Freedom For Sale and Democracy Kills

In this Guardian Book Review, Martin Woollacot comments:

"It is a sign of these worrying times that Humphrey Hawkesley and John Kampfner, using the insights and experiences gained from much travel and reporting abroad, should have simultaneously set themselves the task of charting what has gone wrong. These two good journalists adopt similar methods and come to a similar conclusion, which is that an alliance between politicians and the better-off is, in almost every country, undermining democracy by limiting rights and excluding the poor."

(Emphasis, mine.)

Interactive Democracy is a step back towards one person/one vote and the importance of good quality debate, rather than politics fuelled by the overbearing power of money.

Democracy Kills

In his book "Democracy Kills - What's good about having the vote?", Humphrey Hawksley comments on what is required to get a functioning democracy:

"Firstly, leadership..."
"Second... The really tough part is building the institutions. There needs to be a free and responsible press; uncorrupt and efficient public services; an independent judiciary that closes cases and makes decisions; a disciplined police and military; a strong election commission; a banking authority; and education, health and transport organisations, all of which can be held to account."

Humphrey, a respected BBC foreign correspondent, writes of his experiences abroad and of the struggle to bring democracy to the less developed regions of the world. However, the above quote is a reminder of what we have and the foundations that Interactive Democracy can build upon.