Democracy

Arrr democracy.  Can’t live with it, can’t live without it (or does that saying relate to something else?)
Actually I can live with democracy as I think it is the best system we have.  I look at the alternatives and I sure don’t want them.  That is not to say that I don’t think democracy is flawed.
In democracy the implication is that the majority is never wrong.  I would contest that.  It seems sometimes decisions are made by the majority without a view to the implications.  There can be many reasons the majority goes a certain way, though in every case they believe they are right (and thankfully in most cases it seems to me they are).
They may just not care, or be weary of a fight and give in to a loud, continuous voice, or it may be the decision is based on incomplete facts. 
In this regard I believe the media has a lot to answer for.  They feed us what they want. People can be made to believe anything, if that is all they hear. The people of China genuinely believe they are right.  The people of North Korea feel sincere remorse at the loss of a leader.  To many Iranians, the US is honestly the great Satan.  All these people are told only what the leaders want to tell them.
It happens here to.  When the media has an agenda they want to push, we only see things that reinforce their view.  Or, if alternative views are presented, it is in such a way that the alternative is overwhelmed.  I think it is why the ABC was recently told they had to present a “balanced” view.
Having dabbled in these things, manipulation really is too easy.  You determine the image you want to project, and then make something that reinforces that.  Obviously sometimes the image is the way things are, and when it is not, why let the truth get in the way of a good story. 
Advertising is built on that.  Merril and I laugh at some of the ads we see. In particular medical ads contain the words “may help to.”  In the majority of cases it won’t help, but the advertises want us to think we need their product.
Recently I saw a lady who was involved in a security conference.  She said that these days they can take an image of a person and have it say anything they like.  It is really hard to disprove.  To me that is just plain scary.
Australian Story did a piece on a person that had been maliciously accused.  It took years, but the courts eventually decided the accusation was unfounded.  In the meantime their reputation was ruined, their income severely diminished and their marriage almost destroyed.  What do they say, “throw enough mud and some of it will stick.”  It matters not if it is true or a lie, it seems the accusation alone implies guilt.  Obviously some people are guilty but to me, the accusation does not prove guilt, the conviction (in this country) does.
Anyway democracy is as good as it gets, and as long as we can sift through what the gate keepers tell us, we will be ok.