Democracy
Written By RAYMOND YOUNG
JULY 2020
The success of any governing system is what makes it attract imitators. The democratic system of governing which emerged after the fall of the feudal and monarchy systems of governing is the most imitated system of governing in twenty-first century. What all this systems of governing have in common apart from the obvious- that at the helm of controlling all of these systems are humans- there also exist a symbiosis relationship between the core component at the heart of each and every one of them. When the symbiosis relationship between the two major components at the heart of any of the particular systems of governing is healthy and strong- it strengthens the systems when it is unhealthy and wake- it weakens the systems. For example in the feudal system, the Lord-Vassals symbiosis relationship is the heart of the feudalism. In the feudal system, a feudal lord attracts warriors called vassals into his private army by offering them estates. In most cases when a quarrel starts between the lords and vassals it usually winds up in a civil war. The monarchy system also has the King/Queen and the people/parliament symbiosis relationship in its heart while Democracy has the law and politic symbiosis relationship in its heart.
These relationships that are at the heart of these systems of governing are analogous to the heart and brain relationship in humans; hardly can one survive without the other. If the brain is dead then the prognosis is likely to be comma which will eventually lead to dead. If the heart stops then the prognosis is likely to be dead. The law and politics symbiosis relationship is the heart of the democratic system of governing. The law relies on politics just as politics relies on the law; without politics democracy will be dead while without the law it will slip into comma until it perishes. Democracy is a system of governing that involves electing representative into different tier of government and in most countries these tiers of government are design to operate on laws that are called “Constitutions”. Democracy may vary geographically but the law and politics symbiosis relationship will always be at its heart no matter the geographical location. The law and politics are an integral part of democracy. Politics in this context is defined as the activities involved in getting elected into public office such as the electioneering process, the polling process, and the voting process which all led to securing the necessary votes needed to get into power. The law is the whole system of rules that every entity in a country or society must obey and uphold. When a county's constitution (laws) is not uphold by all, it fails and when it fails then the country becomes a failed state but when a country's politics fails then democracy fails and when democracy fails all hope is lost for all the nations in twenty first century that are practicing it- they will decease with it and when this happens humanity will have to revert back to the time when humans rely on natural laws- the survival of the fittest. The law plays an important role in a democracy it brings sanity to it and guides it in times of trouble. The law and Politics must move in tandem for democracy to be what it is meant to be, a government for the people by the people. But there is so much that the law can do by itself; if politics deals with how to secure the necessary votes that gives power then it also deals with how to use it. When there is no politics in a democratic system there will be chaos, and where there is chaos destruction always trails it. The law cannot afford to be behind in time neither should it be ahead of its time, it should move with the changing times and adapt to both natural and unnatural changes both within and out of a borders of a sovereign state practicing democracy. Politics has always worked in synergy with the law where there is a gray area the spirit of common senses and decent politics is supposed to prevail, not that of cut throat politics. The third tier of government the legislative arm is meant to keep the law up to date, by amending the laws to reflect good and honorable political ideologies, which will bring prosperity to both the state and its people.
The vote buying that occurred in Nigerian during most of the primaries of the political parties is not part of the political gambit and the laws prohibit it so it should not be imitated by any nation that loves democracy Nigeria’s leaders and Nigerians should err on the side of caution and not stand by ideally and watch party delegate and politicians temper with the voting process- vote buying should not be encourage it is a blow politics which will affect the symbiosis relationship between the law and politics- if the wrong people buy their way into power they will weaken the laws of the nation (constitution) to make sure they state in power. Chain is a democracy if you believe that- the right person may be in power right now but what if dead comes- which is inevitable and with it changes that may usher in the wrong man- it will be a perpetual misery till his dead (monarchy has the same effect). Democracy should be about doing your part when elected and when your tenure ends you let someone take over so that he could contribute his quarter. For the last five years, the politics of self-interest has reared its ugly head in most of the countries practicing democracy even in those that have been practicing it with much success for more than half a century, the issue of national interest has become a second poor to self-interest it is because of this that there is a need for people to become more proactive in legislative matters and also say no to cut politicians that are willing to weaken politics.
