Democracy and Prejudice in the WW ( slight movie reference )

[Ali <Ali@zymurgy.org>]

No: HPFGUIDX 50593

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Michelle Apostolides" 
<michelleapostolides at y...> wrote:
 
 <<Even though, as you note, Fudge was appointed Minister of Magic, 
he was  "appointed" because the members of his 
group/party/organization (we  don't yet know) named him the head of 
said party. 

 This is an interesting point. I don't think politics (in the sense 
we would understand it) happens. I think that the wizarding community 
is too small to have true democracy, and as all the major players 
seem to know one another, I suspect that the MoM just gets chosen 
according to who the great and good feel would be best at 
representing them with Muggle leaders. Which would explain why he 
would go and visit Hagrid personally.  
 
 I get the view from the way JKR has allowed the Wizarding World to 
be depicted on film, that it's not a very modern society. That's why 
I don't think there is true democracy in it.<<<

I agree with you that there is no evidence of democracy and that the 
WW seems anything but modern. However, I disagree with the idea that 
it is too small to have a true democracy. Without going into massive 
OT detail about the origins of democracy, The small city state of 
Athens founded direct democracy (as opposed to the representative 
democracy we have). Representative democracies have become necessary 
when there are too many people to make the rules, so we elect people 
to do it for us (very simplified explanation before someone 
complains). Small if anything could mean a *truer* democracy than the 
ones that we live and vote in.

In terms of whether only a very modern society is a true democracy, 
or indeed whether our democracy is democratic is a moot point and 
would be very OT.

The question remains about whether the WW is democratic. I think that 
JKR has probably made it deliberately ambiguous. However, if you 
believe, as I do, that all the magically able receive a magical 
education in a very liberal environment, it is then hard to believe 
that these people would have no interest in how they are governed. 
The success of Voldemort's undemocratic campaign, shows that not 
everyone likes the status-quo - and look outside their immediate 
confines to change it. However, that does not mean that Wizards and 
Witches are not living and voting for a democratic MoM.


Ali
 
 
 
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