ISBN: 9781909421141    Publisher: Arena Books Year of publishing: 2013     Format:  Paperback No of Pages: 248        

Democracy understood as people power, which is the only proper definition of the word, is put forward in this book as the panacea for resolving the most pressing issues of our time. But democracy as a practicable system hinges on many conditions which are seldom appreciated by our world leaders, international institutions, or relevant bodies of learning. The evolution of democracy as a system of government and way of life, and the problems to which the former gives rise is broadly discussed by the author. Of most significance are those situations, in both East and West, when democracy is ideologically used as a cover for ulterior purposes. It is powerfully argued that the left/right divide which for 200 years has served as the rationale for advancing social progress in sustaining democracy is now destroying it, as partly witnessed through the collapse of both party memberships and voting figures in most advanced industrial economies. This has occurred through the transformation of society and the world of work over the past 60 years, and has left our parliamentary representatives trapped in a time-warp of the past in their inability to meet the actuality of contemporary issues.
It is clearly shown, through a variety of reasons, that democracy as an all-inclusive system of government is only workable within the nation state. This partly explains the crises of the EU, and the shortcomings of the UN's Security Council. The greatest threat to democracy, since it limits the power of the nation state to carry through electoral promises, is international finance and transnational corporations, which are unaccountable to any responsible authority and liable to bring economic catastrophe in their wake. This is a book which seeks to empower our national politicians, irrespective of party, so they may more effectively represent the interests of their electorates. A way must be found for our politicians to resolve their predicament, even though it may entail a shift in their attitudes and ideals.
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Robert Corfe is best known for his authoritative 3-volume work, Social Capitalism in Theory and Practice, which is not only a critique of an irresponsible and failing economic system, but a detailed study of constructive measures for ensuring a stable, free, and prosperous society. Having enjoyed a successful journalistic career since the 1960s, and after many years of practical experience in senior management in business, in politics, and other spheres of public life, he is ideally qualified to have prepared the present study on some major issues which our elected politicians dare not address. These are the problems of casino capitalism and over-population in their many manifestations. For some years the author has distanced himself from any party allegiance in the belief that all parliamentary groups have now "lost the plot," and that the time has arrived for reaching a cross-party consensus on national rather than factional issues.
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