Ancient & modern
When this column discusses democracy, it is usually to argue that our elective oligarchy bears no relation to it at all; that there is nothing wrong with elective oligarchy, except calling it something it transparently is not; but why not try real, i.e. ancient Athenian, democracy for a change when the chance arises? Time, now, for a slightly different tack, to point out another great advantage of the Athenian model towards which Prime Minister Brown might even appear to be groping. It has to do with the party system.
When Athenian male citizens over the age of 18 gathered on the Pnyx to take decisions about whatever matters of state confronted them, they must have brought with them a raft of prejudices on any number of matters, including their bias towards one or other of the influential, big-name speakers (like Pericles) who would be almost certain to address them. But what they did not bring was any preordained commitment to a party line imposed from above — unlike MI's, who for the most part know what the right answer is before what is laughingly called 'debate' is ever joined. The reason is that MPs are members of a party, whose line they are duty bound to support. It makes a mockery of what is lovingly referred to as 'parliamentary' democracy.
The point about the Athenian model is that no one came to the Assembly knowing what the answer was. They did have a motion put before them by the Assembly's steering committee setting out a possible solution, but the Assembly did not have to accept its terms and could send it back. In other words, Athenians confronted with a problem could without preconceptions set about discussing among themselves how best to solve it.
The contrast with the parliamentary model is stark — which is where Gordon Brown comes in. His concept of a party 'of all the talents', designed to include members of other parties, has been greeted with howls of disapproval by those wedded to the idea of parties whose duty it is to oppose, come what may. But if the decision has been reached before the debate in parliament has ever begun, what on earth is the purpose of this grotesque shadow-boxing? If the Brown model were to create a situation in which problems could be judged purely on their merits and solved irrespective of the incubus of historical party alignments, that would be a serious advance. But as the Spartan said, 'If.
Peter Jones
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