Like the United States, Britain is experiencing a “long-term terminal decline in democracy” as the power of the big corporations grows and politicians become less representative of the ordinary citizens.  Democratic Audit says that although Parliamentary select committees are holding civil servants and politicians to better account, control over political decision-making is less and less democratic. Public faith in democratic institutions is increasingly poor, the constitution is in a mess (my word -ed.), there is decreasing participation among many classes of voter, and the influence of money in elections (a legacy of Thatcher) is causing democracy to wither on the vine.  Only 1% of the population belong to a political party and just over 60% of eligible voters went to the polls in 2010.  Meanwhile, the politicos listen to the big corporations and the big money and introduce more and more potentially repressive legislation.

It may not happen during my lifetime, but I forecast that unless we can find more good men and women who believe, like Epicurus, in the common good of all citizens, getting along together, social justice, and no special favours for the rich, then revolution is, in the long term, unavoidable in both the UK and the US.

Where are all the measured, thoughtful and  wise men when we need them?

(comment on a Guardian article, July 13th 2012)