c1) Democracy

{ Note:- I am releasing the restriction of Copy Rights for this page. Readers are now free to discuss, copy, translate or criticize the materials. The Copy Rights of all other pages remain restricted. } This page has just been greatly trimmed and rewritten........ Added 26th Apr 2010).  

Brief introduction :- In 1989 I wrote a long letter and asked a third person to pass it on personally to the former senior Chinese leader Mr. Deng Xiao Ping. I was fortunate because my friend thought what I wrote was meaningful and agreed to do it. I was hoping to present my views and urge the senior leader to open up China with bolder steps. In that letter I praised democracy and discussed various impending international trends, including the upcoming surge of interest in computer and music, etc., and also mentioned about my theory of the Regenerating Universe. I was highly encouraged by the positive reaction given by Mr. Deng who passed on my letter to other leaders in Beijing. Then came Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait, which strongly alarmed me. I thought I had not discussed enough international problems in that first letter and decided to supplement it with a second letter (please click to read) to be passed on to Beijing through the same route. In this longer second letter, I talked about Saddam Hussein and also brought up the prolonged problems in Gaza. I suggested that King Hussein of Jordan could mediate for peace between Israel and Palestine. 

Then in 1995, I sent the translated copies of both letters to Secretary General Mr. Butros Butros Ghali at UN's 50th Anniversary. President Clinton took action and got Itzak Rabin and Arafat to shake hands on the White House lawn through the mediation of King Hussein... Unfortunately, Itzak Rabin was soon assassinated and both conflicts in the Gulf and in Gaza escalated. Since then hundreds of thousands of life have been lost. Yet, what sparked me to write those two letters was in fact a hunch that the arrival of Halley comet could trigger off sudden release of both ecological and social energies, accumulated over long time and waiting to explode. This could bring about waves of heightened and abnormal human activities, both good and bad, resulting in great social changes, some of which could have serious consequence in the nuclear weapon age. As a result I considered that there are 3 large time bombs that could go off sooner or later, i.e. Democracy, Political Religion and the Nuclear Bomb. But if and when they do go off, it will be too late to write about...

This page is about certain kind of democracy that is spreading fast across the human world. I say certain kind because the original meaning of democracy has been altered. We can therefore describe democracy in two kinds, i.e. true democracy and apparent democracy. Historically, true democracy existed in two ancient regions. 1) Ancient Greece :- It began in Athens around 680 BC, and in the so called "City States" where the populations were usually small (less than 3000-10,000). In such democratic City States, because of their small population, it was possible for the whole population to form the entire State Legislature, called "Demos Kratos" (Demos means People, and Kratos means Rule). So every citizen (females not included) became responsible for the business of government. 2) Ancient China :- There were 3 stages. Firstly, Chinese civilization was mainly centralized some 5000 years ago by one Huang-Di, or Yellow Emperor, whose great great grandson Emperor Yau decided that his own son, or sons, were not fit enough to rule. Yau searched amongst the populace and found a promising young man called Shun. He brought him to the palace, then tested and trained him for some years to do the job, and upon satisfaction, he abdicated in Shun's favour. Emperor Shun continued the tradition by abdicating in favour of Emperor Yue who had spent 13 years in curbing floods and channeling many rivers to sea (the writer is a descendant of this man)... 

In the second stage, it was the time about 600 BC, which was parallel to the time of early City State democracy in Greece, when Confucius initiated the philosophy for every individual. The philosophy states in following orders :- a) Analysis of Matters, b) Acquisition of Knowledge, c) Self Refinement, d) Harmonizing Family, e) Governing the State, e) Achieving Peace of the World... For the time being, let me call this "Confucian Philosophy of Universal Democracy".  Lastly, the third stage, by Tang Dynasty, 618 AD, imperial China began choosing all government officials using 3 levels of academic examinations, i.e. the local exams, the provincial exams and the state capital exams with correspondingly increasing standards of merits. Thus, apart from the Emperor who did have absolute power, every other member of the entire government from the Prime Ministers down to the smallest officers in the local prefectures were chosen through exam qualifications. However, because the Emperor never officially traveled out of the palace to rule the land, the entire business of governance was left in the hands of persons qualified through written exams. Also because exams are the most effective means of competition and measurements of intellectual qualifications, and because the competitions were extremely high, there was no need to impose any limitations or requirements for entry to the exams. Hence the Chinese system provided true democratic rights and equal opportunities for every citizen to get qualified and to rule the land without any discriminations whatsoever...  

This system of democracy by written exams was named "Exam Raised" ( ), which lasted for about 1300 years in China until the end of the last imperial dynasty exactly a century ago (until 1910, this year 2010 would be the centenary). This exam system applied to candidates for selection as government officials only, Such candidates must display in written exams their knowledge of mathematics, history, literature, etc.. etc.. They must express in writing their aspirations as a citizen and as a potential member of government, and above all, their desire, morale and their philosophy to serve the nation and people, if qualified. Then after qualification they would be selected by established regulations to serve suitable official positions when vacancies were available. The methods of selection or appointments at various levels varied in different imperial dynasties during those long 1300 years. So I will not elaborate here. However, one thing in  common for all dynasties was that the imperial court or the central government must decide and approve each appointment, because every government servant was an extension of the central government. The most important thing was that each and every government servant was raised or qualified through written exams. So the old imperial government really consisted of one Emperor on the top, below him was an indiscriminately "exam raised" government. But since the Chinese Emperor never appeared officially  in public to govern the nation directly, the nation was governed by a fully democratic government. It is important for the discussions here!

Unlike the Western system of confrontational political parties and elections, which splits the nation, yet cannot ensure potential qualities and promise of elected candidates, the Chinese system of democratic qualification by exams did produce a peaceful, moralistic and united cultural life in China for nearly one and half thousand years, because exam systems worked well not only in ancient China, but also in today's educational institutions. The system also worked almost like some of modern monarchies, under which a democratically elected government operates, because although a Chinese emperor did possess supreme authorities, he did not officially come out of his palace to run the nation. All everyday businesses were governed by Exam-Raised officials only. Exam-Raised system not only afforded fair and true equal chance to all candidates and nationals, historical records also show that the system did achieve results of intelligent as well as moral leaderships, because through out its long and tested history, complains or doubts about the system were completely unheard of.  Nobody had ever questioned the democratic significance of selecting the entire governmental from the vast populace by written exams under equal conditions. Of course, if an exam system cannot prove to be effective, then all the exams in today's schools and universities should be scrubbed! 

History also shows that if a Chinese emperor should become unruly or unmanageable, then Chinese people would always rise to change the dynasty. This was because ever since the dawn of Chinese civilization and through its long intermediate history, Chinese emperors were strongly influenced by their early ancestral rulers who set those highly esteemed examples of abdicating power to chosen quality successors, and also by many great sages and philosophers, such as Confucius, etc., who had edifies the nation with highly acclaimed rational and humane principles. Thus most Chinese imperial leaders had to follow the tradition and portray themselves with moralistic qualities, and the Chinese people had always expected such conducts and criterions to be followed by all their emperors.... In short, the ancient Chinese civilization was one regulated by humane, rational and philosophic principles, and not by worship of absolute supernatural religions, nor by veneration of absolute political power. In that sense, ancient Chinese system had already embraced much democratic elements in its considerations.   

However, this ancient system of democracy by academic exams was destroyed beyond repair in the revolution of 1910 by the new Republican government, who wanted to replace it with the widely advertised and admired Western style democracy. It was the time when the people in many parts of the world rose to take over political power from the traditional monarchies and the American and French revolutions were powerfully broadcasted. It was also the height when the revolutionary ideas of people's rule were highly admired and widely written about. Thomas Jefferson's "All men are created equal" and Abraham Lincoln's Three People Principle, i.e., "For the People, By the People and Of the People" were introduced into China and became widely publicized and quickly accepted. This happened especially because prior to the revolution China had been fatally  weakened and corrupted by about 100 years of rampant and uncontrollable opium drugs invasion as well as the opium wars. Above all, the Chinese imperial administration had fallen into the hands of one enfant emperor and his totally ignorant grand mother, Empress Tshe Shi. Needles to say China was in a deep hell, over run by corrupt officials and drug cartels. Yet that's not all, after the revolution almost as soon as the system of political parties were introduced to China, one party, the KMT Party, tried to annihilate its rival, the Communist Party, and civil wars ensued that lasted 20 years, even while Japanese soldiers were rampaging China. 

So, imagine after more than a century of uncontrollable drowning a whole nation in thick opium smoke, which brought about opium wars, opium treaties, fatally corrupted and weakened administrations, only to be followed by revolution, civil wars, Sino-Japan War, and finally by Second World War, the proper political life in China had been totally disrupted for more than one and a half centuries... It was no wonder that the historical facts of Chinese "Exams Raised" democratic government was never properly introduced to the world, or even considered as a "Democratic" system. That is why this single precious legacy of true democracy in human history was not even heard of by most scholars in the world... It goes without saying, after prolonged national mayhem and pandemonium, the first duty for any man, or woman, or leader, was to struggle for survival above all other things. As a result, no one in China had the luxury to relax, until now, to think and remember how wise and precious their ancestors had left behind those centuries and millenniums of truly democratic, humanitarian cultural and political legacies. Indeed, for 5000 years ancient Chinese nation and civilization had been ruled largely with the consent, approval, with full and direct participation of the people, and with wisdom and principle of harmonious, moralistic, democratic as well as humanitarian philosophy, instead of rule by absolute divine power, bloody conquest or political rhetoric and oratories, as well as by separatists propagandas. 

So at the dawn of civilization Chinese history began with ancient rulers abdicating their power and privilege in favour of younger, well conducted and capable prospective successors. This precious historical records set powerful early examples and traditions for moralistic leadership through out 5000 years of  history because they are related in every school book, even today. In the next stage, history descended to the era of Chou (Zhou) dynasty (1066 BC - 221 BC), which lasted some 8 centuries. During Chou (Zhou) dynasty many great philosophers and theorists were born, including Confucius, Lau Tze, Sun Tze (military theorist), etc., etc.. whose written ideologies influenced Chinese minds and Chinese political system even more powerfully ever since. Even in the period of Warring States greatly virtuous human deeds and philosophies had been developed and passed on to be remembered. Indeed ancient Chinese civilization and political system had been more like a great competition of humane principles and philosophy, rather than internal feuds of personal wills and ambitions to split apart the nation. China was a mainly harmonious society without frequent or violent tribal or fractional or partied political conflicts, and intervals of undesirable episodes were comparatively rare! Yes, China was predominately a cultured, moralistic, practical, rational, philosophic and harmonious society, and its political unity did not depend upon belief of super-nature. There are millions and trillions of past literatures, artifacts and poetries to prove the passage of that culture. Also through out history Chinese people had always judged and demanded their emperors with certain standards of virtues and mature wisdoms. 

In a nut shell, since the dawn of history, China had developed a fundamentally practical, rational, humane and democratic civilization, which was to be later epitomized by the Confucian principles. Within the domain there are over 50 tribal ethnicities amalgamated into one harmonious culture. When people of Genghis Khan and Kublai Khan took over China, they were immediately absolved and fused into the Chinese civilization and became Chinese. When Manchurians took over, they too felt at ease to become an integral part of the greater Chinese culture. China was once the biggest, most advanced and strongest nation in the East, whose navy had sailed globally, as far as Africa.  She had had the strength, the know-how and all the opportunities to conquer many nations, but she never invaded even her smallest neighbours by force. The only piece of land she had added to that greater Chinese domain was the territories of Mann and Yueh (i.e. today's Fujiang and GuangDong provinces) well inside the natural boundary of Chinese mainland during the Three Kingdom era about 2000 years ago. It was done by Kung Ming (the Premier and Commanding General of the Kingdom of Shu) only after he had captured 7 times his opponent, the notorious tribal leader called Meng Huo, and had released him also 7 times, until this opponent was thoroughly convinced at heart and in soul to surrender. Tibet was included in Chinese jurisdiction over seven hundred years ago, during the powerful Mongolian rein of China, the Yuen Dynasty. This means Tibet has been an integral part of China for more than 3 times the total existence of United States.   

For about 2600 years, Chinese intelligence had been overwhelming guided by Confucius doctrines, and today, Confucius Colleges and Universities are being established increasingly in various nations across the world. Then for the last 1300 years, although the head of state had been Emperors, but the entire government was selected not only with truly equal chance from the entire populace, but also with written exams only, a process more intellectual, rational and democratic than any modern democracy. There is no need to emphasize or speculate that the written exam system is truly democratic, because the essence of democracy lies in giving equal and indiscriminate opportunities for all nationals to participate, but the degrees of participation can only be measured through tests of ability and will. Written exam is the most direct and efficient way of measuring intellectual capacities, political belief and potential personal promises! That's why modern educational systems rely totally on exams to qualify scholars! Every citizen in imperial China recognized that the "Exam Raised" system was the most efficient and effective necessity for true democracy! And such recognition was quite simple and automatic! This cultural tradition has gone in so deep and run so long in the Chinese veins that even today no one has ever questioned its positive, intellectual and democratic values. 

To cut a long story short, some 5000 years ago Chinese ancestral leaders were able to regard that qualities of national leadership should be more important than their own personal ambitions and family privileges. In so doing they abdicated their thrones and powers to young successor of desirable conducts and qualities. Then half way through the recorded Chinese history, some 2500 years ago, many great philosophers, such as Confucius, etc., appeared on the historical stage, whose philosophical teachings guided the Chinese civilization towards a humane and harmonious social political platform. Their immense influences are still deeply felt today. So, today most rural Chinese folks could still remember the past and would only understand that democracy is in fact a harmonious political platform, upon which every member of society has equal and indiscriminate chance to participate. In fact to them it would be rather unthinkable that a democracy could be made of daily arguing, street demonstrating, power grapping, nation splitting, even blood flowing parties or fractions. Yet, indeed there are two kids of democracies! i.e., the civilized one, through competition of written exams, or the nation splitting one, through make belief political rhetoric or guns. Someday, when all nations are convinced to believe and adopt the nation-splitting model, then the world could become a split world and human civilization could be a split civilization, and then what would be the final outcome?    

Meanwhile, also because past memory has run so silently in Chinese blood for so long that most people, both Chinese and non-Chinese today, have mistaken that democracy, or people's rule, had existed only in the West alone. Although China has come into contact rather recently with the Western political model of "Democracy", the Chinese people have long enjoyed similar effect and benefit of democracy in their ancestral civilization. The substance is always more important than the terminology or political rhetoric, no matter what model or platform of politics one adopts... Today there are many nations in the world, especially in Europe, still retaining the tradition of monarchy with an elected body of legislators. These nations enjoy a much more harmonious and less confrontational national life than those democracies without a tradition monarch. Chinese imperial rule run under an Exam-Raised government was in many ways similar to modern day monarchy with a so called democratically elected government. The main difference is that an Exam-Raised government is fundamentally even more democratic and completely harmonious. It can even detect, examine and select the capacities and inclination of the exam qualified candidates! At least it had 1300 years of proven records to show that Exam Raised democracy can work efficiently and harmoniously for 1300 years...

