The debate that never was.

The motion: A Strong Dictatorship is Better than a Weak Democracy.

I chose to speak against the motion and in favor of democracy a gift our forefathers had toiled so hard for.

"I see no reason why failures and imperfections be inherent vices of a democratic set-up. Dictatorial regimes too have made their own share of mistakes. Mistakes that have been infinitely more gross, infinitely more difficult to undo.Given a choice between a decadent democracy and a more disciplined dictatorship I would still opt for the former.
Democracy ,if only in concept, envisions a perfect state based on the twin pillars of equality and justice.It allows for a peaceful, bloodless revolution every few years. Ours might not be perfect democracy but it is evolving and I think it deserves its times ,after all, the Raj faded just yesterday.
Compare this to a dictatorship where one man wears too many hats.Coming from one particular class,creed and culture he is expected to take actions representative of his entire diverse population. Populace that does not agree with his state of mind is bound to suffer.
Several of my worthy opponents claim that a dictatorship leads to a better law & order situation. But how can that be? In a soceity where the whims and fancies of one person become laws, where is the notion of justice? Justice here is reduced to an arbitrary concept applicable differently to people he likes and to people he does not.
Another point raised in the favor of dictatorships is that it makes for good economics.I have to disagree.Dictatorships invariably tend to be nepotistic. In an age which sells ideas an atmosphere of fear is hardly conducive to new innovations.Also in a global arena dictatorships shall always have a fuedal, autocratic image which can hardly be a good thing for trade negotiations.
No dictatorship can tolerate a free press because well we all make mistakes but while in a democracy the government is comprised of human beings its not the case with dictatorships. A dictator is expected to be God, to be above the infirmities of all common human beings.
Some say a dictatorship is more accountable as the blame of all decisions lies with the dictator.If the people in an information-deprived envioronment do realize their leader has made a mistake,who is going to bring him to justice?Accountability here is pretty much an eyewash.
I concede democracies are more expensive to maintain.Elections, campaigns,larger governments and corruption do take up a huge part of a nation's resources.But a choice between my freedom or my money is as obvious as black or white.No grey areas!
When democratic governments make mistakes people elect new ones.When dictatorships make mistakes they turn into irreversible,ghastly feilds of hate,torture & death.I dont think Ill ever risk such an outcome ,like that of a Nazi Germany, for an illusive promise of better governance.
To end i would like to quote Mr.Gandhi :"When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall -- think of it, ALWAYS."
"

Dance of Death
Most of the things that I find beautiful and those which I continue to savor later on have a common virtue. This is that they are subtle, on the verge of being inconspicuous. I have found, in my moments of infirmity; stark, in-your-face beauty to be glamorous as well but such moments always leave in me an indelible feeling of guilt. That (or my tumid tummy) was probably the reason why I was skeptical about my first visit to a bar being the ‘moment of a lifetime’. After all bars are not places you go to to discover what a person might be underneath his/her epidermis. All that mascara and gloss are too reflective for insight I guess.
The bar that we went to is on a height (physically and metaphorically) from which you can appreciate the whole of south Delhi nightlife. Zipping cars, reverberating music, large groups in party clothes and party moods. My friends, as expected, melted onto the dance floor as soon as we entered. Being reserved, shy (and a very bad dancer) I decided to stay far, as far as possible, from the uninhibited crowd. A sharp laugh rose above the din. Yes the essentials were all there: gorgeous dark eyelids, very red lips and auburn curls.
“Wow, takes the cake for being blatant”. I thought to myself. Before I started soliloquizing on if there is actually ‘too much of a good time’ she caught my eye again. The blue sleeveless bobbed out from among the cluster of people. Probably I would have noticed those bouncing curls as well if it had not been so dark.
I moved closer till I had a decent vista of her. She was largely slender except for her arms and calves which gave very telltale clues of her recent visits to a gym. Now there are few things I like better than ladies who work out. It tells me of this passion that they would have for life.
And that passion was pretty much obvious from the way she danced. Her arms went sideways with her fingers ready to snap. A pout from which to feed the world with her endless reserve of kindness. I could make out her faint silhouette against the light in front; I could make out her gyrating bosom, the tendons on her thighs, the straining of her calves. The colitas of her head bounced and swung. Everytime she moved with the music it felt as if her heels were stepping on some long asleep part of me. It was excruciating. But then not all pain is painful! She turned around though all I could make out were her fingers weaving invisible nets over her head. Then her arm shimmied down.
“Come on Eddie, we gotta go! My parents are fucking back.” I turned sideways to my very paranoid host. Whatever.
I wonder about her from time to time, wonder who she was, wonder if she saw me; wonder if death is similar to what I felt that day, wonder why she stopped dancing, wonder if I knew her. No, that is quite impossible. I would know that back from a lot of others.