THE Greek philosopher, Aristotle, perceived democracy as the ultimate mechanism, by which the privileged and powerful could impose their collective will upon the less fortunate of society, without the risk of conflict or confrontation.
The recent attempt by the US and the European Union to conclude an 11th hour deal to benefit their own economies at the expense of the other countries from the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), is a demonstration of exercising Aristotle's ideas.
In the highly developed industrial nations of North America and Europe, less than five per cent of the population, effectively own and control their respective country's wealth and resources.
Any suggestion to redistribute these national assets among the people, are held as radical or revolutionary.
The intrinsic hypocrisy that is self-evident in democracy, is the remarkably selective way in which the US targets various nations with regard to human rights abuse, undermining, either by threat and sanction or more direct activities, the economy and social order of a target country.
However, if it occurs that a potential target such as East Timor, possesses vast petroleum deposits and is amicable to foreign participation in the production of oil, then incredibly, all is forgiven and forgotten, notwithstanding the fact, that one third of the territory's populace, has been systematically slaughtered over a period of years.
