Re: Is democracy really the best form of government
Somoene mentioed why we have only 2 parties in USA. In contrast, we have 8 major and dozens of other parties in Pakistan. During 1947, we had only 3 (Muslim League, Pakistan Congress and JI). Today the bhaanmati ka kunba that we see is because the top dogs of every party turned it into a family affair, not letting others to come forward. So of course I will start my own faction if you don’t let me grow. We think that so many political parties is the victory of Democratic system. It’s actually a sign of failure in our country.
Re: Is democracy really the best form of government
Also if anyone blaming democracy for bringing characters like Trump must also remember that the same democracy made an African-American person its President for eight years even though just few decades back black people were only treated as slaves.
And hopefully now we are all set to give Presidency to a woman.
Re: Is democracy really the best form of government
Somoene mentioed why we have only 2 parties in USA. In contrast, we have 8 major and dozens of other parties in Pakistan. During 1947, we had only 3 (Muslim League, Pakistan Congress and JI). Today the bhaanmati ka kunba that we see is because the top dogs of every party turned it into a family affair, not letting others to come forward. So of course I will start my own faction if you don’t let me grow. We think that so many political parties is the victory of Democratic system. It’s actually a sign of failure in our country.
While I agree to what you said in your post, but I have some doubts about the number of parties we had in 1947. There was this unionist party, which was so much popular among masses that it could have formed government in Punjab (if I'm not mistaken). Then RSS was also active (I don't know whether or not they were involved in electoral politics then). As far as I remember about JI, they were not directly involved in politics at time (though indirectly they had a say in all political matters from opposition of separate country to opposition of Mr Jinah). Further, JI split in 1950s due to one faction supporting electoral politics and other opposing it.
Re: Is democracy really the best form of government
Somoene mentioed why we have only 2 parties in USA. In contrast, we have 8 major and dozens of other parties in Pakistan. During 1947, we had only 3 (Muslim League, Pakistan Congress and JI). Today the bhaanmati ka kunba that we see is because the top dogs of every party turned it into a family affair, not letting others to come forward. So of course I will start my own faction if you don’t let me grow. We think that so many political parties is the victory of Democratic system. It’s actually a sign of failure in our country.
In a linguistically, ethnically and religiously diverse and economically undeveloped countries like Pakistan, it is healthier to have democratic representation of all major groups even if it gives you eight different parties. Democracy is essentially a survival of the fittest, so as the country develops and democracy matures, you naturally start getting rid of the weakest links.
Pakistan has some seriously deep rooted democratic deficit in its electoral system, having so many political parties is not even least of its problems. But really when I say multi party democracy, I mean having a third party option in any case. In the UK, we very much have a two party system as well, and it gets really boring when it's only Labour versus Conservatives at the poll, so bit of resurgence of Liberal Democrats was widely appreciated just as rise of the SNP and the Green party is equally encouraged (basic democratic courtesy that Pakistani intelligentsia lacks!). These third parties add to the political competition, inducts some much needed ideological balance, and introduces some much needed arguments, counter arguments, ideas and opposition. So it's generally a very good thing.
Re: Is democracy really the best form of government
I'm surprised that no one mentioned the role of opposition. Yes, opposition is the single major factor that sets democracy apart from all other forms of governments. In democracy, the governments are answerable to the opposition, they are open to criticism and you don't get that in other system. Hence they say opposition is half of your government, and true soul of every democratic system.
In Britain there's a saying that a party gets voted in or out based on the standards of their opposition, not on the performance of the government. That's how seriously the idea of opposition is taken in Britain, and it is such an integral part of their democracy.
Re: Is democracy really the best form of government
Democracy is the best of the worst.
People are forgetting that democracy has to be nurtured. And it has to survive its infancy. You would be shocked at how many straight up "let's just kill the President and the Cabinet" plans the US has survived. Even as recently as the 1930's (involving Dubya's grand pappy). Pakistan, unlike the US, doesn't get to develop in a pseudo vacuum with countries like France keeping its enemies in check.