Diversity
Written by Raymond Young
Kuyuk Times
April 2022
The word diversity comes from Latin; it means facing both ways. From its conception, the word represents various things from different periods; it once meant wicked or several and sundry or perverse. The entomology of the word Diversity in Middle English is diversite, and from old French: diversité while from Latin: dīversitās. Today the word diversity is associated with recognizing individual differences or uniqueness. These unique differences can be in the forms of: gender, physical abilities, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, race, religious beliefs, political beliefs, and other ideologies.
Throughout the history of humankind, history has shown that the most diverse societies that live in harmony just like our body do tend to be the most efficient, prosperous, and wealthiest. The movement of people from one part of the world to another has been made easy with the advent of new technology; this ease of movement means the rapid spread of new cultures, political ideologies, religious beliefs, skills, talents, et Cetra. Due to this change in ease of movement, diversity now plays an essential role in the twenty-first century, and it has a profound effect on the world; these effects are seen daily in our workplaces, communities, homes, et Cetra.
The perfect way to illustrate that there is strength in diversity when all things are in harmony is by observing how the different parts of the human body live and work in harmony despite their differences and diverse nature. The human body has many complex body parts that are uniquely different; let’s examine the hand as an example. The hand that we consider a single entity is, in reality, made of a combination of other parts like the wrist, which enables the hands to rotate freely, or the palms, which help the hand in receiving things, so is also the knuckles that are helpful when it comes a fistfight. These different parts that made up the hands have demonstrated that even though they have different shapes, sizes, and colors, they could coexist harmoniously and work together for the betterment of each other. If the wrist is out of order, then the function of the hands will be limited if the fingers won’t help in grabbing things, we know that something is wrong, and when the knuckles don’t bend, something is not right with the hand. We expect and demand that every part of our body work perfectly regardless of size, color, shape, importance, location, and diversity. If someone asked me then whether there is strength in diversity? Should my answer not be a thumb up, then? Diversity in all its glory should never be assumed to be a weakness. Every civilization that has risen to the peak of its potential is because it has utilized the strength of its diverse society or accepted it individual differences and uniqueness.
The more diverse civilization is, the stronger it is. The Roman Empire is an example of such a civilization; it was vast, diverse, and robust. This last great civilization has produced some amazing things that we are still today enjoying their benefit. From Aso Rock to Downing Street, From Perking to White House, these seats of power have one thing in common: they are home to the most diverse collection of people. From tall to short, male to female, Jew to Atheist, Christian to Muslim, gay to bisexual, Caucasian to Hispanic, and Black to white.
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Why should our street and home not emulate these seats of power by embracing diversity and ensuring harmony exists so we can achieve what the Romans did again? It is when we begin to lose our diversity that we are in peril.
Hate speech about our diverse nature should not be allowed to propagate fear about diversity in our workplace and homes, and countries. When you look into each community that exists, you will realize there is strength in diversity when all things are in harmony. All individual differences are indeed different, but not all differences are different; when all is said and done, we are nothing but humans, and to err is human.
Individuals are the vehicle for conveying identity, values, creative talents, skills, and religious beliefs. The religions we practice today are established mainly by individuals; if these individuals have not been allowed to express their uniqueness, will we not have lost what we gained now? When we try to or continue to stifle diversity in our countries, homes, street, and workplace, are we then not denying the next generation of extraordinary things? The old translation sums it up if diversity means facing both ways in Latin. It is up to us to choose what to gain from our diverse nature and societies. Are we going to do the right thing and embrace diversity or turn the wrong way and stifle it? Should we say yes to it or no to it? I ask you to think hard before making this choice. Change is inevitable, so diversity is hard to swallow when we are used to our old habits and prefer them. Always remember that there is strength in diversity when all things are in harmony. It is when we begin to lose our diversity; that we are in peril.
We are humans, and being humans comes with a price; we must quarrel, but let our quarrel be healthy. No matter their differences, the tongue and teeth always resolve things amicable for the good of the stomach and the rest of the body part that depends on it.