Britain Threatened By an Outbreak of Democracy

Mass democracy is, and always has been, a charade. It emerged, first, in Britain during the 19th century when, to appease a rapidly growing population of sometimes mutinous workers, the governing elite, both Whig and Tory factions, extended the franchise to an ever increasing proportion of the population.

Initially, with the Reform Act of 1832, the vote was extended to householders who paid a yearly rental of £10. The franchise was then repeatedly further expanded and in 1918, under the Representation of the People Act, it was granted to all adult males, and finally, in 1928, to all women.

During the 19th Century, the extension of the franchise had little impact on the composition of the government, as those newly enfranchised mostly voted deferentially for the aristocrats and their nominees who, in office, ran the country in accordance with the interests of the aristocratic and business elite. Reforms such as those limiting working hours and the employment of children, and providing for universal state-funded elementary education (1870)  were seen as beneficial both by the working masses and the more liberal elements among the elite.

Trouble arose, however, from the legalization of trades unions in 1871, as became apparent in the run-up to World War 1 when unions in rail transport and coal mining created an effective labor monopoly that threatened to plunge Britain into civil war. The conflict was postponed, however, by the outbreak of war with Germany, only to be resumed with the inconclusive General Strike of 1926. Thereafter, the conflict continued to undermine British industrial productivity until resolved decisively in favor of the employers by Margaret Thatcher in her war on striking coal miners (1984/85).

Generally, however, throughout the 20th century, the people remained deferential to the ruling class, a class that could claim to be vastly better educated that the common folk and therefore the only class fit to rule. Moreover, the mass media, controlled by millionaire press barons, or in the case of the BBC, the government, provided the public with political narratives that were generally in keeping with the policies of the establishment parties.

But by the end of the 20th Century, something like half of all school leavers were entering post-secondary education, mostly graduating with at least a bachelor's degree, and often a master's or doctoral degree too. This combined with the ease with which the Internet has made it possible for anyone to disseminate their political opinions widely and to challenge the political narratives of the mainstream media has resulted in the emergence of a threat of genuinely popular democracy.

For the first time, the people have opinions on, and interests in, almost every aspect of public policy and loudly demand that their voices be heard and their interests be served. Democratically elected rulers are thus confronted at last by the expectation that they act in accordance with the will of the people. This unprecedented situation has driven the elite to the manipulation, distortion, suppression and outright manufacture of news on a wholly unprecedented scale. Hence 9/11, Saddam's WMD's, "I'll build a wall," and all manner of other lies and hoaxes many of which are incorporated into school books, university texts and Hollywood blockbusters.

How this struggle will work out remains to be seen. But one angle that the elites are evidently determined to pursue is the genocide of the Western nations by a combination of reproductive suppression and mass replacement immigration. In this way, any silly notions about freedom, the rights of man, the rule of law and all that old fashioned crap that brought us to the present pass will be wiped from the minds of men. In their place will be the acceptance of tyranny, corruption and extremes of wealth and poverty such as is the normal experience of those migrating from the Third World to the First.

In the meantime, UK Prime Minister, Thereason May, continues the brave struggle on behalf of the globalist plutocracy to strangle the will of the people on Brexit while what has at least the appearance of  left–right collusion among supposed anti-Brexiteers keeps hope alive among those yearning to be free of the EU's globalist clutches.