Proof that Democracy is Alive and Well

As if in response to the fiasco with the Kuwaiti weekends, we now have proof from England, the teet from which all parliaments suckled, that people, indeed, are capable of ruling themselves.

Shortly before leaving to make way for his fiscally sound Chancellor, Gordon Brown, Tony Blair outdid himself and set up a website to allow Brits the right to petition their Prime Minister directly in a coordinated way. After the drama surrounding the former British Prime Minister's refusal to listen to protestors opposed to the Iraq war, this was his way to show that he was "listening" to the people in England and, had it succeeded, it would have in fact been the complete opposite to how it was billed--it would have been the end of democracy. When people petition a leader instead of working to effect change themselves over time, what they are doing is recognising the petitioned's power over them, and acquiescing in the system which grants it. The Abbasid Caliphs and their contamperaneous European counterparts received petitioners; a modern Prime Minister should be no different from the citizens... and so, it was with great relish and joy that I discovered the "rejected petitions" lists.

Being inherently sensible, the e-petitioners knew exactly how to catch Central Government out: Demand that the UK invade France; Cancel Tuesdays and replace them with Fridays; lock Jade Goody inside the Big Brother House for good and best of all "make Pete's mom a national resource". There is usually a very pithy explanation for why the said petitiions were rejected, because they were "outside the remit or powers of the Prime Minister and Government", and this is it how it should be. They can impose taxation, fight wars abroad and build roads, but on the really important issues--locking up Jade Goody, changing the order of the days in the week and making friends' mothers available--governments are powerless. It is with the people that power lies. Enjoy reading: Great Ideas from the British Electorate.