Democracy is the Whole Social Diverse Running the Whole Social Diverse
The Diverse applied to government is simply democracy. In fact, democracy is the whole Social Diverse trying to run the whole Social Diverse, not a part trying to run the whole. In a Diverse democracy all social sectors, all views, majority and minority and individual, are represented, given access, funded and supported.
Also, Diverse thinking yields a referendum kind of democracy where politicians become more like “functionary legislators” helping the citizen, and where the role of experts is elevated to help the citizen.
Citizens select functionary legislators who help develop legislation. They work with experts to present alternative ideas. Citizens vote on general choices in direction, then the functionary legislator works with experts on details and problems. Citizens then vote on particular proposed policies and laws. There are then periodic reviews of legislation to correct its problems or to replace it. The functionary legislator’s job is only to support the citizen’s activity of investigation, development, discussion, dialogue and debate.
The functionary legislator or “derivative” legislator (because he derives legislation for the citizen) is subject to instant recall and is periodically rated for performance. In the past there was the concept of “representative democracy” but this system was actually a system of the representatives representing themselves, that is to say, the representatives only have democracy in a representative democracy...not the people.
The role of the expert is elevated in a direct democracy because the expert provides valuable opinions on legislation and policy, and aids in the detailed development of this work, and helps solve problems that inevitably arise. Politicians are not experts in fields of economic, science, healthcare, education and so on. But we have them draft legislation on such things. Here is a second problem with a system of politicians, we are asking the ignorant to make decisions on issues they know nothing about.
In a direct democracy, the executive would be subject to quick recall and replacement election. Too much power is given to the executive today. Power to make war, give away the national treasury to banks and all these.....must be restricted by an active populace.
Further, judges should be subject to removal. If a Supreme Court wanders too far from a current public consensus on issues, it should be repopulated with judges that do represent the new values. And more, one should consider a kind of Cultural Supreme Court that has the ability in some cases to nullify a position taken by a secular court if it is far out of line with cultural norms.
The old system of politicians and ideologies that fought each other but united against the citizens will be replaced.
Diverse philosophy requires that each citizen as a member of the Social Diverse be active, so that all the views of the Social Diverse are represented. Diverse democracy is founded on "directness" and the elimination of middle men. Thus, the true check and balance is the citizen itself, not one institution or political party checking another, or certainly not politicians checking each other.
Skills, responsibility and knowledge are things that will take time for the new activist citizen to acquire. Some will scream “amateurism”, they will demand “professionals”, but in history we have found that “professionalism” is a cover for elites and upper castes. There is always a stage of “amateurism” in the formation of a direct democracy, we should not fear that. Just as some today charge that the internet is full of amateurism and we must return to the days of big media where professionalism went hand in hand with power, control and money. Amateurism is part of democracy’s learning curve. It’s nothing to fear at all. The difference is that we have faith in the basic instincts and ethics of the people. And we know that a culture of intelligence will evolve. And also we have experts that will help us when we need them, so we do not need politicians and professionals for they are only experts at double agendas and power grabbing.
This condition where the people rule directly will be a creative affair because now there will be openness and flexibility in the design of legislation; no longer will there be political and economic impediments to the process.
Very importantly, previous generations had to separate church and state. The task of the present generation is to separate money and state – corruption, lobbyists, campaign funding, unfair media time and etc. A direct democracy pushes money out the political process forever.
We now have a situation where there are no “checks and balances” in the old sense. Before we had legislators, executive and judges checking each other but all had an interest in maintaining a false democracy. So this type of check and balance actually we a check against the people with not much balance really.
Let’s continue: The diverse view of a constitution is that it is a minimal document to maximize citizen participation in government -- a document that does not interfere with free behavior, allowing citizens to associate voluntarily; and that recognizes the diversity of needs and pursuits of an individual outside of government.
Further, democracy is more than government, democracy is “cultural”; it exists in civil society and within the state. Democracy covers all social behavior. Most importantly, democracy resides within the psyche of the individual, not only as the active citizen but, more, as the manager of an inner Diverse, for the skills of managing the inner Diverse are the generally the same for managing the outer Social Diverse. The inner democracy and the outer democracy are the same.
“Reconstitution” is the process of reconstituting our governmental institution, it is a political concept. At the same time, reconstitution is a spiritual idea – the reconstitution of our morality and behavior. We are Diverse thinkers and we see the changing of government in tandem with changing our psychology. Politics and spirit are one. And it seems this will first manifest itself at the local level where citizens have more direct access to government, here, “Reconstitutional Congresses” may be called to take back government from elites.
But reconstitution is a very different notion from the “separation of church and state” for we uphold this wisdom. But what we recognize is that good government must come out of a culture that has a good philosophy and moral code, and from political leaders and citizens who use this philosophy and moral code to guide their daily lives. The fusing of state and church only increases authoritarianism and anti-diverse behavior in a society. But the cooperation of politics and spirit within an individual leads to enlightened social action.
Reconstitution is a very big task. When it will come and how is not clear. Probably it will occur at the local level first from city to state upwards to the federal level. But it is hard to say today.
But what can we do to prepare for a direct democracy right now? Beside the discussion of its core ideas, we can use the internet to create forums where individuals seriously take up the investigation, discussion and debate of important issues, with the idea of voting upon policies and suggested legislation. We can develop a process to design legislation with the help of experts. We can dialogue about the various options and then choose an option, develop it in detail, then revise it, if upon second thought it is problematic. Such a practice would keep us informed on current issues, propel us into social activism, and develop our skills as future citizens in a direct democracy to come.