Is Democracy Really a Good Thing? It Depends Who You Ask

Why “universal values” sound great online—but for most people, democracy is just another game where the rich always win.

Is Democracy Really a Good Thing? It Depends Who You Ask

These days, whenever someone brings up “democracy,” you’ll see endless posts about “universal values,” freedom, and human rights, like the American model is the only way forward. But is democracy really the magical fix people say it is?

Democracy: The Capitalist’s Safety Net

Let’s get real—democracy wasn’t born out of noble intentions for the common good. It was invented by capitalists to protect their money. Forget the fairytale about “rights”—the real story is about profit: the rich wanted to keep kings and priests from grabbing their wealth, so they came up with “elections” to divvy up power. That right to vote? Just another ticket for capital to run the show.

Look at the Philippines:
After almost a century of “American-style democracy,” rural election season is still all about vote-buying—bags of rice from Candidate A, noodles from Candidate B. After the ballots are counted, what really changes? Most people go back to farm work, …