(Note:- The love and respect for tradition is a human sentiment that can be influential and endearing, and can add extra dimensions to the harmony and stability of national life. The land of Great Britain has long enjoyed the influence for having a traditional monarch. Before the re-installation of King Carlos, Spain was in a state of revolution, after the re-installation, Spain has become notably a more stable and harmonious nation! Because what lies underneath the modern democracy, controlled and dominated by political parties, is a naked game of ganged-up power struggle. Such struggle can be mild or violent, or even extreme, depending on current state of the nation. If a nation is more well-to-do and already more stable, then the struggle can be milder. In nations that are already politically or historically instable or economically poor and laden with problems, the struggle could be quite nasty (It has nothing to do with whether the democracy is young or old. If a system is good it will always work and agreeable to all, even right from start!). The worst can happen is a nation already made of two different ethnic tribes with inharmonious history and customs, such as Iraq. If an extra reason for conflict is added, such as insistence of democracy, which actually legalize the power struggle between political parties or ethnicities, or hatred due to sudden reversal of power through war or foreign interventions... 

This is why the presence of traditional monarch can influence and impart some harmony and stability. Recently the Hong Kong government has come up with an effective measure of such 3rd-party force. A group of direct representatives from the most important professions and industries in Hong Kong has been created and added alongside the group of normally publicly elected politicians, and both groups will sit in the house of legislature with equal rights to legislate. This new professional group is called the "Functional Constituency", which not only communicates with the timely progress and problems of the essential professions and industries, it also protects Hong Kong jobs and the economy, but at the same time it also serves to lessen the burden and power struggles of political parties. Consequently, it serves as a third and or intermediate influence between the political parties (like the above said European Monarchs) to impart harmony and stability of social atmosphere. Of course, it also reduces the power and importance of the elected politicians by popular votes, it is therefore understandable that those elected politicians might not allow it to continue, but it's for the greater benefit of Hong Kong society and economy as well as more efficient function of the government... 

In the earlier version of this page here, I had included some comments and my personal ideas about the proposed Hong Kong constitution, which was and still is under discussion. But sensing that a tempestuous political weather might be impending in 2012, I have now cancelled out those comments completely, because not only I do not want to interfere unnecessarily. In fact, every nation, or culture, or religion has its own historical background that makes its existence possible.  I believe that the people of Hong Kong can easily distinguish between the political terminologies and the substance of true democracy, and would not want to blindly copy from anywhere a system unfit and unsuitable to the valued traditional life. So I have no doubt that the Hong Kong public, the government, and the mainland government are perfectly capable, strong enough and prepared to do a suitable job. In fact, I also know that any parts of territory within the natural boundaries of mainland China, i.e., within. the China sea, the Himalayan mountains, the deserts, etc., etc., will always remain a permanent and natural parts of China, and no external force or influence can ever succeed in separating them from the domain, from the family and the long tested civilization of China.... )

In short, the "Exam Raised" democracy was the biggest, longest, truest and most effective democratic system of governance ever existed in human history. The Exam Raised system not only afforded each and every Chinese citizen to study and get qualified in subjects of science, literature, mathematics, philosophy, sociology and governance, etc., it also allowed each exam candidate to express his own written ideology, philosophy, aspirations as well as their own promises and commitments to the nation before he actually take the state responsibilities. Exams were scheduled in known frequencies under 3 levels of importance, the Home Town Exam, the Provincial Exam and the Capital City Exam with successive grades of qualifications. Rules were made to choose and appoint government officials from the best of records amongst the qualified candidates. The details of such rules are not elaborated here because they varied over its long history of 1300 years. The nation was therefore enriched with a huge stock of intellectuals and scholars awaiting appointments, and the government was run only by intelligent and well qualified nationals with their written promises still in mind and in record ... So, what can be more democratic than individual exams?   

The Exam Raised government system lasted till 1910! For nearly one and half millennium since its existence and practical applications no one had ever questioned its effectiveness, because it did produce only able, intellectual and the best qualified imperial administrators always. No one could doubt the democratic fairness and equality of this exam system, because it did strictly allow the entire populace to sit for the exams, regardless of age or tribal ethnicities, and to serve the nation and people, as there was simply no need for the exam system to impose any kind of discriminations, even for females. So it was by nature truly democratic! (As far as females are concerned,

they had been invariably considered as the weaker sex worldwide in past history. It was only until very recent decades that they were allowed to participate in national elections). In China there was simply no need to specifically restrict females to take part in the exams, although no females ever did, because of two reasons:- Firstly, the competitions were already too high even for men. Secondly, for some centuries in Ching dynasty Chinese "ladies" typically preferred to have their feet bound since childhood, which restricted growth of feet to only about 3 inches, so as to give sexual appeals in movements (something similar to the modern day ladies 3 to 5 inches "High-heels"). Besides, traditional ladies had very heavy family duties, they were not made to compete in a man's world.  

Now let's take a closer look at the earlier mentioned Confucius Principles or Doctrines, which I would call Confucian Universal Democratic Principles. Confucian philosophy contains many things, but may be summed up in the following main themes, which had effectively served as goals and aims to be achieved by each individual life in China:- They are "Ge Wu ()", meaning "to analyze matters";- "Zhi Zhi  "  meaning "to acquire knowledge";- "Xiu Sen  ", meaning "to refine oneself.";-  "Qi Jia ", meaning "to harmonize the family";- "Zhi Guo  ", meaning "to govern the nation". "Ping Tian Xia ", meaning "to achieve world peace"... I believe Confucius was the only ancient sage and philosopher to have taught an entire nation that achieving world peace is an aim and conduct in human life, an aim and a task to be listed together with personal, family and social goals and conducts in life. Confucian doctrines have effectively influenced Chinese civilization for about 2600 years, and still going strong. Yet, Confucius does not demand anybody to believe in him or in any super natural beings. Instead, he teaches that people should examine and analyze matters so that they will know what's going on! That's what modern science really boils down to!

In recent years, many new Confucian Colleges and similar educational institutes have been established around the world. Probably that was why Chinese people never attacked or invaded their neighbours, even kingdoms as tiny as Nepal, but instead, the Chinese people have always respected their neighbours' sovereignty. The Chinese people never even forced or persuaded their neighbours to accept their rational, philosophic and harmonious culture, although many Asian neighbours were influenced. Eventually even China's own conquerors from Mongolia and Manchuria had been completely absolved and contentedly melted into that harmonious civilization. But that doesn't mean that Chinese governments would not defend their ancestral land passed on for them to care. When it comes to national defense and security, it becomes a sacred duty for any government to protect with absolute determination! And those national subjects and individual separatists who threaten national unity and security, especially those supported by foreign powers, need to be strongly punished! If a government mixes the mercy of human rights to national security, that nation would not last very long, especially when there are open or obvious foreign plots to split or separate the nation!    

Now, let's take a quick look and comparisons for the Democracy that existed for a brief historical moment in Ancient Greece, and that practiced in Imperial China for about 1300 years.  In Greece democracy meant that the State was administrated by the entire people, except females, educated or not, but in China it was administered by people chosen through 3 levels of exams, whereby scholars voluntarily and indiscriminately entered to be tested and qualified. Each candidate must compete in intelligence and prove his capacity for the job. Above all, a candidate would be judged expressly not only by his qualifications, but also by his own aspirations, his belief and his written commitments to his responsibilities before he took them. Although the Chinese emperors did have absolute powers, those rulers hardly ever appeared in public or even ever wandered out of their palace, except for a few occasions when certain emperors would visit some scenic resorts in private or civilian capacities. Since Chinese emperors let the daily business of running the country to "Exam-Raised" ministers, and emperors' power could not affect ordinary law abiding citizens in peace time, the system was somewhat comparable to some modern monarchies operating with an elected government, except that an "Exam Raised" government had more selective qualities. What's more, one of the most important goal of a government is to achieve peace, development and harmony in the nation, certainly not power struggles, nor splitting up the nation into conflicting parts, and least of all, to be interested in wars or invasions, neglecting the health, economy and basic well beings of ones own nation!

Today, democracy under fighting and splitting political parties is widely advertised as the only righteous way to govern the nation. So righteous that such a system would even be imposed by force to other nations and societies without due respects for their national sovereignty or their historical backgrounds and traditional heritage. Under daily arguments for each and every issue, not only the entire government functions and efficiencies are slowed down, but the main emphasis as well as the entire national resources and energies have been shifted to winning the election for the party. The party and party loyalty have therefore become the whole national issue. The original goal of a government "for the people, by the people and of the people", becomes increasingly nothing but "for the party, by the party and of the party". In short, modern democracy is nothing but electoral politics, excuses, make belief rhetoric, power struggles that split the nation in to two parts. It is not designed to create and bring about a harmonious and peaceful national life. Instead, it provides the legal grounds for power rivalry, struggles using every possible means to grab power, which then lead to cheatings, electoral corruptions and in many countries riots, instability, violent bloodshed as well as civil wars (During the Chinese civil war of the past century, multi-millions died! Thanks to the party struggles and modern slogans of democracy!). 

In fact, literally every few days, troubles in elections are reported across the world in the so called democracies, and under aged, over aged, unqualified and disqualified voters watched with broken hearts. The individual, no matter how able and noble he or she may be, has no chance to serve the nation without the will, facilities and support of powerful political parties. Yet, with powerful party support any popular figures, film stars or comedians, whose professions are to make belief, are given political powers to create wars and economic catastrophes for ones own nation and others. As the political parties are not only intrinsically split, but also basically selfish and ambitious! Those in power gather together to reinforce their own party and to make themselves even more powerful and righteous. Eventually, the final consequence would be a world split in two, each part with their better and more massive weapons poised to strike. Otherwise, there can only be emergence of world dictators who would openly impose their will on others....  History has shown that politics could turn into a religion, and religion could turn into a prolonged Dark Age... History does repeat itself all the time!

In the reality of today, democracy is basically consisted of power grabbing political parties. It is increasingly becoming a state of politics, by the party, for the party and of the party. One begins the system by first splitting up the nation into fighting and power grabbing fractions. Thus year by year the parties would accumulate strength, and year by year the individual loses the meanings of true democracy, as well as the his individual aspirations for democracy and birth rights. He must join a party or remain a useless by-stander. In between everything becomes a political rhetoric, and as a rule rhetoric would turn into patriotic expressions, and patriotism would create senses of national supremacy. Unpatriotic rhetoric would become an unspoken, untouchable and unforgivable social taboo. The flames of collective patriotic energies could gradually breed international dominance, dictation, or wars and invasions. Winning wars would become an open national preoccupation, regardless of critics, and wars then generate more mottos for more nationalism and patriotism. As this becomes a habit, wars could even become a national necessity to be initiated every few years or few decades at the expense of some lesser armed countries. Even strong nations (or even terrorism) may be used as tools or excuses to generate internal fears and tensions in order to create the atmosphere for more nationalism and more patriotism, or the grounds for external cold wars. It could even be used to gain votes and to get re-elected. So, a vicious cycle is intentionally or unintentionally started until tragic results or damages become evident. By that time, it's already too late or too difficult to stop the wars, or war mortalities, even a whole generation of economical damages. Then one day, there will be one war too many! All these can be a disaster in the making, not only for others, but for oneself too!

Yet, our world has advanced now deep into the age of nuclear weapons and nuclear technologies, as well as the eventuality that someday the underground oils must run out. Some nations are already dependent on nuclear energy for more than half of their national power generation. Nuclear technologies or technicians are everywhere to be employed, or purchased quietly. It is a fallacy to think that nuclear technology could be controlled or dictated by threats or by force. Any national political conflicts will eventually evolve and involve international subversions, secret global political alliance, arm sales, secret support or open provocation of national separatists and any other open or secret confrontations. International confrontations will develop inevitably into nuclear confrontations. International treaties could become meaningless in the presence of political and military threats. These days, people are not even afraid of death and have become rather countless suicidal bombers...Yes, these are the realities of today, a stand off of escalating potentials without a foreseeable end. Sadly it is also the naked picture of Western Democratic ideals with its recent executions, performance and consequences, directly in the dawning age of humanitarianism when even cruelty to animal is a crime...  

Indeed, there are nations that would forcibly change other nations' government and impose on them faulty democracy or confrontational political systems that produce nothing but arguments, conflicts and even civil wars. It appears that other world politicians are alarmed and beginning to seek nuclear weapons for protection. Who wouldn't? So, it's not surprising that roughly speaking, about 25 to 50 years from now, our world could be in a major nuclear confrontation. Meanwhile, western democracy has boasted itself up so high and mighty to already symbolize the only sole just and  and righteous prototype of human governance, even human behavior. So righteous that imposition by force has warranted global acceptance. Such dangerous notion is not unlikely to turn the world into a chained reaction of avenging mess and suicidal bombers with unpredictable consequence. All traditions, social bondages and precious crystallizations of human civilizations would become subjects for attack, while those untrue make-belief politics, even party orientated entertainment medias, would flourish to teach young folks more make-belief violence and killings. All these things are becoming the ticking time bombs for the 21st nuclear century. It is therefore imperative now to examine what Democracy really means! What it is really made of and to whom democracy really serve? The people? The harmony of the nation? The mighty nation splitting political parties? The few political elites who wouldn't mind holding on to the system? Or the very few really rich and powerful people behind the scene? Perhaps it should be understood now before more nations send soldiers and bombers to change other nations' governments. 

These things happen coincidentally in the days when our home Hong Kong is trying hard to work out a suitable political system that would not only satisfy modern conditions, but also carry on that harmonious, trouble free, successful and meaningful spirit and tradition of real democracy of the distant past, so that not only the Hong Kong Chinese people, but also all the foreign residents and business investors in Hong Kong, would enjoy a harmonious society with continued economic prosperity. It is also why many Chinese people today are hesitant to adopt western style democracy readily, because that was why the decades of civil wars in the past and the subsequent split between Taiwan and China had occurred. If ancient Chinese people could come up with the ideas of universally equal chance by written exams, then surely modern people could dream up a more intelligent and harmonious system too! In the very least, why can't democracy be achieved without splitting the country into two confrontational parts! In the up-coming passages the writer will try to scrutinize the pros and cons of the so called democracy with unreserved exposures, because it is not only vital for Hong Kong but for the good of the world and for our future generations as well, especially in this dangerous nuclear age... I sincerely welcome world wide discussions as well as criticisms on my own writings. 

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List of Principle Problems on Modern Democracy:-  

 

The followings are some of the more serious complains contained in modern democracy that need to be exposed  :-

1) Under any democratic electoral system with political parties, the large parties control every election. For too many centuries and in too many regions the political parties have served to screen out un-preferred and un-favored candidates by choice of sex and ethnicity. Without the power and support of large parties, candidates from small parties, or from unprivileged ethnic groups, or independent candidates, have zero or near zero chance to be elected.  Without the will and support of the party, not even the best qualified person in the nation can be chosen. Democracy controlled by political parties does not represent the ideal of equal chance and equal rights, nor the hope of people to elect the best possible quality leader among all nationals. Hence in reality democracy is the choice of the party, by the party and for the party.

