What People Want

If people know what they want, why are they self-destructive? It happens again and again: We get what we want but are not satisfied. Our wish is fulfilled but it lets us down.

Ask the people, listen to them and grant them their wish; that’s democracy. Give people want they want; that’s democracy. But the people may not want what they say they want. What is democracy?

If the child wants a knife, do you give it to him? If the people want war, do you give it to them? Citizens are not children; their weapons are much more destructive.

People should have what they want, but how do you know what they want? Do you always know what you want?

Everyone wants to be happy. Make them happy and you give them want they want. How do you know what will make you happy?

Political leaders promise happiness. Ideologists explain how it can be achieved. They don’t have to ask for they think they know what people want. Just give it to them then, grant them their happiness, force them into it if you must, and their real wish will be fulfilled. You would rather be happy than having your faulty and destructive wish come true, wouldn’t you?

Some democracies have failed miserably. Some have brought war, and some keep themselves in poverty. Some are very successful. Maybe democracy is the best form of government, but that is not a forgone conclusion.

Why do they have to flatter us? Why do we flatter ourselves? We are the people, the real people, but we are a faulty people. We are human and we don’t always know our own good. Ask us, and we will answer, but we may be wrong.

Democracy doesn’t give people what they want, only what they say they want. We don’t want democracy, we want happiness.