37. RE: DEMOCRACY

The following recently appeared in the Portugal News. It was written by an old friend of mine who recently Googled to find me after some 50 years.

"Dear Editor,

Re: Democracy

Twenty five year ago, when moving my residence to Portugal, I received this advice from a Briton whose family had assimilated here many years before: “Avoid at all cost becoming involved in our politics.  Real power lies not with the parties but with the individuals who form an Establishment which controls government through nominated politicians, entrepreneurs and the law. They all know each other from university; they all belong to the same clubs and secret societies.  What politicians  may say at the hustings is simply rhetoric; they have all formed a broad consensus of how to further their careers to mutual benefit and at the expense of a caring society. “  

Since then, influenced by vast changes in education, communication and international economics, the politics have changed but the political institutions have not. The image of Headmaster Cavaco knocking the heads together of his unruly pupils so that they recognise the need for national unity in time of crisis is wishful thinking. Those pupils owe their present positions to an electorate which has been suborned by a perpetual diet of anti-social propaganda intended to persuade it that a “get rich quick and let the devil take the hindmost” philosophy is to be applauded.   

Our society needs to take a critical look and positive action to defeat the inherent immorality of a system based on the vagaries and dubious values of the American Dream. Democracy is being substituted by a movement towards concentrating immense executive power in a cartel lead by financiers, global corporations and corrupt politicians.

Therefore, I join Mr. Norman Walker´s advocacy of a protest vote for the Bloco de Esquerda in the local elections.  This small party, dedicated to the enhancement of social values and previously led by honest men of undoubted capability, such as Professors Francisco Louça and Miguel Portas, may never govern but it must be given strength to influence the policy of what is momentarily a very unstable coalition.

Sincerely,   Robert Knight