 

2) Multi-party (more than 2 parties) elections do not always give simple majority (i.e. more than 50%). Governments formed by coalition of parties with different party goals do not yield, by nature, stable policies and performance in national affairs, such as  defense or economic matters, etc.. This is a frequent phenomena of multi-party election. (See examples of 2005 elections of Germany and Chile in the upcoming list).

 

3) Bi-party electoral system is the natural result of evolution from multi-party systems, but it yields the least possible minimum of choice, i.e. only two candidates (in a nation of hundreds of millions) designated by their parties and not the choice of the entire nation. One candidate for General Election would mean there is no choice. Two would mean next to no choice! (So, why bother to elect? Might as well let the 2 parties decide and fix their own 2 party leaders and then let them take their turns to rule the nation, because that's more or less what takes place in reality anyway!)  At any rate, in such system the final votes cast for the winning candidate is always a mere small minority of the entire population, say less than 20% (see up-coming item #16 Overall mandate), but the name of the system is gloriously misleading because it is called "Universal Suffrage" or "Universal Franchise", indicating that the entire population has universally given franchise or mandate to the elected leader.   

 

4) Loyalty to party and party politics or party ambitions, or part interests destroy the aspirations and essence of democracy and people's or the nation's real needs. It also provides the chances for frauds and possible cheating in election. If a voter is truly loyal to the party, he or she must always condemn the opposition party. The nation then becomes a theater for power struggle, defying all intents of fair choice and purpose of election, as well as fundamental meanings of democracy.     

 

5) Choice of candidates by political parties and party politics do not allow real qualities of candidates to surface, therefore defies and denies the ultimate purpose to search and select the best leadership. The above 5 points already sufficiently destroy the original goal and aspiration of democracy. 

 

6) In times of peace and economic stability, a bi-party electoral system very frequently ends up in very close and even voting results (Note: On Nov 18th 2005. Mahinda Rajapakse won Presidential election in Sri Lanka with only 50.29% out of total votes). This give rise to the chance and possibility of miss-choice, even preconceived frauds or unfair competition in any stable nation, for instance, if one party could manipulate say an extra  2% to 3%, even just 0.5% votes by hook or by crook, even in the final vote casting stage, then that party could win the election.  It's no wonder every few days somewhere some democracies in the world are complaining and battling about voting frauds, and after the election the national governance would enter a period of prolonged disputes and uncertainty. 

 

7) Political parties can easily become the stepping stones for the rich, the powerful or popular artists or the modern aristocrats to rule the land by making use of the party hierarchy and therefore side stepping the process of democracy or people's rule to become powerful modern ruler. In other words, democracy may be controlled by manipulation to become a party elite or candidate, and the possibility exists that election can be swindled with a relatively small amount of winning votes. So, the control of ones party, plus a bit of cheating could legally land the man on top of hundreds of millions of people.  

However, here lies an even more threatening but real prospect, that is, by exporting or inserting such system into a targeted foreign nation, it becomes possible to take over the entire rule of nation by remote control. This may be carried out with military, political and monetary maneuvers and then make use of such above similar loop holes in electoral system to acquire legality of mandate. Such a juicy proposal is usually an offer that  would not be refused by any collaborating politicians or partners in crime.  

But that's not all, once that targeted nation is under control, it can be used as a tool or a coalition partner for a planned war or for use as coalition for further international political aggressions.  In the end, the control of land and government may be preconceived with plots and obtained with relative ease, even invasions could be preconceived. Therefore democracy under the control of powerful political parties can become a liability for international peace and stability, especially in the age of mass destruction.  All these is not impossible,  yet it would fool the un-aware public and look very righteous indeed. 

 

8) The manipulation and acquisition of party leadership by the elites, the privileged and the rich, prevent the chances of real talents and true democratic principles to emerge because ultimately the nation is ruled by two groups or two parties of politicians only, which may feel at ease and at liberty to take turn to make disastrous and costly national and international mistakes, since there are only two parties, one is busily dictating and creating hatred around the world and the other simply takes a rest in brief holiday, as very soon it will be their turn to rule and make mistakes again. The nation and the world can only watch in dismay as long as the two parties collude in plan and in action. Because one party only is no choice, and two parties only is next to no choice, or practically no choice! Democracy under two parties therefore renders practically no choice and therefore free to collude! Common working people are doomed to bear the consequences! And in order to continue colluded privileges voters and simple folks are made to believe that the system is the best and most righteous in the world  

 

9) From the above it becomes evident that modern democracy is a disguise for two political parties to take turn to rule or to make mistakes at will. Political parties are then in turn ruled by modern aristocrats, which was what happened in ancient Rome and in France before the Revolution. Now history repeats, it's again a couple of parties or few percent people's rule, because in reality modern people too have no choice but to take what's given. 

 

Common people in some modern democracies are particularly driven or pressurized by the taboo of patriotism and nationalism to keep quiet or to follow in blindfold. Further more, they are constantly being reminded and told it's their own fault, or their own will to elect and vote, when in reality only a tiny minority of the population has actually voted for the elected. There are too many over blown bubbles in slogans such as "One man one vote", "Universal Suffrage", etc., etc., which are indeed "too good to be true!". The slogan "For the people, by the people and of the people" makes it look like people are really in charge of everyday business, including wars, invasions or economic disasters, when in fact the parties are! When national life becomes a  theater of make-belief rhetoric, the fate of nation becomes a slow ticking time bomb... 

 

10) Political parties and party politics to acquire national mandates often provide dangerous legality and power base for wars and potential disasters, such as Hitler's NAZI party and Saddam Hussein's BATH party, and numerous other examples. Yet, not all nations with single party rule, or nations with rule of monarchy, instigate wars or produce undesirable or disastrous consequences. Some of the greatest achievements in human history were accomplished under single leadership or leader. It's always the quality of leadership and its concern for the livelihood of people that counts and never the format of election or the politics or wars it produces that really matters. 

 

11) The change of rule or government every 4 years turns the nation and society up side down, which disturbs the stable national policy and economical trend as well as international trust. The limitation of maximum two-term office under modern democracy still does not give long enough time and momentum to construct maximum or prolonged social, cultural and economic stability. Under such a limited duration a proven quality leadership would be quickly and prematurely terminated from giving its continued desirable influences and performances, and yet, because of short length of term, a wrongly motivated leadership will rush to do as much damage as possible... Popular votes never could guarantee the quality and performance of the elected. An unknown leadership is always an unknown quantity! Thus, democracy could become an unknown quantity to its own people and to people of the world.

  

12) If a leader, elected under such a legal mandate, can establish a cause to start a war, rightly or wrongly, he stands a good chance to be reelected for the second term due to the predictable national sentiments and patriotic emotions in times of war. If and when this occurs, the system then becomes a temptation for war and could lead to long term destructive consequence for some unfortunate foreign nations. It could even escalate into bigger and unpredictable international and economical repercussions as well as all sorts of revenge undertakings, leading to unknown future with completely unpredictable and unknown outcomes...  

 

13) Universal suffrage usually includes not only the decisions of normal and good citizens, but also the judgments of uninformed, ignorant, uneducated, unrecorded criminals, rebellions trouble makers, ill intended and the corrupted electorates who do not always produce true electoral results, especially when the candidates are running neck to neck. In final analysis, the goal of election is to seek qualities of leadership, i.e. intelligence, maturity, wisdom, trust, care as well as humane and moral qualities, and not the mechanics or modes of election. The ends are always greater than the means, not the other way round! Because the means are only tools and modes used, but the ends affect the forward or backward  motions of evolution and civilization. It concerns the quality of life and the quality of future generations. Unless the need of leadership qualities becomes a serious issue and precautions taken, the safety of multi-millions and future of mankind will not depend on those lethal mass destruction weapons, but on the lethal decisions of wrong leadership, and the ease to call up blind-folded allies to join the act. Then tax payers and their still young children will end up being responsible for the seeds sawn by such wrong leaderships. 

 

14) The stronger the efforts of contest in bi-party election become, the smaller the winning margin will be! Therefore, in reality and in average, practically half of the voters, do not give mandate to the finally elected leader. The bigger the nation is, the more even the average electoral results will become. This happens all the time!... (In the above said Sri Lanka election 49.71% voters did not give mandate to Mahinda Rajapakse. In the United States, the Presidential Election 2000 was one of the closest election in United States history. It was decided and won only by 537 votes out of the total of 5,962,657 votes in the "swing state" of Florida. )

As a result, the parties simply take turns to rule the land. Knowing that no matter what they do, there are only two parties to choose from, hence they will be back very soon indeed. So, both parties may feel free to make mistakes unreservedly. Any blames can always be rightfully charged to people's choice or votes and mandate. Such a system also breeds traditions of collusions, only to the permanent benefits of party elites. Democracy can become a theater of political rhetoric, even civilization can become a drama of make-belief rhetoric, and rhetoric then energize growth and make-belief power of medias.    

 

15) Voter's turn out : According to statistic records from 1960 to 1995 (9 national elections inclusive), the average reported turn out of total eligible voters to cast votes were for instance:  India = 58%, USA = 54%, Switzerland = 54%, Poland = 51% (figures from Mark N. Franklin's "Election Participation"). Such small percentage of eligible voters who actually voted and shared between all political parties during those 35 years does not reflect the true image of "One man one vote" or "Universal Suffrage", which gives the impression that all nationals have given their mandate... See more in next item "Overall mandate"...

 

16) Overall mandate:- The above figures represent only the turn-out of eligible voters. Now take the whole population into consideration. If the total eligible voters consist of at most 2/3 the total national population (the other 1/3 of population are ineligible, such as those under aged, or disqualified, etc., etc..  Read more about the disqualified below in blue), then the final percentage that actually participate in voting (say for the US) = (100%)x(2/3)x(54%) = 36% of the total population. Now, supposing this percentage were to be shared equally between two major parties, i. e. each = 18% of national population. If the winning party received say 10% more votes than the losing party, then the President would be elected by 18% + 1.8% = 19.8% of total national population. Such an election would be normal and within expectation.  

 

In that case, then  80.2% of the national population would not have given the President his franchise. This is not particular for any one President, it's the average for 9 US Presidential Elections from 1960 to 1995.  Hence, if you don't look closely, you will be swept off your feet by big words such as "Universal Suffrage" or "Universal Franchise", and would never know that a President is mandated not by the majority. but always by a tiny minority of only less than 20% of the total national population, and yet acting on this minority franchise a President and his party can make fatal decisions on economy and wars. The truth is, the vast majority do not empower the President with such authority.  Yet this is root and very core of Democratic reality

( In fact, there are large allowances in the above calculations. For instance, according to McDonald & Popkin, the ineligible voters consist of about 10% of the total voting-age population in 2004, under age citizens not included (in fact the under-aged group is bigger than any political party). Alone in California State 20% of voting-age population are disqualified to vote, mainly due to criminal records. Besides, voter's turn out includes votes shared by other minority political parties. In the US such parties are: Green Party, Reform Party, Libertarian Party, Constitution Party and Natural Law/Reform Party, etc... These multitude of parties take away 5% to 10% votes from the total easily. 

 

Thus the true percentage of votes cast for the winner in those 9 terms of Presidential elections is much less than the above said figure 18.2% in average. If the winning margin becomes small, then the President could be elected by about 15% of the total population, or even less. Yet this is the true state of reality in modern democracy. This is the standard of morale today that would be rightfully spread or imposed through out the world by force and by coalesced military invasion. (Note: George Bush junior was elected President by a margin of 537 votes in the deciding State of Florida, governed by his own brother)... 

 

Any intelligent person reading the above few paragraphs would wonder what has happened to glorious slogans of "One Man One Vote" and "Universal Suffrage", or "Universal Mandate", or "Universal Consent"? Especially, when there are only two Presidential Candidates decided and put forward by two parties for the entire populace to elect from, because party interests are not the interests of entire nation, and party decisions are not decisions of the entire populace. Besides, one single candidate is of course "not a choice", and two candidates means "next to no choice"! In a true democracy everyone, including members of smaller parties and non-party affiliated voters, should have the equal rights and equal opportunities, not only to elect, but also to be elected as well! Democracy is not for the two privileged parties, nor by those parties, but for all people and by all people... If democracy is not true democracy, then it should not proclaim to be righteous for the rest of world...

17) National leadership produced under bi-party or multi-party elections causes great fluctuations in domestic and foreign policies, resulting in uncertain and unpredictable government directives and performance once every few years, which disconcerts war, peace, economy and general stability of all nations affected.  For instance, one term of rule by one party the government would pursuit a course of peace, the next term of rule by another party the nation would take the course of war, all within a few short years, or even months. (I put emphasis on wars, because wars inflame hatred and escalate fears of attack, of revenge, of terrorism and of nuclear arms race, and of course, wars affect the entire mankind!)

 

18) Party politics is the main cause of organized ballot cheating that one hears all the time and all over the world, especially in nations where western democracy is imposed by armed force, or by political pressure. So much and so frequent that the UN and other human watch organizations have to assume a role as observers or witness to check cheatings. But observers are either powerless or too few to have ever produced any useful results... In most politically or economically unstable nations, election becomes an invitation for violence, or typically a time for unrest and trouble with unpredictable consequences.   

 

19) The above is enough to show that the so called democracy exists rather unconvincingly in name, but strictly not in reality observed, but electorates are either genuinely unaware of it or deliberately kept uninformed. The rights to vote become the rights to rubber stamp the rule of two dominating parties, giving only two candidates for general election. So the system goes on unchallenged for centuries bearing the false impression of citizens' free and equal rights of choice, as well as universal approval, hence the glorious name "Universal Suffrage" or "One man one vote". So much that some politicians and citizens  would regard it to be the ultimate Optimum to believe in, or for export, when in fact there are barely two party politicians to be chosen in General Election, or a situation with practically next to no choice in a nation of hundreds of millions, of which only a tiny minority has voted. The rest is nothing but great noisy fanfares of the parties. 

 

Thus, the slogan that Democracy is "For the people, by the people and of the people" becomes in reality "For the parties, by the parties and of the parties". And once such fanfares start, there will be arguments, fights, and in many countries, not just words but fist throwing, and blood flowing. In fact, such nation-splitting fanfares had already permanently killed off that Chinese Exam Raised system, which had worked faultlessly under the aspiration of "for the people, by the people and of the people" for 1300 years, but was, in fact, turned into a two decade long civil war with tens of millions killed. Even today that peaceful Chinese civilization is still split. Thanks to the deliberate and over glorification of Western Democracy!       

 

20) The mandate obtained under so called democratic election looms so far above restrains that it permits an elected leader and his party to initiate wars with mistaken or unverified excuses, and even after mistakes are verified and announced, the people are still powerless to rectify the course of action. They rather watch in silence or in hopelessness that national sovereignty is not democratically respected and massive human rights are being offended, as millions of innocent people are displaced in war. Also in some regions, such as Taiwan, where corruptions by the President have already reached astronomical proportions and the man sits in prison, but for the sake of party politics, one can still hear some words of support. If people do not or cannot rule and led the path, then purpose of Democracy is lost. 

