Is the Philippines a True Democracy or an Oligarchy?

[vipvip68]

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Political scientists have been debating whether our political system is a true democracy or whether it is an oligarchy posing as a democracy.


Democracy defined as majority rule where principles of equality, due process, human rights and freedom of speech and of the press are present.


Oligarchy defined as a form of government where political power rests with a small elite segment of society (oligarchs)


So are we a true democracy? oligarchy? or a bit of both?

[diem]

[color=navy]I believe a bit of both. It's really "democratic" how ANYONE with enough ambition, drive, hard work, smarts can rise from any humble beginnings and become an "oligarch".

For a recent example, take a look at Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao. He came from humble origins but just kept on doing what he knows what to do best which is Boxing. Now, he has commercial endorsements here in the Philippines as well as the States and can also exert some influence on the populace. One can consider him as now as an "oligarch" of his home province.

[godsaint]

Oligarchy 98%

[kamote_q]

10% democracy and 90% oligarchy...needless to say, the oligarchs literally own the country..IMHO!

[giddyboy]

what is democracy but more of a combination of those things: oligarchy, theocracy, political philosophy, due process, civil liberties, human rights, capitalism, etc...

kung sa baga, chopsuey...take for example the US brand of democracy...

and there is no such thing as "true democracy"...

AFAIK, there are lots of types of democracy:

(1) Representative democracy involves the selection of government officials by the people being represented. The most common mechanisms involve election of the candidate with a majority or a plurality of the votes.

(2) Parliamentary democracy where government is appointed by parliamentary representatives.

(3) Liberal democracy is a representative democracy in which the ability of the elected representatives to exercise decision-making power is subject to the rule of law, and usually moderated by a constitution that emphasizes the protection of the rights and freedoms of individuals, and which places constraints on the leaders and on the extent to which the will of the majority can be exercised against the rights of minorities.

(4) Direct democracy is a political system where the citizens participate in the decision making personally, contrary to relying on intermediaries or representatives. The supporters of direct democracy argue that democracy is more than merely a procedural issue (i.e., voting)

(5) Socialist Democracy - Socialist thought has several different views on democracy. Social democracy, democratic socialism, and the dictatorship of the proletariat (usually exercised through Soviet democracy) are some examples. Many democratic socialists and social democrats believe in a form of participatory democracy and workplace democracy combined with a representative democracy.

(6) Anarchist Democracy - The only form of democracy considered acceptable to many anarchists is direct democracy. Some anarchists oppose direct democracy while others favour it.

(7) Iroquois Democracy - Iroquois society had a form of participatory democracy and representative democracy. Iroquois government and law was discussed by Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. Because of this many scholars regard it to have influenced the formation of American representative democracy.

(8.) Sortition - Sometimes called "democracy without elections", sortition is the process of choosing decision makers via a random process. The intention is that those chosen will be representative of the opinions and interests of the people at large, and be more fair and impartial than an elected official.

(9) Consensus democracy requires varying degrees of consensus rather than just a mere democratic majority. It typically attempts to protect minority rights from domination by majority rule.

SOURCE: wikipedia

[godsaint]

We dont have democracy here in the Philippines what we have here is Damacracy;The government OFF the people,BUY the people and POOR the people.

[aya_diwata]

@giddyboy

I would like to add National Democracy - The rightists still regard this as the extreme left while the social democracy is on the left but not extreme. Many mass-based organizations are pushing for that. It's a kind of democracy advocating the inverted triangle structure of the society if not abolishing it.

for further info: http://home.alphalink.com.au/~radnat...democracy.html

With our kind of democracy.. by basic concept, it is practiced and the right to suffrage is an example. However it's supposed to be more than that. In our country, even our major and basic industries like energy and water are privatized, the 1% elite gets all the benefits of the production of the peansants and workers comprising the 75 and 15% of our total manpower (figures accdg to Amado Guerrero's PSR).

[pandisal]

So, question is, what is a True Democracy?

[ezekiel]

Oligarchs are just a mere product of Democrazy!!!!

[potterboy]

We dont have democracy here in the Philippines what we have here is Damacracy;The government OFF the people,BUY the people and POOR the people.

you got me there ROTFLMAO! medyo sakto sad.