The democratic tradition when exported to
European and non-European settled societies failed
to take root in most instances. What are the reasons
for the failure? Space does not permit an answer to
that question.
The tradition has enjoyed a relative degree of
success in a few countries like Japan, India and Sri
Lanka (up to 1971). Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea
and Hong Kong are countries where there has been
substantial economic development but traditional,
political and civil liberties are restricted.
Many qualifications and doubts are entered on the
subject of the exportability of the democratic
tradition to the third world countries at the point
of independence. If not a disastrous mistake, it
was embarked upon with considerable degree of
arrogance on the part of the exporters and naivete and
false optimism on the side of both the exporters and
minority westernised elites in the receiving countries.
In comparison the countries rejecting communism are
seeking the values and institutions of the western
tradition, unlike the third world countries which had
the system imposed upon them at independence. Does
this make a difference? The answer is probably yes,
but there are still many problems of transplantation of
the import.
The above analysis demonstrates that the
values and institutions of the democratic tradition
are multi faceted reflecting a long history and
development rooted in the culture and soils of
particular countries. Britain and the United States,
drawing from European history and philosophy going
back to early Greek and Roman civilisation, are the
foremost illustrations. It is essentially of British, US
and western European origin (including transplanting in
settled colonies - US, Canada, NZ and Australia) and
is the result of slow and painful evolution. The
system is not easily exportable.
Some of the emerging communist countries are turning
to the values and institutions of the democratic
tradition as a panacea. Will they be
disillusioned? A question for countries attempting
to move from various shades of totalitarianism
and authoritarianism towards the democratic tradition
is: is it possible, and if so, how speedily can
morally and economically decadent and virtually bankrupt
regimes be changed or reformed by the introduction of
democratic freedoms and a market economy? There is
an obvious and glaring absence of experience of
democratic institutions, parliamentary opposition and
the operation of a market economy, quite apart
from the other facets. Western countries which
enjoy these institutions have established them
slowly over a long period. There are no short
cuts. These are painful realities which require
reason, common sense and realism to comprehend.
The basic features of the western democratic system
in its total perspective and context as outlined
above are the consequence of a long period of
evolution. If the leaders of the new democratic
regimes do not have the wit and wisdom to warn their
people of the realities, and that results cannot be
expected quickly, the people will be rapidly
disillusioned. There is a further dimension that people in
the fledgling democracies (perhaps no less than those in the
West today unlike in the days of the old order)
demand instant answers to complex questions and
problems and expect standards of living and material
prosperity to improve quickly - and many of them are
not willing to work.
If leaders are not willing to communicate the
reality (no quick solutions) and the people are
unwilling to accept the reality, disillusionment with
democracy and the market economy is inevitable.
This could lead to riots and escalating violence
which provides an excuse for the establishment
of strong military leadership. Hard line political
and military leaders may be inciting and waiting in
the wings for such developments.
Does this analysis lead to the conclusion that
it is necessary to consider alternatives to the
values and institutions of the "democratic
tradition" for the third world and the communist
world? What are the alternatives? Perhaps there is no
alternative. If this is so, the wise course of action
is to attempt a transplant, aware of the
multi-faceted aspects of the democratic tradition and with a
recognition that evolution of values and institutions are
essential.
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