 

21) The leadership of a nation is an extremely responsible and serious business that affects the fate of citizens, the nation and often a great part of the world. It requires the best of character, integrity, education, experience, proof of conduct and reputation. The mode of modern voting system controlled by political parties does not give citizens adequate and effective choice of such suitable candidates. Instead, party competition turns the business of election into a fanfare of popularity contest. Popularity contest could put an extremist, a fanatic or a political radical, or popular figures with wrong kind of popularity. Perhaps someday even a comedian would be put in charge of the fate of state, even the world. Whilst people of great capacities and potentials can only watch in dismay because they have no party support. Yet one wrongly mandated politician under party support could destroy the reputation and economy of nation in one wrong decision.  

 

The defects in the bi-party democracy are defects in human civilization, which can be rectified and removed by improving the electoral system or by new systems, which aim to eliminate conflicting and confrontational parties, because such system ultimately encourages splits in the harmony of a nation or a society. The refusal of rectification and insistence to spread a faulty system all over the world is a certain sign of prolonged hidden global conflict, which our age of mass destruction can ill afford... 

 

The ancient Chinese did come up with an Exam system that successfully lasted some 1300 years without struggles and complaints, despite the difficulties and mountains of work involved. But the system really provided unquestioned and unquestionable democratic opportunity to the people and only the best among people were chosen to govern, which afforded the earlier rulers to rule with peace and ease, while allowing Chinese civilization to flourish without turmoil and disputes. The system even successfully survived the Mongolian and Manchurian dynasties and the periods of foreign invasions. Unfortunately this long lasting and proven successful system was destroyed by the exaggerated and over glorified fame of Western Democracy.... This writer believes that nowadays people's capacities are much more advanced and clever than ancient Chinese, and with the aid of computer technology it is possible to establish a system even better than the ancient system. But before that would happen, it is necessary to analyze and criticize unreservedly. Because nobody prefers a split nation, where most political, economic or health issue will be fervently fought, until victory is won, or until the issue is dropped or delayed.

 

22) An election consisting of 3 or more rival political parties usually produces electoral result, which does not give any winning party outright majority of votes. If feelings or ideas between parties are radically different, such situation makes coalition of parties difficult and could plunge a government into stalemate as well as the nation into instability. In late March 2006 Ukraine's parliamentary election, preliminary results reported that Yanukovych's party received 33.3 % votes, Yulia Tymoshenko's party received 22.7% and both parties' bitter rival Yushchenko's party received 13.53% votes. However, Yulia Tymoshenko demanded that if coalition is to take place, she must be made the Prime Minister, or else no deal. In such cases, it is possible for members of multi-party system to black mail the nation or the voters to acquire the power of rule.         

 

23) Modern Western democracy at times could be prone to election of a less than perfect candidate, probably because the election tends to be a popularity contest by a faceless public rather than on the strong emphasis on proven records of intelligent, or moral qualities. Once the election is complete and done with, it is impossible for a faceless public to recognize who or what was responsible for the mistake or failure of choice, which happens all the time. It is a gamble of people's livelihood and fate of nationhood, extending to the fate of other nations.  Such a circumstance also provides the elected leader and his party the freedom to act irresponsibly, because his authority comes from a mass of a faceless public that cannot be identified or recognized to take the blame. This can bring disastrous consequence to the people and the rest of world in this dangerous nuclear age.         

 

24) Judging from the above analysis, without confirmation or promise of character and ability, it is difficult, if not impossible, for a voter to judge or predict how an elected leader would perform after election. Unless the voter attaches his decision with his party's choice, he is in fact alone in his own wilderness. So he bases his choice half-heartedly on popularity alone, and pray for the best! This becomes not difficult for an ambitious politician to seize power with the aids of his party, and take charge of the most war equipped nation on earth. If the nation is already strongly contaminated with emotional nationalism or patriotism, and if such ambitious glory and victory loving politician and his party puts their hands on the button of all those war machines, then that's it! Once the war button is pushed, there could be no end to it, at least not until the desire of victory is satisfied by his own government or by the succeeding government.  Should any threats arise out of any form of protests, contest, retaliations or arms race, they could only lead to more wars, expanded wars, new was or world wars. Wars are always met with wars!

 

25) Now that you have read the above 24 frauds and loop holes in the system, wouldn't you be tempted? Think of all the excitements, the respect, the national power and authority, also the might of military threat, the power of life and death, the international prestige and even a place in history to be had. Yet, you don't have to contribute to the building of nation, or any of those great achievements that have been made possible by billions of lives before you. All you need to do is to manipulate your party and get pass the voting ballots, and you can have all of those great privileges and loads more.... It's no wonder there will always be those who wouldn't mind rushing to war as soon as they get the chance to do it. You don't need to prove your qualities or your capacities or your contributions to become a modern emperor, even world dictator. All that is possible under today's system and trend.  

 

26) Western democratic ideals embrace the modern or evolved concept that other disparate or traditional systems are undesirable and should be changed by force, by invasions and, to make quite sure of outcome, by coalition of friends and allies in attack. Further more, western democracy also embraces the concept that a society, a nation should be split into two parts in perpetual war for power. In such reality, democracy really means first splitting up the nation into parts and then inserting a powerful temptation, the taste of power, between the parts, so that in many less stable nations the parts can fight each other to death, and spread through out the world, and the populace can either enjoy the fanfare or watch hopelessly in dismay. All that is nobody's fault because it is the will of the people! But which people?

 

27) Human societies are not built for constantly or rapidly flip flop change of leaders, especially leaders of unknown quantities once every 4 or 5 short years. Sooner or later one of them will give you surprise and sorry. In other words, too frequent change of unknown and unpredictable leadership would sooner or later land the nation, even the entire human race in trouble and leave decades of mess for the nation and other leaders to clean up. Under the complexity of modern conditions, a 4-years term is barely long enough to prepare and initiate a new national movement, but not enough to mature or to complete it! Because so much time and energies are spent in the fanfare and struggles for power within the party, which already take up a whole year, the rest of 3 years are not even long enough to make good the major policies left behind by the previous ruling party and then to initiate and execute ones own party policy, especially with all the conflicts and oppositions going around. Thus the system is in constant change but constantly charged with inability to make good or complete the major political changes, even the very fundamental necessities. So in the end, one simply divert the national energy and attention to foreign wars again, and again use the energies of patriotism to nurture the continued vitality and unity of the nation. Thus bring the nation slowly but steadily towards final nuclear confrontations.  

 

In times of war, the change of administration does not give time and convenience enough even to stop one war, let alone wars in 2 or 3 nations, and with potential threat to initiate more wars, especially when wars have already caused major economical down turn. So the nation is trapped by its own will to dictate the mode and fashion of timely political life, but unable to complete it. However, a 4-years Presidential term can and does serve a leader and his party to further energies patriotism to enhance re-election, which is so much more important than the fundamental needs of a nation, such as health of people, or peace and reputation of the nation. Sadly often any large political or economic damage made by one President cannot be readily remedied in the time of one 4-years term, probably not even 2 or 3 terms. So all sorts of consequences accumulate from one short term to the next.  

 

Governments are elected to fulfill the trust and aspirations of its citizens. These aspirations are invariably peace and stability to live and work under, and to bring up children under predictable leadership and policies. Yet, as it happens nowadays, the fate of nation or the people is no longer effectively in the hands of common people, but in the hands of only 2 political parties and their 2 party elites who must invariably be elected as President. Such President and his party have all the powers and support to initiate quite unnecessary wars, and leave the consequences of war and resultant damages to a whole next generation... Flip Flop change of party power is not the formula to accumulate and sustain peace and harmony within the society, which are the main requirements for the building of a positive and time honored great humane civilization. Because the greater a civilization is, the more humanity, more rationality, maturity and wisdom of leadership are needed, certainly not just shear popularity, or make-belief political rhetoric dreamed up by a whole team of speech writers...   

 

28) A multi-party political system in power struggle will more than often, even invariably, evolve into two large and powerful parties, with probably some inconsequential small parties in existence. Any state with bi-polar political will is a state in fundamental confrontation. The confrontation could easily go to the extremes and become violent, unless the parties always conspire and collude! However, sometimes a helpful intermediate third force could also exist to make the state less confrontational. That's why some traditional monarchs do exist on the side of democracies. Such systems work much better and more peaceably then most pure bi-polar democracies. The love and respect of traditions, and the presence of a well conducted traditional monarch as well as the royal family's continued social influence help to round off those cold and sharp edges of party politics and confrontational blows. 

Humans are creatures of habits and memories of past traditions and civilization can be something nice to live for! The influence of traditional sentiments can make modern life less radical and less extreme (One should also remember that only few decades ago females were treated unfairly in most nations. The traditional thought that females are the weaker sex and should hide their faces or sexual appeals has been an ancient way to minimize sexual violence, divorces, and lessen many family tragedies). Only one often forgets that every culture, or religion, has its own tradition and past different to others, or else many strange customs and ways would not have lasted through so many ages!    

In the United States, because the nation is made of multi ethnicities and traditions, in such a society the different ways of life and  habits between individuals are relatively apparent. It has become comparatively important to to stipulate in the US Constitutions certain conditions, which serve as reminders and legal protection of all sorts of rights for the individuals, such as rights of speech and belief, etc., etc., especially after the 1950s. These stipulations serve as constant reminders that no matter how different the individual expressions are, they are legally protected. Of course such reminders serve to limit the different individual ways to confront to the extremes.  However, these are citizens' rights developed over the centuries in the US alone, because its special conditions. Other nations that do not have such diversity of ethnicities, particularly those still depend their national harmony and unity on ancient traditions, they have to protect their own national life by continuing traditional ways, particularly in the aspects of traditional need and interpretation of common moral standard. Unfortunately, the human rights and rights of these nations are not respected and protected! 

 

Meantime, there exists a terrible misunderstanding regarding the interpretation between "citizens' rights" and "human rights". Human-rights are the rights of all humans, and respect of all humans' integrity, which include a nations' sovereignty, national beliefs and traditions as well as their particular structure and formation of government that are developed by their traditions and by special conditions of their own social and historical environments. These are the fundamental and sacred rights for all human beings across the entire globe, regardless of individual characteristics in cultural life, or in constitutional laws. If a nation prefers to establish gun laws that would allow citizens to kill each other by the dozens or hundreds everyday, or any homosexual marriages that would adopt children to be brought up with homosexual habits from tender age on. They are still protected by laws and Constitutions. Even if some generations later, the private guns would become canons and missiles, or the entire nation would become nothing but homosexuals. That is still their own privilege as long as they don't attempt to export or impose their preference to others!               

 

Unfortunately, in those democracies with bi-party system, in order to maintain their party powers and power sharing between parties, their citizens are being constantly told, prompted, persuaded and convinced in books and school class to believe that their own system is the best and only rightful system there could possibly be! So consistent the efforts and rhetoric were that over decades, even a century or two, people actually believe it to be true! People are so blind folded that they are unable any more to take a good look in their own system. In fact, so much that nowadays they think it's only rightful for them to change other nations' government into similar democracy by military invasion. So much that many young folks around the world frequently persuaded to rise in revolt to their own government and tradition. So much that Western democracy has become the sole global dictator in this nuclear 21st century and modern civilization... 

 

So, looking back, China had had 21 years of civil war with multi millions lives sacrificed, all for the excuse and demand of democracy, because it was believed that Western democracy was the only rightful path. Iraq and Afghanistan have been invaded with millions dead and displaced. How many election disputes, arguments, street demonstrations and civil unrest there are every single year or month around the world, all because the same political promotion? How much blood has flown in just one last century because of power grapping in democracy and election? Is that really what human civilization should be? Is that really what humans want for their nations, their societies, families and their children? Is that really the best way of government and the only rightful national pursuit?... When all nations split into two power grapping parties, the world becomes split, and civilization is split! What would be the end of that?

 

In recent time, some constitution designers have become aware of the dangers and violence that can result from inflaming and organizing public emotion, producing massive gatherings of demonstrations to demand power through elections under the slogan of "Universal Suffrage", or simply to demand a government to step down. For instance, in the long and peaceful nation of Thailand, whose stability comes from a traditional government and constitution, enhanced by a non-interfering but very well loved King. In the recent years this beautiful tourist land has been turned upside down repeatedly by an emotional public, demanding government to step down, yet the unrest is energized through remote control by an ousted ex-leader, who cannot return home as he had been proven guilty of corruption because he had exempted himself from huge amount of taxations in his privately own business. Unfortunately organized eruptions of peace are on the increase in many lands recently, and behind them are rather obviously ambitious politicians using democracy as a slogan to organize mass rallies and grab power for their own ends.

Sometimes ambitious politicians could and would use an uninformed public and the hugely advertised name of Democracy to become leaders of movements and seize power. The public are uninformed because generally they are quite unaware that in the system so called "Universal Suffrage" (which sounds so fantastic) always only a tiny percentage of the entire population has actually voted, or given their mandate for the winning candidate (See above item #15 "Voter's turn out"  and item #16 "Overall mandate" ) or how democratic it is to be given only two candidates or two parties to choose from (The public are not told that two-choice is next to no-choice!).     

So in recent years, Honk Kong government has come up with the idea for an effective 3rd party force, to make the power sharing of a system even more democratic, and Hong Kong economy even better represented and protected, at the same time, to lessen the direct impact of party ambitions and the heated struggles in elections. This 3rd force is group of officials called "Functional Constituencies" who will participate in governing Hong Kong and in electing the "Chief Executive Officer", namely the head of Hong Kong government. Members of the Functional Constituency are individuals, representing those important industries or professions of the Hong Kong society. They would also become members of the Hong Kong Legislative Council (equivalent to a House of Congress that makes legislations) alongside with legislators who are elected by the public through the normal process of general election. Thus the governance of Hong Kong would not be only in the hands of political parties, but shared by professionals of economical and cultural sectors too! However, such proposal is still under development and details are in the making...

I am not in the government. In fact, I am not even a legal or constitutional expert, so I don't know how the proposed system in Hong Kong has progressed so far and whether such a system has already existed in other nations or not.  I do not wish to interfere either! All I am doing here is making my own analysis of the actual theory and practice of different democracies in the world, and I can offer my personal views only! Few years ago when the discussions in Hong Kong were just starting, I did included some of my ideas in these pages, but in the present update, I have just cancelled those discussions out of this web-page, because most people are well aware of the situations at hand. There will still be nasty battles of will ahead, but I do trust that Hong Kong Chinese people not only are fully capable of rational judgments, but will take reference from their own long and proven ancestral political philosophy.

