Neno ‘demokrasia’ linatokana na neno la Kigiriki la kale ‘demos kratos,’ linalotafsiriwa kwa ukaribu kuwa ‘nguvu ya watu.’ Kwa maana yake, maana yake ni kwamba mamlaka ya kutunga kanuni na sheria yako mikononi mwa watu, yaani ni wao wanaoshikilia mamlaka kuu. Kwa nadharia, watu wote wangetoa maoni yao juu ya jinsi mambo yao yanavyopaswa kuendeshwa, kwa kuwa wao ndio wangekuwa katika nafasi bora ya kuamua kilicho bora kwao wenyewe. Hata hivyo, uhalisia wa demokrasia uko mbali sana na hili.

The word ‘democracy’ derives from the ancient Greek term ‘demos kratos,’ roughly translated as ‘people power.’ By its definition, it means that the authority to legislate rules and laws lies in the hands of the people, i.e. it is they who hold the sovereignty. In theory, all the people would voice their opinion on how their affairs should be run, as they would be in the best position to judge what would be best for themselves. However, the reality of democracy is far removed from this.

Kwa kweli, demokrasia ni mfumo unaomwinua binadamu kwa uongo hadi kufikia hadhi ya Mungu. Matokeo yake, binadamu dhaifu, mwenye mikinzano na mwenye mipaka, anapewa mamlaka ya kutangaza ni lipi sahihi na lipi si sahihi. Hivyo, kwa kutegemea matakwa na hamu za watu, na kwa kuzingatia upendeleo wao, udhaifu wao wa kukosea na ujinga wao, sheria zinatungwa ili watu wengine wazifuate. Kwa hiyo, dereva wa basi anaweza kuwa na sauti katika sera ya uchumi ya nchi, fundi viatu angeweza kuamuru jinsi serikali inavyopaswa kupangwa, na mhudumu wa mgahawa angeulizwa njia bora ya kupanga sera ya nje - yote bila kujali kama wana maarifa yoyote kuhusu mambo hayo. Ni wazi kwamba mfumo unaotokana na mchakato kama huo utakuwa umejaa upungufu mwingi.

In actuality, democracy is a system which falsely elevates human beings to God-like status. As a result, the weak, contradictory, limited human being is conferred the power to propound what is right and what is wrong. So, on the weight of people’s whims and desires, and taking into consideration their prejudices, fallibility and ignorance, laws are made for other people to follow. Thus, a bus driver could have a say in a country’s economic policy, a cobbler would be able to dictate how the government should be structured and a waiter would be asked for the best way to organise the foreign policy - all regardless of whether they had any knowledge whatsoever about the subjects. Clearly, the system arising from such a process would be full of inadequacies.

Vilevile, hakuna kikomo cha kile kinachoweza kuwekwa kuwa sheria katika mfumo huu wa kibinadamu, mradi tu wengi wakubaliane. Kwa njia hii, demokrasia inaweza kuhalalisha uhalifu wa kuchukiza zaidi - kama vile zinaa, ushoga, madawa ya kulevya n.k.

As well, there is no limit to what could be legislated in this manmade system, as long as the majority agreed. In this way, democracy can legitimise the most heinous of crimes - such as adultery, homosexuality, drugs etc.

Hakika, kama Wagiriki wa kale walivyojifunza, kabla ya kuiacha kama njia isiyofaa ya kupanga jamii, uhalisia wa demokrasia tangu mwanzo wake ulikuwa ni wachache kuwaamrisha wengi. Ilikuwa hivyo, na kwa hakika bado ni hivyo hadi leo katika kila nchi ya ‘kidemokrasia’ duniani, yaani utawala wa wengi unaofanywa na wachache wa wanasiasa wanaoendeshwa na tamaa ya kutimiza maslahi yao wenyewe.

Indeed, as the ancient Greeks learnt, before they discarded it as an ineffective way to organise society, the reality of democracy from its conception was that of a few individuals dictating to the masses. It was, and indeed remains so until today in every ‘democratic’ country in the world, rule of the majority by a minority of politicians driven by the desire to fulfil their own interests.

Na hivyo, inakuwa wazi kwa nini hali ya mambo ambayo dunia inajikuta nayo sasa imeshuka hadi kiwango hiki cha chini. Kupitishwa kwa itikadi ya Kibepari, iliyojaa mikinzano na kutumiwa kama chombo na matajiri na wenye nguvu kunyonya na kudhibiti rasilimali za dunia, kumeleta madhara yake. Matokeo yake yako wazi kwa kila mtu, na uharibifu unaotokana nao unaenea katika kila sehemu ya dunia na katika tabaka zote za jamii.

And so, it becomes clear why the state of affairs that the world currently finds itself in has sunk to such low depths. The adoption of the Capitalist ideology, riddled with inconsistencies and utilised as a tool by the rich and powerful to exploit and control the world’s resources, has taken its toll. The outcomes are plain for all to see, and the havoc that results pervades all parts of the globe and all sections of its community.