-centered philosophy of living. It is me before we.
It is not only those who are at the helm of a nation’s ship of state that fall victim to the disaster of these shoals but the supporting citizen that empowers the ship of state. What appears to be the safety of profitable deep waters is only a placid surface which hides the jagged points of outcroppings that tear through the hulls of even the most well-built vessels. These points are the gashing destruction of the anti-we and pro-me characteristics of psychopathic despotism – the power wielding, wealth seeking, dishonest, vain glory, my way alone, avenging, merciless, and truth disregarding of self-conceit. It is these submerged peaks of individualism that ripe the bottom out of the ships that dare venture across them in disregard.
In the midst of a pandemic which threatens the very foundation of our culture, the key medical advice to combat this virus is to wear a face mask and social distance so that you and your neighbor are protected from its spread. Those people who rebel against this advice and insist on their right to relate as they please are invested in individualism. They are me before we.
What they are doing is shouting that the individual is more important than the community – that democracy is about individual rights and personal freedom. They are the remnant of a false mythology about the roots of American development from sea to shining sea – that the nation’s westward expansion was all about citizens claiming their individual right to live as they wished. They are living a fantasy that never existed. Those who settled the west and made it a civilized place of safety were the community – not the individual.
The primal intent of democracy is the common good which is community good. And the ground of the common good is the notion that everyone is of equal worth. And those who are devoted to democracy will temper all their personal goals to accommodate the community’s best interests. And particularly will this be the case in the midst of anything that threatens the well-being of the community such as a pandemic that could destroy both its physical and economic existence.
Democracy has always maximized individual freedom as long as it did not threaten community benefit. But that is its measure. It is the community that is always first in a true democracy. And those who have any grasp of democracy know and behave such. There is ample individual freedom where there is ample community support.
Individualism is rampant in our culture. It has, in the guise of economic imperialism, taken over the most authoritative segments of government. It continues to maintain its grip on law enforcement and the justice system. It suppresses the rights of others when such violates prejudice and personal goals. It is determined to control community for its own benefit. It is the destructive shoals at the entrance to The Port of Democratic Fulfillment. And we can hear the keel of our American ship of state scraping these points of destruction.
To escape this death-dealing fate and enter the port in safety, communityism must triumph over individualism. The common good must surmount individual whim. I close with another quote from my book on democracy:
Democracy was not established of, by, and for the individual. It was established of, by, and for the community. The individual’s destiny rides in the saddle of the community’s destiny.
We can still impeach Trump by voting him out of office.
PS. Trump has given billions to pharmaceutical companies to develop a coronavirus vaccine plus countless billions in tax breaks. He will expect a quid pro quo. Aside from hefty monetary campaign contributions don’t be surprised if one of these companies comes up with a vaccine just before the election – and it will make no difference whether it is tested or not.
Robert
Robert T. Latham
mythinglink.com
As Robert has rightly signaled here, the heart of this struggle is putting “we before me.” Ours must be a broader patriotism that creates an economy that works for everybody. Weighed down by centuries of exploitation, degradation, and malice, the fate of the nation depends on it. It is up to us!