At any rate, a bi-polar democracy is destined for conflicts and how strong the conflicts are will depend on whether there is a 3rd social force or extra influence to blunt off the sharp edges, and how effective it works. Many of such systems have ended up in decades of civil wars, costing millions of lives and economical disasters. This happens not because such democracy is "young", but because an extra influential force must be first established, which needs time and convenience not always available everywhere and to every local history.  It also happens because the saga of democracy has already been boosted to the level of religion. Most people believe it without analyzing the details, reality and the costs involved.  In fact, the reality is that any contests between political parties would eventually end up in bi-party extremes, and a bi-polar system must end up either in collusion or collision, or else there is nothing but inconsequence. Therefore it is extremely important to illustrate how collusion and collision manifest, but it will take a great deal of space. So I will describe them later on outside this list. 

 

29) If Democracy is meant honestly to be "For the people, by the people and of the people", then the individual people should be directly in charge and responsible for the function and performance of the system, just like in ancient Greece, but in reality modern democracy has become "For the party, by the party and of the party", and democratic equality has long become completely controlled and dominated by two powerful parties, even other smaller parties are powerless to interfere, let alone the individual people... During the French revolution, a guillotine was invented, all because at the time the French political and economical life had fallen into the hands a few percents of nobilities and aristocrats.  So, at that time a great outcry for freedom, liberty and democracy roared, which changed the Western world ever since. Today, in some Western democracies, politics and economy are again exclusively in the hands of two political parties and party elites as well as a few percent big bosses and 21st century aristocrats, whose powers dictate not just fate and destiny of people, but of other nations as well... 

 

If Democracy is said to be executed under "Universal Suffrage" or "Universal Franchise" or "Universal Mandate", then let it be truly and honestly "Universal", which should mean and include the entire nation. Otherwise do not use such glorious name and banner. Yet, in reality, the choice of national leaders is done only with two party candidates to choose from in General Election (Choice from one is "no choice", and choice from two is "Next to no Choice") and yet, the successful candidate will be elected by a minority of only some 15% to 20% of the entire population. What's more, there are only two parties taking turns to rule with the same old party politics. That's practically no choice as well! People having no choice means there is no democracy! 

 

If Democracy means "One man one vote", which sounds so gloriously fair and righteous, then why are those "Disqualified" to vote and those "Ineligible" to vote? In fact, such a leader is elected or voted into power by one party only and by a tiny minority of the nation {See above list #15), Voters' turn out and #16) Overall Mandate}.... So, perhaps all these glorious slogans and banners, are designed to cover the truth from the voting public and from the whole world? If that's the case, then they have succeeded literally beyond belief! Yes, unbelievable! Fortunately or unfortunately not many people nowadays have the convenience or interests to get to the bottom of the truth, or to investigate the consequences. If glorification of the names cannot match reality, then the system has become a time bomb, like the French Revolution!    

 

Why does Democracy use the ancient Greek name but cannot function like in Greece, where each and every male citizen was a member of legislation? Or why can't Democracy learn from the Chinese Exam Raised System, which had lasted over 1300 years? Any system that can withstand test for 1300, yet free of problems and complains must have great merit in it. The Chinese system was carried out on yearly and nation wide bases, any problems would have been found and remedied in say the first 50 to 100 years, let alone it had lasted over a millennium, practically until modern time (1910), and complains were unheard of! Of course, if written exams cannot be fair, effective and democratic, then all exams systems in the world today should be scrubbed! Today human capacities have become highly advanced and complex. Computer technology and Internet system can all be designed for specific purpose of election. 

 

A nation should be a unified and harmonized entity, not split in disputes, in arguments, in daily struggles for power, or in bloodshed and civil wars, because not only national split can delay or retard legislative decisions, government efficiency and national progress, it can also be extremely tragic and violent! By blindly believing in the over glorification of Western democracy and demanding it, Chinese nation was plunged into two decades of bloody civil war, costing not just incurable social and economic disruptions, but also millions of lives. Even today China is still split. This could never have occurred under the Exam Raised system!!! 

 

This is one perfect example of what the spread of Western democracy can do and what it had done to China. 

Thanks to Western democracy! Don't forget, Democracy is not a recent phenomenon. The same glorious principles of Democracy had existed in 1950 and long before. "Segregation" of black people in America was a great  part of the same "Democracy", carried out under the steady gaze of that glorious Statue of Liberty. However, segregation in America proved to merely painful, but in China, people had died by the millions under that blood tainted banner of Democracy.  So, who has any right to export and impose a typical nation splitting and civil war making system onto another country?... 

 

Yet, as soon as the 21st Century opened, we witnessed a big and unquestionable act of international autocracy and dictatorship. Massive military forces were used to invade and succumb a smaller  sovereign nation, to eliminate its acting head of state, to put down its government and to replace it with something of ones own preference, as well as to turn its national life into years of turmoil and bloodshed. Yet, the whole massive undertaking was carried out with one "anti-dictator" slogan, especially with that same proud banner of "Democracy". Only this time it is done under the gaze of the entire world, demonstrating how "Democracy" can be used to execute a dictatorial will! And many friends and allies rushed in to help, blind-folded...

 

What's more, war was imposed on Iraq using a certain unproven assumption that Saddam Hussein possessed mass destruction weapons. Within days dozens of nations rushed in to make war with Saddam. Even Second World War didn't involve so many nations, so quickly. Nobody needed to pause and think before they start shooting.  Now the same thing is about to happen to Iran, because there is now a new unproven assumption that Iran is making nuclear weapons... Historically speaking, whenever a military dictatorship appears, it needs to strengthen its action with a highlight of international political domination, as well as its massive need of resources through trade and commerce dictatorship, or worse. The signs are that these chained phenomena are becoming increasingly recognizable and obvious these days! They are also signs of something much bigger and more consequential impending!!!  But there is something else also becoming rather obvious! Big powers are actually afraid of nuclear weapons!!! So, if that's the case, then could nuclear weapons actually serve to curtail and contain further ambitions and expansion of international dictatorship? Or would it eventually lead to that massive big bang for the rest of the world???

 

But then again, when the big moment arrives, would those old friends and allies be just as willing and eager to help as last time? Perhaps the truth should be unveiled that since the 2nd World War certain military nation has made more real enemies around the world than real friends. There should be enough un-requited and un-detonated hatred around to be assimilated for a whole century to come! So, how much more basic domestic needs should be sacrificed for wars and military actions? And how much more human sufferings, blood shed, family tragedies, social unrests, and global economic catastrophes must yet be brought on by imposed wars and civil wars, or for the sake and glorification of Democracy?.... 

 

30), Let me sum up this list by repeating a short history about China:- Chinese history begins with the story of Yellow Emperor's great grand son who abdicated his power in favour of Emperor Yau because of Yau's virtuous conduct and care for the people. Yau then abdicated his throne in favour of Emperor Sun because of Sun's qualities as a son and a humane leader. Sun then abdicated in favour of Emperor Yue, because Yue had saved millions of lives by devoting conscientiously 13 years of his life in curbing floods and channeling rivers to the sea, and during those long years Yue had passed by his house 3 tines, but he was too busy to enter it. People did not want Yue to abdicate only because Yue's own son had the qualities people wanted. So, that was the history and civilization existed 4 to 5 thousands years ago.  Would you not think that was more democratic than two political parties grabbing for national power? That's why ever since then, Chinese people would judge an emperor with scrutiny of his qualities and his conducts, particularly his moral qualities. If an emperor should display less agreeable characters, people would rise in revolt and change the imperial rule, or the dynasty... 

 

Thus, ancient China was governed more or less by codes of conducts and principles of humanity. Then about 3000 years ago, came the long and important development of Chou Dynasty, which lasted some 845 years.     The tradition of Chou Dynasty was to award loyal and successful subjects with a small domain to rule. So, after more than 6 centuries of such traditions, China had become saturated with hundreds of little autonomous regions and the children of such district rulers became over abandon, but highly educated and equipped with skills and expertise. They moved around seeking high positions in regions needing their services. During this period also many great philosophers were born, including Confucius. But in the last 2 centuries of Chou era, civil wars ensued and those intellectuals devised all sorts political philosophies and technologies for their own bosses. The competition became intense and China was driven to a high level of civilization. So gun powder, compass, printing press, etc.. etc., were invented. This period was called the "Warring States", in which sciences, technologies, ideologies, philosophies and war strategies were advanced. Finally the situation was concluded in the hands of Emperor Qin-Chi-Huang who conquered all the small states and reunified China. 

 

So, briefly speaking, the first half of 5000 years of Chinese history was strongly influenced by he memories and deeds of Yellow Emperor and his successors, which established a strongly humane and moralistic foundation. This early civilization persisted down the Middle Ages. Meanwhile the great advance of technologies in Chou dynasty eventually enabled China to export her products through the Silk Road and became rich. By the time of Tang Dynasty, around the 7th to 8th century A.D. a fully democratic political system was established under the authority and watch of emperors. The system was called the "Exam Raised" regime, which in fact tested and qualified each and every government servant through 3 levels of written exams, namely, District Exams, Provincial Exam and Capital City Exams, and awarded the levels of official positions accordingly.  Because this nation wide system of written exams was truly democratic and fully effective, it was totally free of disputes or snags. The system lasted some 1300 years without any known complaints whatsoever until early 20th century.  

 

Then in late 19th century the overwhelming name and persuasive propaganda of Western Democracy reached a fatally weakened and opium infested China. Many modern scholars were affected by those fashionable Western ideals, and in 1910 the old imperial China was destroyed by revolution, along with its exam system. When China became a Republic, very soon two large political parties emerged with different policies as in most Western democracies. So as can be expected political domination and ambition for power fired the first bullets and plunged China into over two decades of civil war, in which millions of Chinese perished... Imagine what on this earth can be more precious than one human life, let alone multi-millions? So, purely because of the over glorification and blind worship for Western system Chinese "Exam Raised" democracy was destroyed and the society has been torn for nearly one whole century. Even today still no final solution is found. This could never have happened if the Exam Raised system were still in place! So it's only obvious for historians to ask what has Western democracy done to that fully tested democratic Exam Raised system, and to many other valued traditional peace and harmony around the world, except splitting up nations into arguments, power struggles, civil wars and bloodshed for millions? Is that the ultimate goal and purpose of any human society and human government?    

 

I repeat the above because the primitive nature is raw, and in primitive state living creatures and beasts do kill and devour each other for food, but the human kind is different! The human is already civilized and has a conscience! Some 5 thousand years ago ancient Chinese leaders already knew that to be responsible rulers they must be able to exercise self restrain and humanity. They built and left behind a civilization that respects rationality, humanity and moralistic qualities, which remains effective through the ages. Such civilization has produced and nurtured many great philosophers and great philosophies. Great human wisdoms then enlighten how to understand the laws and tests of nature, as well as how to construct and maintain peace and harmony in social life, instead of simply encouraging humans how to insist on ones rights and how to live selfishly. Chinese ancient civilization was already fundamentally democratic with mutual respect of human rights, instead of mutual struggles, even mutual annihilations. Isn't that what civilization should be?

 

Philosophy of coexistence with nature and with fellow humans did provide China with meaningful developments for over 3000 years in her early history, then in the Middle Ages an Exam Raised system of government was established that practically lasted until modern time. China never wished to invade her neighbours, not even a tiny kingdom, like Nepal. China had the capacities to invent compass and explosive, but she had never used them to make any wars, or conquests. China had the capacity to build a 4500 miles (7300 kms) Great Wall, with such great capacity she could have easily invaded and destroyed her Northern neighbours, but instead, she had built it as a mean of defense! China was invaded and ruled by Mongolians and also the Manchurians, but in reality, the conquerors had themselves conquered, because they had simply melted themselves into that Chinese social harmony and civilization, and felt at last at home with themselves. At a home that not only had accepted them, loved them and edified them, but also protect them from many foreign malicious intents.... 

 

Why do people elect a national leader anyway? In order to bring unity and harmony into society, or to part and segregate people into confrontational fractions? To safeguard peoples' basic needs and ensure a better and secured life for all, or to create wars, debts and economic catastrophe? To build mutual respect and trust among nations, or to invent reasons in order to start and maintain wars? To develop friendship and esteem with fellow humans, or to make enemies, hatred and scorns around the world? 

 

(Note:- In the above I have limited the list of questionable points to only 30 items only, but there are more!)

Now, let's quickly round up the above discussion. Then we will proceed to examine Collusion and Collision.   

Chinese history began with a democratic notion that a sitting emperor would abdicate in favour of young successors whose characters and conducts were admirable. Thus starting a tradition that leaders or emperor should possess moralistic, wise and humane qualities. Such tradition and respect for quality leadership continued even in the era of Warring States, when China was split into couple of hundreds small states at wars with each other. Because even during local wars they still respected and recognized the existence of their central government, the government of Chou Dynasty.  It was during the era of Chou Dynasty, which included the period of Warring States that great philosophers, such as Confucius, Lau Tze, and war strategists/theorists, such as Sun Tze were born. In other words, despite the civil wars for over 180 years, China had not lost her values and search for philosophical and moral qualities, as well as the demand of such qualities from their leaders. If an Emperor had become inhumane or corrupted morally, people would revolt and topple the dynasty unfailingly. It happened a few times in Chinese history. The philosophical, rational and moralistic influences from Confucius have been particularly prominent and well respected! Even today! 

 

Because philosophic, rational and moralistic achievements (not belief in superstitions or super-naturals) are the timeless crystallization and common zenith of human civilization, when the Mongolians and Manchurians took over the rule of China, they respected and cherished Chinese civilization, so much that they immersed themselves into the culture and made Chinese civilization their own. The conquerors had conquered themselves without any trace of coercion or hesitation. History shows that all ethnicities within China had enjoyed the same equal rights and opportunities under the "Exam Raised" civil system... The Exam Raised system not only ensure effectively the intellectual capacities of government servants, it also facilitate the measurement and judgment of noble qualities as well as the potential promises of exam qualified candidates, because each candidate had his chance to express his views, his aspirations and his personal promises in those written exams. Today, the system of written exam is deployed in every county and every educational institution, because not only it is truly and totally democratic, but also the most direct and efficient way of measuring standards of qualifications... 

Modern democracy begins with the thought of discontinuing traditional hereditary rule of monarchs or emperors, and returning the power to common people. But it does not specify that it must be done through election and what modes of election must be used. A person may be elected by vote casting, or that person may be elected by standard of qualifications, by special expertise or by acquired experiences, or by any kind of competition. Whatever the method of "Election" may be, it is only a mean to an end! Since democracy only requires that ruling powers should in the hands of common people! So there is nothing wrong, or undemocratic, to elect or select someone with special qualifications or expertise for a specific job and responsible by appointment. The main purpose is to elect or select a suitable member from among the common people, which is what the original term "Democracy" entails, and in ancient Greece all common people had the same rights! That is also why today there are far more appointed professional members than those empowered by public votes in all modern governments. In fact those who acquire power through popular votes might not always turn out to be suitable for the job, but appointed members usually are! But both are important in the governance and well being of the land.     

