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To be king in a democracy

FeaturesTo be king in a democracy
If a very wealthy individual decided that he would be king in a small country like Belize, it would be possible for him to do so. The good citizens of the country, which is a democracy, would contend that their country has a Constitution which provides that they elect their representatives in free and fair elections and, that they are mandated to serve the best interests of the people, who are the only judges deciding their fate at the next general elections. Furthermore, the candidates are men and women of high integrity, who have answered the call to serve the nation, well deserving to be called “Honorable.” And, finally, these honorable men and women are required to swear an oath of office before God and man to perform their duties conscientiously and impartially, to uphold the Constitution and the Law and to do right to all manner of people, without fear or favor, affection or ill will.
 
For the purpose of this essay about kingship, the individual, call him VWI (Very Wealthy Individual) does not aspire to be crowned. You can reign over a country without a coronation.
 
If VWI, using the corporate strategy of holding companies, were to become majority shareholder in the citrus, banana, sugar and aquaculture industries and, if he became the majority shareholder in the country’s only telecommunications corporation and, if he become the most favored person of both major political parties that have ever been elected to govern, he, by virtue of the fact that he is the largest contributor to their election campaigns and, by virtue of the fact that he contributes inordinately to politicians of both parties that he favors, could, if he chooses to, exercise the power of a king.
 
A few years ago, the near relative of a former British Prime Minister conceived a plan to take over a small country in Africa by overthrowing its government by force of arms. It was not an impossible objective because there was much unrest in the country and the government was unpopular. Furthermore, it had a small, ill-equipped army, whose leaders were at variance with the civil authority. Had he succeeded, he would have had to become a dictator (not a king) and rule by decree. He must have been a very wealthy man, suffering from some terrible delusion, to believe that such a venture was not bound to end in a catastrophe.
 
All democracies begin with idealism as their guiding star. The best and the brightest are at the forefront of the revolutionary movement which leads to the establishment of a democratic government. The United States of America is the best example of how a democracy grows and develops from idealistic leadership to government by the citizens who control the wealth of the nation.
 
In America, Standard Oil, U.S. Steel, the transnationals which own the resources of other countries, the media networks, the automobile industries, the transport and communications services, and the pharmaceutical companies have taken over, and the will of the people is of little consequence.
 
Sooner or later, all democracies fall into the hands of the rich and powerful because, the same thing which is responsible for a democracy’s growth and development is its Achilles heel – free enterprise capitalism.
 
But, it does not have to be so. All that is needed is a National Citizens Organization with the proper aims and objectives. 
 
In order to prevent a very wealthy industrial from ruling over our democracy, all we have to do is abandon our free enterprise capitalist system but, unfortunately, this is not an option because, this system is the foundation upon which our economic structures rest. There is another option. There is the Law. We elect people to govern us and, we give them the power to make laws. Democracy has the right to protect itself against those who would subvert it. Therefore, it is the duty of our government to do whatever is necessary to make sure that no one can succeed in destroying our democracy.

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