While reading the Cairns Media Magazine editorial, Beijing’s Games Best Boycotted, I considered the word “democracy”. Sometimes it’s bandied about without deep thought as to what it may mean in a particular country. I believe there are many countries where democracy isn’t the best form of government.

A newspaper in Thailand has reported that a poll of 3,758 eligible voters in 14 provinces showed that 64.6 per cent of them are willing to be paid to vote for someone. In every Thai election, votes are bought and sold. Is this truly a democracy? The resulting government amounts to a bunch of rich crooks.

In Iraq, so many factions compete for power that the country needs a strong, probably totalitarian, regime to hold it together. Democracy might lead to total chaos in China. Then look at Russia. What a mess!

Is democracy always the best thing for every country? I think not. Knowing how the United States president is voted into office, I’d have to say that process isn’t truly democratic either.

The past few monarchs of Thailand have been good men with the people’s interests at heart. Probably Thailand could have made more progress as an absolute monarchy, rather than as a democracy.

Of course, totalitarian regimes and absolute monarchies depend on the virtues of the men in control. But governments that fall short of democratic standards aren’t necessarily all bad.

Editor’s Note: A rebuttal comes next.

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