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However, modern democracy has evolved greatly in time. Because of the enormous publicity given to election by votes, voting has become a powerful mode of choosing a leader. Gradually it has even evolved from choosing a person of the best qualities and potentials to the most popular person, regardless of consequences. Also, the original democracy in Greece, which gave every citizen the same role and power to rule has become the ruled by organized political parties nowadays. The parties then compete in strength with bigger ones overcoming the smaller ones. In time, the situation must evolve to become only two great parties with practically equal strength, which then take turns to share the rule and power of nation, giving no chance for any existing third small parties, or independent candidates, or any common people to participate any more. Further more, as the parties compete in strength and size, the winning margins have become so small that only a few hundred votes could determine the fatal outcome, just as George Bush, junior, won in the Sate of Florida in 2004 election. Such a phenomenon is becoming more crucial as the parties compete in size, especially if and when cheating should occur because the winning margin is so small. So, every few days some losing parties are complaining about cheating and demanding recount, but even recounts cannot help or prove any cheating.  

Of course once the situation of  two party rule is firmly put in place, it's already too late to start from the beginning, because each of the parties has in average 50% change to rotate and share the power, and the public would be convinced to believe that such a system is the sole and only rightful system. Other small parties and individual candidates will find it impossible to reach and share the rule, either due to the huge costs of electoral campaign or to insufficient group size and loyal voters. If a party member is truly loyal to the party and party interests, then he or she cannot speak well for the rival party. Any other voices of sanity or conscience will be drown in the roars of electoral rhetoric and political brawls. Of course, if enough party members were not loyal to their party, then there is no point to organize the party and bi-party system would not have existed. Party power struggles can reach a level of extremes, or violence, even bloodshed and civil wars, which happens frequently (Chinese party/civil war lasted 21 years). Those who are born into such a system would find there is no other choice, so might as well protect it with pride. Any alternative systems must be guilty of being unreal, unnatural, uncustomary and undemocratic, or simply just terrible socialism, or worse! Sometimes such ideological brawls are called cold wars. Bi-partisan agreements do occur, but they usually occur under conditions and party interests attached, or under some kinds of collusion. This is not a fallacy, but the reality that exists! The bi-party system is full of covered holes and self-glorifications. It typically represents the following two critical phenomena, i.e. either collusion or collision. Now let's take a closer look into these phenomena. 

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In this space, I had previously displayed a huge list of actual problems and troubles in today's democracy systems around the world. That list only includes the period from 2003 to 2007, but already took up too much space for me to handle. So I was forced to discontinue it. The list showed briefly all sorts of troubles and complaints in the performance of the system, almost once in every few days. It included big disputes in electoral results, forced resignations of elected Presidents, foreign interventions, street demonstrations, some violence and bloodshed caused by election; as well as troubles because of unbelievable electoral corruptions. In some cases I have added some comments. The nations involved in such a short period (4 years) include: Liberia, Haiti, Ukraine, Philippines, Germany, Azerbaijan, Canada, Chile, Iraq, Palestine, Taiwan (especially the notorious corruption by Taiwan's ex-President Cheng Sui Bien), Belarus, Thailand, Italy, East Timor, Congo, Mexico, Hungary, Bangladesh, and many more. Many of these nations had had repeated problems. I had also missed a large numbers of incidents during that period... In order to make this page shorter and more readable, I have now removed the list to a separate page named Troubles in Democracy. Disputes and troubles in democracy appear to be occurring once every few days across the world. Because of space required it's practically impossible to list and describe them all over prolonged periods, such as a century, or longer... They never cease to cause dismays for common folks and by-standers, or non-party members. It's not difficult to visualize that because of all those troubles, the loss of time, the costs involved as well as the damages of good will and national unity caused by political party struggles are indeed incalculable.. Should  readers be interested, please click to read it... 

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Collusion :-  

A government or a democracy built upon bi-party struggles by definition is splitting up the nation into confrontational parts and must be in constant collision or collusion. As to what extinct the collision might occur, or to what degree the nation might be split, it depends on how far the collusion might take place between the parties . 

 

A bi-polar system that neither colludes, nor collides, would be a mixed-up one, a strangely confused democracy, which cannot last long, then it might as well be a mono-party democracy.  The original Greek word for Democracy is "Demo-Kratos", meaning "Peoples' Rule". So it doesn't matter if there is one party or many parties, or even parties under a monarchy, as long as the power of rule belongs to the people, and not the monarch or his family (There existed in China for 1300 years a system with one emperor who practically spent his entire life within the compound of the palace, while the country was more or less run by officials raised through written exams. The Chinese system was not literally named a democracy, but in reality nothing can be more democratic than raising a government through written exams!) 

 

However today, the effective power and rule of land have fallen into the hands of party politicians who occasionally demonstrate dictatorial or autocratic behaviours nationally or internationally (Hitler was elected under Western democracy). These politicians have the power and facilities to make wars, to bring about massive loss of human life and injury to their own soldiers, to cause monstrous offense to humans rights and national rights through wars, to set off catastrophes in economy, and sometimes to effect policies facilitating only a few percent of the rich to take control of national economy, etc., etc...(The massive promotion and insistence of human rights, gay rights, gun rights, personal rights and all sorts of rights, contain the usual insinuations and intimation that what's going on has its natural rights to be what they are. So, as long as everyone insists on rights, all will be alright). All these are made possible through collusion between political parties, politicians, even by the confiding public, otherwise they could not have happened. Meanwhile the common individuals can only watch powerlessly because effective political controls are in the hands of two parties.. 

 

In some bi-party system, whenever nationalism or patriotism is raised and used, both parties would not dare to cross the line or the patriotic issue, because it could invite disastrous results in election. Since it's always the party interests that would come first, so, in power struggles any chance to put the party in power would be taken, thus many varieties of collusion exist. For instance, if any elected leader can find the least excuse to start a war, he can almost ensure his re-election, because wars are issues of patriotism, not only his own party but even the rival party are doomed to support wars in collusion, regardless of eventual consequence. In that case, some less war-equipped and less fortunate nations are doomed too! Of course there are always glorious reasons for wars and patriotism. So, for the first couple of times, winning wars would be heroic in the  eyes of the public, and to many friends and allied nations as well! But when war making becomes a preference, even a habit, or when it becomes a threat to some likely victims, then it sounds the alarms for those nations to equip themselves in case they are bombed back to stone age. So in this nuclear age, if one wants to enjoy being a big hero, one must always anticipate and be ready for those nuclear fireworks! But this can only happen if the political parties collude, otherwise it would be stopped early in the making... 

Wars are very easy to make. Any small incidence or tiny excuse can do it! The1st World War had led to the 2nd World War. It was all started with one bullet that assassinated an Austrian Archduke, named Francis Ferdinand... Any new invasions or military attacks on any nations by any nation from now on is bound to kick off many more nations preparing for nuclear defense! Because nuclear weapons are easier and quicker to develop in secrecy, because there are already tens of thousands of nuclear bombs in the hands of few nations, or simply to evolve weapons from nuclear power generation, because some nations already depend 80% of power generation on nuclear technology. Besides, nuclear weapons are much more deterrent and effective as means of defense for nations without long tradition of military development and capacities. At any rate, the nuclear age has arrived with know-how readily available for many decades. It can hardly be reversed!

Wars are always extremely costly! But in some major nations of today the direct costs of war only amount to a tiny fraction of total national debts, which can be lavished away by one single President. As it happens, wars can cause millions of jobs lost for the needy for a long long time, it can drain away the entire national resources enough for a whole younger generation to live and prosper on. In that respect, one would wonder how can the costs of wars in a couple of battle fields lasting over half a dozen years amount to just a minor proportion of national debts spent during that span of time? Where did the rest of resources go? Of course, it's none of my business, I am only concerned about the true meaning and reality of Democracy. So I barely touch the surface just to illustrate that unless the two parties collude, this could never have happened, because it was dome under the control of both parties that hold the nation in their hands. But to reach that extent is still unbelievable! It also shows that Democracy "for the people, by the people and of the people" leaves much to be questioned and answered, because it is hard to believe that ordinary people in any democracies have ever wanted or instigated wars. But there have been too many wars by such democracy! Perhaps democracy is a special privilege for politicians and political parties to collude in instigating wars, despite wars are atrocious acts against human rights, and have been repeatedly and strongly condemned by historians and by international by-standers...        

 

It is also becoming increasingly clear that some democracy not only instigate wars, but they want people of other nations to make wars between themselves. For instance, arming Taiwan with modern weapons, just as China is doing her very best to promote peaceful reunion between the two. But let's take a look at the case of Dalai Lama of Tibet. This man has exiled himself from his own folks and his given responsibilities at home for already half a century, so long that he is practically a foreigner, and can hardly recognize what his homeland looks like now, in fact, so long that he hardly recognize who he is! Or where he had come from! Today, his country is booming with hotels, tourists, trades, high speed, high altitude railways, new constructions and all sorts of modern facilities as well as increasingly rapid improvement of living standard, etc., etc., for which he did nothing to help. But for half a century this Lama disgrace himself by begging for his personal needs from foreign politicians and selling his own pride by siding with foreign political maneuvers.... Yes, it has become increasingly a reality that Democracy appears to be a mean to initiate wars, to impose system of party struggles that split nations, and to instill separatism and conflicts in some peaceful and traditional lands. Here again it's hard to believe that's what democracy is meant to do, or that's what ordinary people cast their votes for! Because all such political maneuvers are leading the world towards unrest, conflicts and eventually nuclear confrontation. But it is only possible if all political parties collude and ordinary people are powerless to deter it, otherwise it could never happen!     

 

Human civilization has been built upon traditions and customs. For many thousand years human societies had no detailed written laws except traditions and customs until about a century ago. It was upon such traditions and customs that social peace and orders, family harmony and personal recognition depended. No matter what they are, or how different and strange they may appear to other societies, they are the ways of life that held society together, and to be passed on from generation to generation without violent change. They give similar results of peace and order as written laws of any modern nations, which all civilized and law abiding humans must respect. Even modern nations have their timely needs of laws and orders that demand to be respected. In recent years, great deals of legal measures have been enforced due to fear of "terrorism". These anti-terrorist measures come with great costs of personal freedom and convenience, even sacrificing basic "human rights" not only to citizens, but also to tourists and visiting foreigners. .. 

 

History shows that when responsible leaders teach and exercise moral restrains and self-controls, social civilization would advance as a result, but when responsible politicians teach only random personal freedom with all sorts of rights without restrain and self-refinements, or consideration of consequence, then human civilization declines accordingly. Today there exist a great deal of political pressures and persuasions influencing the inexperienced youthful mind that political separatism, freedom to own and use guns, moral inconsideration, unusual sexual preference, savage violence and horrors in movies, or any ideological poisons with anti-government and anti-tradition intents are all within the human rights, and any suppression of social crimes, such as Internet criminalities are objectionable and are even condemned. It's no wonder that students are now shooting their friends in the multitudes, and soldiers too! So, in some such gun-free countries everyday more than 100 citizens are killed in average, amounting to about 40,000 reported deaths in one normal year, or almost half million in one short decade. Yet the loss of soldiers' life in both recent Iraqi and Afghanistan wars, which last many years, comes to a total of less than 10,000 only, as compared with 40 times the domestic loss in one single year. But the trend is is on the increase and those responsible politicians and leaders are gaining popularity! As this goes on, some days it would be many folds more! Since it's so much cheaper to make wars! So, why not more wars? So watch out small nations! And thanks to all political parties and politicians who praise the system and collude to make it possible. 

 

Homosexual preference and orgies are becoming a modern fashion, a legally protected popularity. It is now part of that celebrated and elevated special human experience, because other creatures and animals in nature won't do it. But the word homosexuality doesn't sound so becoming and romantic, so it's called "Gay" to make it more alluring. But gay marriages cannot produce off-springs, and sooner or later humans would want to have children around. So, naturally babies would be adopted or purchased from some poor or troubled countries. These children would then grow up with specially gay, or just special experience and understanding of sex and life, and of course the nation will become a special nation, and evolution of human nature would eventually evolve out of this world... Of course, this happens now in the exemplary nations, sooner or later it will spread and change the human race. But how do humans ever come to acquire such special modern interest after their ancestors having passed their dreary existence on earth for so many billions years? The future mankind, if there are going to be any, must only thank those colluded political parties and politicians who make it possible! Why political parties? Because in modern democracy they run the country. Not the people!... 

 

Next, the colossal "Catholic priest sex". The colossal phenomenon of Catholic priests abusing young children sexually has only come into public view recently, but it must have existed through out the entire history of the church and its church law of celibacy that has resulted in unmarried priests through out the church history. It goes without saying, the church, under God's command, or at least God's consent, strictly prohibiting priests to get married, to have a family life, and to experience those powerful human need of sex, even the knowledge of sex, must have created unbelievable pressures in any sexually active priest. Such 24 hours suppression of human desire, goes on daily for decades, even a lifetime, must explode someday in each and every priest's life. Therefore, it has to be the chief reason that results in priest sexual crimes, and because suppression of sexual desire is not only inhuman but also anti-nature! Such inhuman demand and command happen not just occasional, they have to occur in all Catholic Dioceses across the world and throughout history,  It is also an undeniable serious offense against human rights, against human instinct and against ways of nature, because any human has the natural rights and instinct to get married and have a family (and yet, there are so much pressure and noise against Muslim woman wearing veil to cover their face). 

 

It also leads to those colossal number of human rights offenses against young kids, which leads a whole life time of psychological and spiritual injuries. What's more, the church, using money collected from Sunday gatherings, or such like, to pay for the crime, and so to exonerate or lessen their priests from due punishments, and even in majority cases, allowing them to continue enjoying their highly esteemed position and honoured services, should be responsible for the colossal phenomenon of priest sexual crimes against tender age kids. Also governments and politicians of many nations should be responsible for colluding, conspiring and allowing priests to enjoy special status above criminal laws and the social norm.... 

The following short passages contain some alarming facts and figures:-

According to Wikipedia Internet encyclopedia dated March 12th 2010:- [...In 2009, according to archbishop Silvano Maria Tomasi, the Holy See had stated "We know now that in the last 50 years somewhere between 1.5% and 5% of the Catholic clergy has been involved in sexual abuse cases,"  Then in 2002, the John Jay report tabulated a total of 4392 priests and deacons in the U.S. alone, against whom allegations of sexual abuse were considered by their diocese to have been "substantiated".....].  In mid July 2007, the head of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles had finally decided to pay a sum of US$ 660 millions to 508 church devotees who were victims for sexual offenses committed against them, especially boys at tender age offended by Catholic priests between 1940 and 1990s, on top of another US$ 60 millions already paid to another 45 victims. These amounts plus what had already been paid previously made a grand total of over US$ 2 billions as payments to victims of sexual offense by only 3 Roman Catholic dioceses in order to avoid or lessen criminal punishments. The above is just what happened in 3 dioceses only!

