Democracy and Prejudice in the WW ( slight movie reference )

[Tom Wall <thomasmwall@yahoo.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 50610

Ali writes:
"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."

Tom replies:
I agree that one would THINK that the WW's populace should have some 
kind of an interest in how things are run, although their antiquated 
way of operating things far from reflects that. There's a canon 
passage that comes to mind: when Fudge is telling Hagrid that he's 
off to Azkaban under suspicion of opening the Chamber of Secrets:

"Look at it from my point of view," said Fudge, fidgeting with his 
bowler. "I'm under a lot of pressure. GOT TO BE SEEN TO BE DOING 
SOMETHING." [emphasis is my own] (CoS 261)

WHY does Fudge have to appear to be doing something? 
WHO is he answerable to? 
WHAT could the consequences be for the appearance of inaction?

The answers are unclear, at best, although I submit that he could 
easily be just as answerable to 1) a small group of elites, as he 
could be to 2) the members of his party, or even 3) the populace at 
large.  

And still, although our own muggle history suggests that it's 
possible, even likely, for liberal democracies to discriminate 
against minorities under certain circumstances, I still hold to the 
view that it's extremely uncharacteristic of a modern, liberal 
democracy to hold to so many tenets of prejudice (re: house-elves, 
giants, mudbloods, and muggles.) 

So, IF the WW holds to any kind of current, UK based parliamentary 
system, it would appear to me that their application of it is 
entirely out-of-step with the modern era that serves as our setting.

-Tom