August 11– Klaus Schreiber heads a discussion titled “Democracy in Peril”
Having been defeated in WWI and tired of being ruled by a monarch and his cronies, Germany decided in 1919 to give democracy a chance. It took only 14 years until this form of representational democracy was hollowed out by populism and demagogy and replaced by a totalitarian regime which within 12 years through genocide and military action killed 56 million people.
Currently, liberal democracies in America and Europe are again targeted by similar forces. What is the chance of their survival? What needs to be done – what can we do to ensure the survival of democracy?
Discussion points:
- Do you agree with Winston Churchill’s statement “Democracy is the worst form of Government except for all other forms that have been tried from time to time.”?
- What are the essential elements of democracy?
- Who should have the right to vote?
- Should voting become compulsory?
- Is democracy still possible or has it become just a façade?
- How can democracy be protected?
About the speaker:
Klaus Schreiber is a retired Child Psychiatrist and a member of the Ethical Society of Northern Westchester
Articles for further reading:
International Consensus: Essential Elements of Democracy (.pdf)
America is not a Democracy (The Atlantic 2018)
Why we need to reinvent democracy for the long term (BBC 2019)
The Case against Democracy (New Yorker 2016)