Their reasoning? Surrounding school districts were cancelling school because a virulent flu bug swarming the area had caused more than 20% of the districts’ students to be absent from school.
Other schools were cancelling due to bad weather and closed roads.
Nevermind that absenteeism due to illness in our district wasn’t anywhere near the levels of the other districts – which are in many cases small enough fewer than 100 absent students could mean an absence of 20% of the student body. Nor did it matter that the only difficulties related to road conditions were in the foothills where buses were struggling on one route to pick up and drop off students. Students at our kids’ high school wanted a day off.
Direct democracy, some said, should be applauded. Power to the people. And a pox – in this case, literally – on a deaf administration not listening to the needs and wants of its constituency.
Of course, the petition at its foundation was stupid. Direct democracy doesn’t necessarily mean the wants and needs are reasonable or unlaughable.
And yes, representative democracy – or republics – have their own problems. But reading this article in Wired magazine today got me to thinking that if we jump on any populist or direct democracy bandwagon, we ought to do a lot of due diligence to find out who’s paying for the wagon, the oxen hauling it, and who has got the wagon-master in his or her pocket.
What played out in the Coen Brothers’ 2000 film “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” played out in Italy not long afterward: Politically-motivated individuals latched themselves to the star (or five stars) of a popular entertainer and turned the world upside down in the process, while paddlin’ a little Italian behind in the process.
Pappy O’Daniel, in Italy, turned out to be a techno-utopian guru named Gianroberto Casaleggio.
He probably would have signed the high schoolers’ petition. And then taken over the movement to promote his own schemes.
Please stop reading this and read the article linked above. It’s an education on the pitfalls of direct democracy, and the democratization of a lot of things thanks to the Internet. It’s a story of how easily we are influenced by those behind the scenes who want to take populist movements and steer them in the direction they want them to go, often against the wishes or ideals of the movement in the first place.
We’re kinda seeing this firsthand with our own governance. Italy’s showing us what it’s like when that direct democracy is controlled by the same kinds of special interests that are controlling state or party or media or what have you.
A striking line from the article:
“[T]his was Casaleggio Associates’ modus operandi when it came to online votes: Provide a ‘cosmetic’ appearance of choice while pushing for a particular option.”
And it all reminds me of George Orwell’s “Animal Farm.”
"Gentlemen," concluded Napoleon, "I will give you the same toast as before, but in a different form. Fill your glasses to the brim. Gentlemen, here is my toast: To the prosperity of The Manor Farm!"
There was the same hearty cheering as before, and the mugs were emptied to the dregs. But as the animals outside gazed at the scene, it seemed to them that some strange thing was happening. What was it that had altered in the faces of the pigs? Clover's old dim eyes flitted from one face to another. Some of them had five chins, some had four, some had three. But what was it that seemed to be melting and changing? Then, the applause having come to an end, the company took up their cards and continued the game that had been interrupted, and the animals crept silently away.
But they had not gone twenty yards when they stopped short. An uproar of voices was coming from the farmhouse. They rushed back and looked through the window again. Yes, a violent quarrel was in progress. There were shoutings, bangings on the table, sharp suspicious glances, furious denials. The source of the trouble appeared to be that Napoleon and Mr. Pilkington had each played an ace of spades simultaneously.
Twelve voices were shouting in anger, and they were all alike. No question, now, what had happened to the faces of the pigs. The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
I don’t know what the solution is.
Probably internet-directed direct democracy can work. But as rules are being set by such movements, rules also ought to be set by those considering joining them:
1. Find out who is pulling the strings.
2. Be wary of any popular entertainer or guru or any other corporeal entity suddenly spouting politics. Because popularity in one area doesn’t equate to adequacy – or even mediocrity – in other areas. I’m looking at you, Scott Adams.
3. Watch for leadership. I’ve been wary of “leaderless” missions since Occupy Wall Street, where spokespeople didn’t exist because everyone was their own spokesman. I’m seeing this in France’s gilets jaunes, and it’s not helping them in any way. Even direct democracies need leadership.
4. Find out who’s got the money.
5. Don’t ignore traditional politics’ or media warnings. Sure, they may very well be working with their own interests in mind. But a wary mind is an open mind, willing to listen to detractors.
I realize by doing this I have taken a tiny goose-step into, well, something. But nothing will come of it because I’m a nobody in a sea of nobodies. I’m pulling my own string and wishing I could start a petition to get a day off of work. I have no ace of spades up my sleeve.
Anyway, beware the cognitive surplus.
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