 

These are only known and reported figures in the US. Similar priest sexual offenses are being reported in rapidly increasing numbers globally. Similar reports in Germany caused a great deal of disturbance during March 2010. The details and numbers of reported cases are too numerous to be described in this page, but the following nations are included in Wikipedia's report:- Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ireland , Italy, The Netherlands, Poland, United Kingdom, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Canada, United States, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines. Of course these are only those typical Catholic countries, other nations are not included. The real question should be asked is how many cases have there been globally, and how many throughout the church history? Because suppression of strong sexual urge and impulses for decades or a whole lifetime is inhuman, torturous and highly unthinkable, if not impossible! This to say that Catholic celibacy is indeed an act against human rights and human nature... 

 

Obviously the same phenomenon has been happening through out the entire history of Catholic church and Catholic religion. Yet it has never been reported that any Catholic church authority has ever taken its own initiative to report or expose any offending priests, or has ever punished any of them through out the entire church history.  

Continuous and detailed European historical records show from year to year how Pagan belief (Sun worshipers) had been the overwhelming religion in every corner of Europe over 2000 years ago. Then how Paganism was politically transformed into Catholic belief, beginning under rule of Roman Emperor Constantine. Then history records how the church had developed to become an absolute power that forced European life to undergo many centuries of Dark Age, and how the church had used supernatural power to grow and rule over the European monarchs. And how it collected taxes to build great churches and cathedrals, as well as to finance its own army and navy to dictate over European monarchies, even to  make wars with some of them. Also how it had brought the wars of Crusaders in the Middle East. Then how the church acquired land and made itself a political sovereign nation. In short, the church had absolute authorities to rule over the European kings and laws, and to imprison non-believers or heretics, or to burn them alive (one such example was a famous scholar named Giordano Bruno, burnt alive in 1600 AD). The decline of Catholic absolute power only began after its failure to win naval war with England, and the emergence of Martin Luther, who brought upon revolutionary reforms to the church. It was then followed by Renascence, the final awakening and renormalization of life in Europe. 

 

So, history shows that religion could be altered and transformed from one name into another by the will and policy of one emperor without changing its main ingredients or original elements. A religion could retard the progress of civilization by bringing upon society centuries of darkness and lifelessness, such as in the European Dark Age. A religions could also retard the progress of science and divert productivities in society by enforcing absolute and single-minded superstitious belief.. A religion could deploy the supernatural God to control both the rational and the subconscious mind and become a political and military dictator. A religion could become such an authority that imprisoned or burnt alive non-believers, or forbid its own workers to get married and have a family life. A religion can be such a specially privileged entity in modern time that it may simply pay to exonerate or lessen sexual crimes committed by priests against tender age boys and girls. A religion therefore will represents human virtues and righteousness to interfere and criticize any government at will. Such a religion can now enjoy the support and protection from modern politicians through the popular proclamation for "Freedom of Religion". Hence a religion can stand above the laws and moral codes, at least for unsuspecting children...    

Today tiny Vatican is a nation among nations in the United Nations. It sends its own specially trained and directly controlled Bishops or Cardinals to all nations, not as political envoys, but as God's servants to collect donations and funds, and to preach, edify and control the minds and souls of church goers and foreign nationals, and to form groups loyal, baptized, confirmed and obedient to the church, and directly under the command of Vatican. All these are done by planting the belief that Catholic God (different religions in history have different Gods) is the Creator of all beings, and therefore is Almighty, and of course the Creator of humans should be worshipped, adored and obeyed, although no human has ever met Catholic God in person, or proven His existence, or proven that He has a son or adopted son. The Catholic church promises Everlasting Life to all believers, although no human has ever lived or experienced such an everlasting life.. The Catholic church, as a sovereign nation in the United Nations, can naturally exercise its godly rights to command its ordained ministers and its baptized loyal followers to interfere with foreign government formations and functions. Because it preaches and delivers Almighty God's Holy Commands directly into the the souls or sub-conscience of people, its influence and control are extremely deep and over-powering, especially to pure, innocent, inexperienced and undoubting minds of the youth. 

 

The church understands that plantation of belief in the tender stage of life is easy, penetrating, total and would last a whole life time, so they concentrate their efforts in Kinder Gardens educations all over the world. This is also the chief reason that no church-goers ever know what, who, or where Almighty God really is, because they have grown up with such belief! Nor any of them has ever known what "Ever lasting life" is like! So, no one realizes that "Catholic Celibacy" (sacred vow or command to stay unmarried) is in fact a serious act against human rights, because nature has given every human the instincts for sex and for the love of family. There is nothing more basic and rightful than the desire of love and sex. The obstructions to these basic functions of nature in all living beings are clearly extremely cruel to humans and animals alike. Such obstructions must collapse and explode sometime in life, especially during the sexually powerful and active age. However, some religions know exactly how the human nature works and how to install blindfolded belief in its deepest and most dangerous level, the soul or the sub-conscience... Implantation of belief, loyalty and obedience at young and innocent age also makes it easy for sexual offense on children to take place! 

 

Few people have been alerted to the fact that oppression of natural human desire to have sex, love and family life is a particular phenomenon of certain religion and certain church, and that it is a human condition, which has to result in lies and sexual crimes. So, as it happens, within a short period recently, suddenly tens of thousands of cases of priest sexual crimes against children are reported around the world, involving many dozens of nations. It goes without saying that it is a general human condition, which has been happening through out the entire 2000 years of church history, Yet, through out 2000 years it has never been known that any single church authority had ever taken the initiative to report and punish any such crimes... Meanwhile few people are alerted that extreme belief had caused many large groups of radical believers, including their women and children, to commit mass suicide.  Also few people are told that "Creationism" (The preaching that Catholic God is the Creator of all beings) is nowadays legally prohibited by some modern governments for teaching in educational institutions. So, even the most powerful theme in religion has come to meet its day of reckoning!

 

In some religions, simple expressions and assurance of belief are not good enough, in order to kick deep into human conscience at its deepest level an additional ceremonial ritual, called "baptism", must be additionally performed. During the ritual a new believer will feel the touch of water and a priest's hand on the forehead, or his whole body inundated in water, which can hardly be forgotten. Then the priest would conduct a special rite of prayer, bearing the solemn suggestions and promise, which will be always remembered. Such mental suggestions vary slightly in different churches. For instance, the ritual bears the grave mental suggestions that the believer is giving his or her solemn oath of allegiance, or that it is a rite of initiation that kicks off a permanently a new start and new life, or that the ritual is for his or her renunciation of the world, or the renunciation of the fresh (oneself, or the body), or as confession and renunciation of sins, or the devils within, or within ones own past, etc.. etc.. In short, the ritual powerfully deepens ones loyalty to the new belief and new loyalty and commitment, by declaring that he or she, the self, now exists no more, and that his or her body and soul now belong to the community, the church...What a ritual indeed!  So, obviously since the body is no more ones own, it's only right to let the priest do what he wants! There are centuries of written records to prove that's what has always been, therefore it's only right and natural to give oneself and to be what should be... (Many secret societies also use special ritual tactics to confirm, deepen and ensure commitment and loyalty of membership). 

 

On the other hand, there are also many other religions in the world that preach and explain the ways and laws of nature, the demands and rewards of human conducts as the main depiction and avocation of their belief. Such religious preaching requires the human mind to contemplate, to analyze, to reflect, to rationalize and philosophize, and the human heart to feel and sense, as well as the human soul to grasp and comprehend the purpose and depth of natural and supernatural phenomena. They lead to the emphasis and self attainment of morality and spirituality. Such religions do not preach shear absolute belief, loyalty and obedience. Instead, they require the brain, the experience and certain maturity of followers to grasp and to fully  appreciate their teachings. They turn shear supernatural demand into natural inner soul searching. The Catholic church only needs you to believe it, to enjoy it, to love it and to follow it.  It does not talk about its history and do not even encourage anyone to investigate its history and its historical developments. So the young and innocent ones believe it and accept it totally. Meanwhile some older people might come to know its history and understand its politics, but they either become wised-up or just become wise religious politicians... Of course, the priests know what's behind their own church history, and therefore they know what they can or cannot do with it ...

 

The facts of history are the only records showing how a religion has passed through and developed to become what it is. Because any mental establishment, no matter it's about science or fiction; or about nature or super-nature, it cannot come out of nothing! It must go through a historical process to become established. It is vitally important to know the history because every religious person uses prayers to communicate with the Almighty. Since each religion has its own history and origin. Understanding the historical origin and developments of a religion is to know the origin or of the Almighty. If the origin or identity of Almighty is unclear, or unsure, then all prayers could be delivered in vein! Everyday millions of men and women are praying with all their hearts and souls for the well beings of their beloved family, their children and friends. There are millions of sick or dying people, either lying in sick bed, or trapped under earthquake rubbles, etc., etc.. They are praying with utmost intensity for the care of own soul and the well being of their beloved. They all want their prayers to reach the proper Divine Authority, or the right destination. If their prayers were to be misdirected, then all their hopes and prayers would have gone nowhere and unanswered! Prayers are the most essential personal means to reach the Adored! It is the whole epitome of a religion! So when prayers are not solemnly and correctly delivered, the entire worship of religion becomes misled, misdirected and meaningless...  

 

Therefore, the origin and historical development are absolutely important. If and when history should show that today's religion is in fact the continuation of the original Pagan worship, and if current worship should still contains historical details and legion of Pagan God, Mithra, including His birthday (Dec 25th), His Crucifixion and His 12 Apostles, etc., etc., then it is important enough to investigate the historical records, or probably better to pray directly to the Sun, or to Pagan God, because no devotee would want to be blasphemous and sacrilegious by diverting the worship and reverence to another source, or other deities with different names! Isn't that really important? Some religions appear to be simply ticking time bombs! The bigger they are, or longer they wait, the more explosive the bombs will be! The concerned authorities should be responsible to seek effective means to defuse those time bombs, along with certain anti-human rights traditions and practices. The sooner the better! Knowing that history has been smothered and still wanting it to continue is a very serious act of collusion. Today the information medias are so advanced and convenient. Also anyone can either go to Iran (the seat of Persian Paganism), or request their embassy and friends in Iran to check up the old Persian historical records about Pagan worship, which was once everywhere in Europe just before the Catholics took over. (I have also provided here a small account of  known historical references in the page "Religion".)

 

Besides, unlike the past when religion brought to Europe centuries of Dark Age, made wars and burnt nonconformists alive, human civilization has long reached the Age of  Exact Science. We know that our Milky Way Galaxy is trillion times bigger than the Sun, and the universe is infinitely greater than our galaxy. All cosmic objects are formed and made under precise laws of nature, and that humans and other living creatures are not created by any supernatural Lord, or under His commands, but by evolution through millions and billions of years. It's obvious that nature does have laws containing the will, the purpose, the precise methods and exact energies to make every existence possible. These laws and phenomena have existed long before the sun and the humankind came into existence. Besides, the phenomena of evolution are much more powerful and meaningful than words can describe! So, there are probably some Divine Beings somewhere! But certainly not the sun! The sun is much too small! Our sun is one of the trillions of suns created by nature. The sun is created, not the Creator! Life on earth is nurtured by cosmic energies coming from different parts of the universe, not just the sun. Although sun has been the center of worship for many ancient religions! If modern life continues to be guided by the same forces as in the Dark Age, then the future of civilization can only be a time bomb!

 

I have elaborated the subject of religion with great cost of precious space in this page, because any kinds of fervent belief can be translated into actions, not just for innocent kids, but for grown-ups too. There is a possibility that misguided political maneuvers, coupled with misinformed religious belief and topped by the belief of superiority in arms race, could end believers in self-destruction and economical catastrophe, as well as steadily expediting the entire human race onto nuclear confrontations. Because we have only one family, the human brothers and sisters, and only one home, the Earth, and nowhere else to go yet! As long as there are still wars and invasions around, or any new or conspired territory ambitions, then there will be lots more nuclear arms, or worse. If small nations like Pakistan and North Korea can make nuclear bombs without being easily noticed, then some 90% of nations on earth can make them too... It's important enough to make the effort of writing this page, because the real seeds and roots of the existing 3 ticking time bombes, i.e. the potential bomb of belief, the belief that creates today's political time bomb, and the bomb of devastation in the potential wars, were already planted some 2000 years ago! And have caused enough terrors and damages, especially during centuries of Dark Age... That's why the history of religion  is so important!

Let's now get back to democracy. Of course, I must say there are also some good points in the bi-party political system, mainly because it presents competitions as well as mutual restrictions between the two parties, and therefore prevents mistakes to go to extremes. But unfortunately collusion can go to extremes too! The above few examples show how costly people must bear and pay for the consequences of inaction and collusion. So, by comparison, the damages of splitting up a nation every single day, and for every issue in power struggles, by far overwhelm any merits of the system... The variety of possible collusions between parties can be enormous, as it can happen to any political issue! But because much space is needed for descriptions, I can only present a few recent or prevailing examples here, which illustrate that even in these very modern days, the momentum of historic problems continues to press on, and people have neither ways, nor power, to rectify them. 

(The following blue paragraph was part of the old page here, which I had to update and rewrite because at the time, due to heart attack, I was suffering from serious blood clots and lack of sufficient circulation in the brain, but now I find the paragraph still interesting and meaningful enough to retain in this new and updated page... Added April 11th 2010..). 

      "Without party control and collusion, many females, ethnic minorities, or persons of high qualities and humanity outside the dominating parties  would have been elected as national leaders long ago (Frankly speaking, I think it's high time and right  time that a dark-skin man, or for the time being more realistically, a lady, or jointly together, should be elected as President and/or Vice President. Such combined resources are probably needed to effect true change. It would show that human civilization has reached the age of nuclear weapon, and that revelations and changes in political belief are taking place in no uncertain terms. However, to effect meaningful change, it would require overwhelming consent from people, but this is probably what people have wanted for a long time already. History affords men and women to make a difference once only in many centuries, if such opportunity or possibility exists, it should be wisely and resolutely used.... Indeed, there is no long-term future for power or military politics, except for that slow but certain built-up for unthinkable nuclear doomsday. Perhaps someday even a true humanitarian or a none-party member could be chosen to lead, just to break the powerful monopoly of party politics and party controlled politicians. It would also show that a new era and hundreds of years of talks about Equality may at last begin... Besides, now that the space age has already begun in earnest, it's also time for humans to combine efforts to explore and utilize the resources in other solar planets, such as Mars... This bracket was inserted here in Summer of 2007.)" 

Collision:-   

      Other than above description of party collusion, collision is the only other natural alternative and natural phenomenon under democracies based on polarization of political parties. It happens regularly, and especially in nations having social or economical problems, or historical and cultural conflicts between national tribes, or instabilities caused by historic damages or general under-development, or by misuse and misunderstanding of newly adopted systems, or in nations previously ruled by traditional monarchs, now shaken to roots by the sudden outcry of democracy, or in any systems where collusions between large political parties have failed, or by the will, plot or encouragements of separatism by an external party or nation.  Any one of the above situations could cause violent conflict, exacerbated by polarization of political parties. There are no lack of clash and bloodshed due to demand of Western style democracy or election disputes. It so happens that in this moment of writing (April 2010) that peaceful and beautiful land of tourists, Thailand, is torn apart  by power struggle between the so called Red Shirts and Yellow Shirts. Somehow it has come to the point that nowadays anyone can use democracy to stop the function of government, to destroy a traditional culture, to take over international airports and stop traffics, to disrupt normal economic life and rhythms, to instigate revolt and violence, what's more it can be organized by rich ex-politicians using remote control from outside the country....   

