STRAIGHT TALK
MARK BARNES: Unpopular choices await in bid to act in nation’s best interests
Is it better to be popular than right, or can you be both? By some measure, almost by definition, populism will always prevail, given enough time. Whether or not the political system is a democracy, what the people want will surely be what they end up getting. It must be that way, if for no other reason than to maintain peace and stability. Even if the enduring ideology has a religious or other more fundamental basis than simply voting rights, it must remain popular to persist. Within the various democracies across the world there is nevertheless just as wide a divergence in the latitude given to the government by the people as there is in the different levels of authority or force of rule exercised by elected leaders. Increasingly, across the world, the judiciary has been brought into the equation to settle differences of opinion and interpretations between elected leaders, those who elected them, and those who didn’t. This is all very well when everything is going swimmingly, but ...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.