Both dictatorship and democracy are inadequate systems of government.
Limitations of Dictatorship
Dictatorship is an obvious form of oppression where economic equality might exist, but political freedom is entirely absent. No single person or small group can be trusted with absolute, unchecked power over others.
Limitations of Democracy
Political Parties: Political parties are self-serving and power-hungry entities. They simply rotate power every few years while making promises they cannot fulfill. Party leaders exercise total control over party members, who must follow the ideology and commands of higher authorities—even when this is detrimental to the nation's interests. Such democracy is nothing but a temporary dictatorship.
Mobocracy: Allowing everyone to vote simply because they have reached a certain age (e.g., eighteen) is unreasonable because the common masses lack the intelligence or wisdom required to choose effective leaders and representatives. They have no independent judgment and are easily manipulated. Even if a political party is interested in the nation's development, it is not able to make any radical changes for the benefit of the nation as it fears losing elections. Such parties just stick to time-tested actions designed to win over the general public, especially by appealing to emotions or prejudices—populism or demagoguery.
Lack of Economic Equality: Without economic equality, political equality is meaningless. In a system where wealth accumulates unequally, "money-cracy" (rule by the rich) prevails, making a wealthy person's support for a political party far more valuable than a common citizen's vote and benefit.
Alternative: Meritocracy
A meritocracy is a government run by the most capable, intelligent, and competent people.
Key characteristics of meritocracy include:
Rule by Experts: The most brilliant minds in various fields (e.g., economists serving as finance ministers) would manage society, similar to how professionals like doctors or pilots are selected for their expertise.
No Political Parties: Individuals would be selected based on their own merit, without party affiliation, campaigning, or vote-seeking. Their expertise alone would qualify them for selection.
Focus on Competence: Power would shift from power-hungry politicians to intellectuals and experts who can create a better world by applying their knowledge and skills.
Restricted Voting Rights: Only the educated, intelligent, and taxpayers should be allowed to vote. In countries like India, the common masses vote based on religion, caste, and promised freebies. They lack the discernment to identify competent leaders.
Path to Implementation:
Meritocracy represents what an ideal democracy should be. However, due to the current inequality among voters, implementing meritocracy would require a dictatorship as a transitional phase, since denying voting rights to the masses would likely trigger widespread protests. Furthermore, no political party would willingly implement this system as it threatens their vested interests. Thus, meritocracy cannot be achieved without a revolution and temporary authoritarian rule.
The goal is not simply to choose between existing flawed systems, but to fundamentally restructure governance to prioritize competence, intelligence, and the well-being of all people over political power struggles.
