What is Democracy?

There seems to be the impression in many parts of the Western World, that we have achieved the 'best of all possible democracies' (paraphrasing Candide by Voltaire). Any systematic critic of the existing structure is seen as (depending on where one is from) populism, fascism, anarchy or nostalgia for communist times. Democracy is portraited as static.

But Democracy changes, and thanks god for that.

It started as 'rule by people' (Wikipedia) - which included maybe 20% of the population. No Women, no slaves, no poor. And so it stayed forever.

The Iroquois Nation was maybe the closest we ever came to "real" Democracy, and women had a lot of power here. And it was for sure not done by secret vote and election fights.

Meanwhile, the whole myth about the so perfect American Democracy, with its slaveholding founding fathers is a fantastic piece of delusion and brainwashing. Again most people were not allowed to participate in this so-called "peoples rule." (no women, no blacks, no natives, no man without private land-ownership).

Fortunately, things changed, and now at least almost everybody can vote, even if the vote often does not have much influence on the political and social life of a country (immigrants, Illegals and Legals have limited voting rights.)

Things can change even further, and that includes that the kind of Democracy we want might change, the way we vote and the way we participate. It also means that the economic system is up for debate.

If capitalism does not, or not any longer, works for the majority of the people, we need to figure out something better. After all, what is the economy for, but the best possible life of all people?