 

      One of the most obvious and unambiguous episode occurred in China after the revolution in 1911, which over threw the Ching imperial dynasty and established the modern Republic. The Republic abandoned the original 1300 years of historic democracy by nation-wide Exams, and replaced it with Western style democracy with bi-polar political parties. But the result was the urgent priority for one party to annihilate the other party, even more urgent than to drive out the marauding and invading Japanese armies. The civil war lasted from 1927 till 1949. Today memories are still fresh in the minds of millions of Chinese who had lived through those poverty stricken civil war years... It shows that the lure for power and ambition of political parties can be more crucial than the love of country and people, least of all those precious cultural values... Under careful scrutiny, democracy is the typical worldwide phenomenon and a direct cause of political violence and civil wars! A situation that could never have occurred under the previous system of true democracy using written exams, which produced proper intellectual qualities and provided true equal and democratic chance to all exam candidates without any need of restrictions and discriminations. 

      [Note:-  In nature, all bi-polar forces, mental or physical, can never entirely harmonize. Bi-polar electoral politics are not exceptional. They must either collude or collide. Bi-polar collusion and collision do not truly unite, like oil and water, or like the duel of Ying and Yang. However, collusion is subtle and may give the illusion of temporary well-being or peace in times of plenty and prosperity, but in due time collusion must deepen and corrupt, which then lead to violence of collision. And in conditions of tribulations and instabilities, they collide more easily, more violently and more difficult to stop, at times lasting for centuries, reducing a whole nation or part of the world to incurable poverty and distress! Because bi-polar political forces in confrontational can either collide or collude, but not truly unite 

Today’s electoral system in many nations was not the intent of the original Greek democracy in ancient time. The present system may start with simple and innocent competitions, but within a relatively short period it must evolve into a bi-polar confrontation with more or less equal strength. So don’t be naïve and let illusions lead to believe that chaos is only the result of temporary immaturity, or inexperience, and that in time it would improve. For certain community of Chinese people, it is becoming increasingly obvious and vital to understand that decades of civil chaos in adopting unsuitable political system, or centuries of national decline in troubles is enough to prove it won’t get any better, unless entire nation unite. What happens is, sometimes it takes centuries to go from collision to collusion, but after collusion it will always end up in unavoidable collision again! The state can never be harmonious because collusion is not true unity, and the system is made of true bi-polar forces. 

Thus, people are living in constant political and social struggle. Besides, electing a leader with unknown and unproven or simply wrong qualities by a politically inflamed faceless public every few short years will sooner or later land up in nasty surprises. It is not an over statement to say that the so called election of national head, especially when given such power to make wars and obvious offense to human rights, is in fact a gamble on national fate, with long term unpredictable global consequences... Surely, with today's advanced level of civilization, a better or improved system can be devised. But in the meantime, by nature and by definition, any bi-polar political system, containing internal energies of conflict and struggle, is quite likely to divert national energies into war activities in order to keep national attention in focus. Those civilizations that believe in superiority of arms and political forces have never ceased bloodshed, conquests and wars atrocities yet, and are not likely to stop. It's bound to reach a point when there will be just one war too many! 

That is why ancient China was the only civilization that has ever invented and deployed true democracy, because since the very dawn of her history, her ancient leaders had already understood the principles and manifestations of Ying and Yang forces. That's also why over 2600 years ago, Confucius emphasized the importance of family unity and national harmony as the base for ultimate world peace... As for the rest of the world history, I might have kept quiet, if this is not the nuclear 21^st century, a century that you and I, as well as your family and mine, are all at risk and at stake.... ]

      Wherever a nation is split into parts or parties, apart from subtle corrosion of principles due to undeclared collusions, the other natural alternative would be open collision in power struggles. Struggles can be expected, especially in conditions of instability, depending on prevailing state of national problems and historical backgrounds. When that starts to happen, there is not a day of peace. Unfortunately, nowadays, almost every month somewhere some countries of democracy are in dire disputes, or violent conflicts, or electoral cheating, or horrific corruptions, even bloodshed and civil wars. Sometimes on the same day, 3 or 4 nations are having disputes or violence over elections. Such human conflicts are caused by the one and only reason, i.e. struggles for power and control due to formation of partied or grouped political forces, which fail to collude and end up in collision. The worst scenario occurs when civil wars begin and blood starts to flow. Once blood flows, there is no end to it.  As a rule, women and children are driven to utter despair as well as poverty and inhuman sufferings. Often millions are displaced from home to become refugees under the watchful eyes of the entire world. Such nation would not be able to unify again in decades, sometimes centuries. When conditions become unbearable, many people commit suicide, or turn to become suicidal bombers... 

      Therefore, when disputes and violent conflicts become the natural orders of democracy, then it is time to consider improvements or alternatives measures. Surely a political system that contains intrinsic and fundamental nature of conflict cannot be the sole and rightful choice for future human civilization. Any future political system based on mutual distrusts, power struggles, arms race, invasions, wars, and insistence on victories, etc., in the nuclear age, is predictably going to end civilization on our home planet Earth before humans can  taste and enjoy the beauty and wonders of greater nature! Our children's generations must experience energies billions of time more powerful and more dangerous than what we know now, because they will be visiting, seeing, experiencing and enjoying the beauty and resources of the unlimited universe! Not just the simple problems of filling up the tummies as today or as in the past. Their civilization would not be able to last one single day, unless their political systems contain one vital ingredient, namely "Internal Harmony".  

      Polarization of political parties or national tribes create a perfect chance for any strong outsiders, often armed to teeth, to give offers that cannot be refused, i.e. partnership and protection to any one of the parties. If and when that happens, the national unity could disappear for good and blood flow aggravated. Of course, as far as the outsiders are concerned, if the parties are happy to kill each other, why not give them a helping hand or some encouragements? For instance, just pour oil on the fire with some blown up high and mighty principles, such as democratic ideals or human rights, which nobody, at least no aggressors, obey or observe anyway! So the Press medias now can have a field day. After all, millions and millions of strong and helping press and medias have to live on something. Alternatively, just give them or sell them some weapons to kill each other... In fact, sometimes it is so much easier and cheaper to encourage people killing themselves than to invade them... Why? Because all you have to do is to split up their country, then you just grab and support one party, and you can end up owning that government and that country and all its resources. Besides, you can use that country as partner or coalition for aggression to more countries... All you have to say is you did it for democracy and get away with it... Well, isn't that really what's going on? Well, hopefully I am wrong!

      Perhaps that's why we hear so much drums and gongs about democracy. Perhaps that's why it's always the same band or team that plays the songs of democracy. And whenever and wherever there is trouble they quickly rush in to encourage. How right it is to proclaim or complain about democracy, even UN fails to see the real reason and join the mess. This is the negative side of massive use and investment of information medias. So democracy has become the household word for justification. Unfortunately, now it's so wide spread and bad-blood or just blood is flowing because of it. It is already a global time bomb!.. You see, without massive parties there will be no massive force to collide massively. Without party politics or grouped energy to shout, to cry for action, to denounce opponents, to pump up emotions, to riot, to demonstrate in public, to sway, to cheat, and to end up in violence, or to make civil war, even international wars, then in that case, there will be no enlarged energies, nor party formations, nor momentums, to attack, to support, and to form allies. Then the world would be a peaceful utopia. But now, it appears that if utopia is to exist at all, it would have to exist under the threat of nuclear devastation. So, in the years to come, the focus will be switched to stopping nuclear technology. Only it's already too late! There are already enough bombs to destroy the whole mankind! 

      Without those blown-up acclaims of political slogans, such as "Universal Suffrage", insinuating that the elected has been given universal or nationwide votes and approval or mandate; and "One man one vote", insinuating that every national subject has participated in voting; or  "Democracy for the people, by the people and of the people", insinuating that political parties are powerless, not in control and playing no part, only the individual peoples are in charge, etc., etc., without such acclaims, democracy would not look so singularly honorable and righteous. Also without party ambitions; party loyalty; the party rules and controls, as well as the advantages to inflate and enlarge power and influence by organized and grouped efforts, then the two big parties would not have existed and grown to be the drivers, controllers and deciders behind democracy.  Without the organization; the enlarged force; the control; the influence and the momentum, as well as the domination; and the obstruction of the two deciding parties, then other smaller parties and the really gifted and talented independent and individual candidates could have surfaced to share equal chance and rights to be elected as Presidents. 

      In fact, without those political proclamations of rights world-wide, e.g. speech rights; action rights; belief rights; Internet crime rights; gun rights; homosexual rights; family breakup rights; anti-social or anti-government rights; rights for national separatists, war and invasion rights; double meaning and double standard human rights; etc., etc.. and all kinds of random freedom as desired, then human societies and schools would be totally boring without shootings, there will be no violent or horror films, and human civilization might have to go back and rely on moral restrains and personal refinement again. That could be the end of the world! Because all those, rich, powerful; free to do anything big-shots might lose political support and become bankrupt, or even commit suicide...    

      Looking back at the origin of democracy in ancient Greece, where all male citizens were involved in legislature, election was aspired to choose the best amongst the whole community, and not just a couple of party heavy weights as what is happening in the present day democracy. Democracy was actually intended for people to rule, but to rule in peace, in harmony and in equality, and not for parties to argue; to confront, or to struggle, or to dominate. Also in China, for 13 centuries all government officials were chosen by fair and square exams, while the qualities, ambitions and aspirations of would be official were checked by written performance and self declarations. Every able man in China did enjoy the same chance to undertake voluntary examinations and fair competitions without any discrimination... Therefore, today those who shout for party based democracy destroy true intent of democracy. And the shouts for popular votes can and do invoke uncontrolled mob emotions. True democracy and party democracy are miles apart… One of these days true democracy must be returned to people and the wisest and most humane leaders must surface to guide the world safely deep into the nuclear age, because the unenlightened and inhumane leaders have a good chance to lead humanity to its doom.. 

In conclusion, let me say, if I have offended anybody by writing about the 3 time bombs here, then let it be known that I do not intend to be personal at all. These writings are merely reports and analysis of certain political systems, in the past, present and future. Because the modern trend of political leadership tends to abandon historical moral refinements and self-restrain, instead, they turn to favour freedom without restrains and all sorts personal rights. There is also a shift of quality test to popularity contest. It would appear that in the coming future, only the best and strongest of our children can withstand the test of social torrents, and only the wisest and the most people loving government can protect the young and innocent, and lead the flock towards a peaceable, serene and secured life. The 21st century is an era of mass destruction weapons and conflicts, it could yet be the longest century mankind has ever lived through. This is called the "Age of Aquarius", which is the age of science, invention, powerful energies, nuclear technology and humanitarianism (I have described more about this age in the pages, called "About the Aquarian Age" and "The nuclear bomb). However, governments and politicians come and go, but civilizations and history remain put... 

Now, before I am done with this grumpy and grouchy page, let me relate to my readers another small story from the Chinese history. It's about the Chinese leader of Zhou :-  

"....A little over 3000 years ago, one small Chinese fiefdom named Zhou (or Chou) was often marauded and attacked by neighbors. Its people wanted to fight and retaliate, but Zhou's aged leader told them that he had no wish to see people's fathers and sons killed. He then led his people to abandon home and relocate it to the remote area of Mountain Ji.  Little did the old leader expect that as news spread about his loving care for the people, other folks from far and near would render him respect. So more and more people flocked to Zhou from other fiefdoms, causing Zhou to grow in manpower and resources. Encouraged by peoples' support Zhou leadership continued the humane policy. Eventually this small fiefdom grew to rule over the entire land of China and became the dynasty of Zhou, which lasted 845 years, the longest dynasty in Chinese history, probably also in human history. This is a true record of Chinese history.." 

This brief fact of history further illustrates my earlier mention that already since the dawn of history, Chinese ancestral leaders understood the nature  and manifestation of Ying and Yang forces. They were able to exercise self-restrain for the interests of their younger generations even some 5000 years ago. Of course since then people have become wiser, and modern people are even much more advanced! Indeed, the barbarian days are all gone and done with. From here on there can only be truly great civilizations. Greatest civilizations never think or talk great and act small, because people of great civilization would want to be remembered, and remembered in human minds and hearts over many millenniums too! And in this age of dangerous atomic mass destruction, they would wish their family, friends and coming new generations to live only with true democratic motives and aspirations in their hearts, and under proper national leadership, leadership of quality, strength, wisdom, compassion and humanity! Because even millenniums ago, human ancestral leaders had found the pleasure to do it....  

Conclusion:-  By nature and by definition, any two parties of political forces existing in daily confrontation will collide in some degree of violence, unless they collude. But in such a case the collusion of two oppositional forces cannot be complete or harmonious, unless there is an external factor or a third force involved. For instance, if and when there is war. Initiation of war, intentional or unintentional, can can switch the two on-going oppositional forces into one temporarily combined force. Therefore, in a situation of continued party confrontation, there may exist an unspoken itch for war, or sooner or later it would come to a point when the use of wars can be employed to unite a nation. When that happens, it could be quite a nice and refreshing change, as it would temporarily relieve the nation from constant bickering and ever going internal political strife. Unfortunately, that means some unfortunate or smaller or less war equipped countries would have to be chosen for the blow! And of course, some excuses would have to be found. It would also mean that, for fear of revenge or retaliation, war initiating nations must strive  to stay on top of war making capacities as well as readiness, and the rest of the world would have to follow to some degree. The situation would be stuck, at least  until some nations can't wait or bear any more, and start the nuclear bonfire, or until someone discovers new weapons more powerful than the present day nuclear bombs. Then of course there would always be politicians who would take the pleasure and initiative to try them out first!

Frankly speaking, I am well aware that whatever I write it's not going to change anything! Because changing anything needs greater than usual  political momentum, which is far from available at present. However, I am concerned about the future development for democracy and other political trend in Hong Kong where I reside. So I think I ought to remind people that there existed once in China an Exam-Raised system, where every single government official was selected, elected or raised through written exams at tremendous costs of man-power and efforts, but it worked smoothly for 1300 years, even allowing the Chinese emperors never to appear in public, or just staying inside the palace to govern the nation, while Chinese arts, literatures, philosophy, culture, civilization and economy boomed! I did make an attempt to include some of my suggestions in the previous version of this page here, but as I have now decided not to interfere with the political process, I have now removed those suggestions in this updated page here and now. This is mainly because I wrote those suggestions at the time when my brain was suffering from insufficient blood circulation just prior to my heart attack, and it had taken me many years to recover until I am able to rewrite this new updated page.. However, I do wish to emphasize that I am not against any form of democracy, including the model of bi-polar political parties, because it is within the natural rights of any sovereign nations to choose whatever form of government as they wish. The most I can do is to provide some materials for reference only!  (Updated Apr 26th 2010)

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