Is democracy still the best political system for ASEAN countries?

[Conan The Barbarian]

Is democracy still the best system for ASEAN countries? With various political systems in the region. Share your thoughts

[FriscoKid]

Troll. Windup. 

[runamok27]

Yes because every other system is terrible, not because Democracy is so great.

[gargamon]

Russian nonsense.

[newbee2022]

The best system is that what the people decide by free, independent elections. Whether it is democracy or any other kind.👍

[roquefort]

1 hour ago, newbee2022 said:

The best system is that what the people decide by free, independent elections. Whether it is democracy or any other kind.👍

Isn't that an oxymoron? If it's decided by free, independent elections it's a democracy.

[LALes]

How would you know if Democracy is the best for SE Asia?

It's never been tried.  No evidence to go on.

Of course, you must be assuming the American model, where 2 goofball candidates approved by the Wall St. Lords of Finance sling mud at each other in a vain attempt at "looking Presidential".

Edited yesterday at 12:36 AM by LALes

[newbee2022]

21 minutes ago, roquefort said:

Isn't that an oxymoron? If it's decided by free, independent elections it's a democracy.

Not really. Looking to Singapore eg, I would say it's a guided democracy. There are other countries which use this scheme.

[roquefort]

7 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

Not really. Looking to Singapore eg, I would say it's a guided democracy. There are other countries which use this scheme.

I agree that the Singapore model is a good one (as long as those doing the 'guiding' remain competent, benevolent and uncorrupted). But the whole point is that they don't do 'free, independent elections' as anyone who's lived there for any length of time can testify. Same party in power for sixty years.

[jippytum]

Yes... The people deserve it.. However the self serving despots are deeply entrenched throughout Asia. 

[mfd101]

Democracy - real democracy, not the pseudo b/s kind - is ALWAYS what's best for the poor and downtrodden people. It's their only way forward, if at all.

 

For the rich, running a b/s version is best - as in most of the non-Western world and partly also in some parts of the Western world (Usofa?).

 

For the middle classes it depends ...

[koolkarl]

Democracy is only a word.  Give the masses a roof over their head, a beer and some games to watch and they are happy.

[newbee2022]

17 minutes ago, roquefort said:

I agree that the Singapore model is a good one (as long as those doing the 'guiding' remain competent, benevolent and uncorrupted). But the whole point is that they don't do 'free, independent elections' as anyone who's lived there for any length of time can testify. Same party in power for sixty years.

You got your point. Singapore is in the hand of one family. That's fact. However, all leaders of this family got an excellent education and are predestined to rule. If you look at PISA studies, they are always among the best. Education is all. The better the education the better economy and life for the people. Different from Thailand.  And... it's not a kingdom.

[roquefort]

40 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

You got your point. Singapore is in the hand of one family. That's fact. However, all leaders of this family got an excellent education and are predestined to rule. If you look at PISA studies, they are always among the best. Education is all. The better the education the better economy and life for the people. Different from Thailand.  And... it's not a kingdom.

Completely agree. The people there have accepted a deal - limited democracy, press freedom, political parties etc. - in exchange for a very high standard of living and sound government. Nothing wrong with that.... and it works.

[Srikcir]

1 hour ago, LALes said:

It's never been tried.  No evidence to go on.

False.

• Indoneasia is a representative democratic republic wherein the President is both Head of State and government and sustained through legislation by the electorate through free and fair election of their multi-party representatives. 
• Singapore has a democratic parliamentary democratic system thriugh free and open election similar to Germany wherein the President is Head of State and the government and Cabinet is led by a Prime Minister as head of government.

One need only look at the long-term stability and economic success of these two countries that shows they fair substantially better than their Southeast Asian undemocratic counterparts.

[Eric Loh]

1 hour ago, newbee2022 said:

You got your point. Singapore is in the hand of one family. That's fact. However, all leaders of this family got an excellent education and are predestined to rule. If you look at PISA studies, they are always among the best. Education is all. The better the education the better economy and life for the people. Different from Thailand.  And... it's not a kingdom.

Excellent post but just need to point out that the current Prime Minister Lawrence Wong is not related to the Lee family. Also between 1990 to 2004, the Prime Minister was Goh Chok Tong and not related to the Lee's family. The Lee dynasty has practically ended after Lee Hsien Loong, son of Lee Kuan Yew stepped down. There are currently none in the Lee family in active politics.

[newbee2022]

1 minute ago, Eric Loh said:

Excellent post but just need to point out that the current Prime Minister Lawrence Wong is not related to the Lee family. Also between 1990 to 2004, the Prime Minister was Goh Chok Tong and not related to the Lee's family. The Lee dynasty has practically ended after Lee Hsien Loong, son of Lee Kuan Yew stepped down. There are currently none in the Lee family in active politics.

Ok, sorry, my mistake. Singapore is a good example how to develop. From a trading port to a prosperous important country. Congrats.

[DougieMax]

As noted above, there are degrees of democracy. In it's pure form, it is suicidal for two reasons: (1) there is a tyranny of the majority that results, and (2) the mob will votes itself free goodies from the government until the country is broke.

 

I think a working democracy would limit voting to people with a vested interest in the country, i.e., owners of property of different types who are net taxpayers. The voting age should also be no less than 25 and maybe even higher than that. It should also be indirect in the sense of voting for people to represent designated zones with age limits, term limits and strict auditing of finances with anybody found to be gaining inappropriately from office to face severe criminal consequences.

 

Whatever the case, no system of "democracy" should ever allow the likes of a Joe Biden or Kamala Harris to rise in it under any circumstances.

 

 

[WDSmart]

Democracy works best when all, or at least most, of the citizens allowed to vote are well-informed about the issues they are being asked to vote on. That's not the case in my home country, the USA, and I don't think it's the case in Thailand either. The next best type of government, IMO, is a republic, where you elect representatives to vote on the issues. That's what we have in the USA, and even this is not working well. There is too much misinformation being circulated now.

[LALes]

23 hours ago, Srikcir said:

False.

• Indoneasia is a representative democratic republic wherein the President is both Head of State and government and sustained through legislation by the electorate through free and fair election of their multi-party representatives. 
• Singapore has a democratic parliamentary democratic system thriugh free and open election similar to Germany wherein the President io that shows they fair substantially better than their Southeast an undemocratic counterparts.

You're talking about 2 countries that are barely out  of the strongman era.

Lee Kwan Yew ruled Singapore with an iron fist for 30 years and his family still has major sway there.  The Sukharno and Suharto eras in Indonesia were similar and still very visible in the rear view mirror.  While there are good signs for the future (as opposed to our little backwater), its too early to say which direction events will take them.  Verdict is still out.