Does the Bottom of the Pyramid Matter in Democracy?

The very basic of democracy is the bottom of the pyramid, the common man who decides the party that governs, as he is in a majority. In real life, in most democracies, his voice is muffled, with that of the few, with vested interests, influencing the decisions. The leaders are per forced not to ignore their voices & interests, because of the power they wield, over the majority, due to their unity, wealth, whatever. It is an irony of democracy!

Stricter regulations & tighter financial controls that could have curbed speculative activities, monopolies, are resisted tooth & nail, because of the rewards they bring to the financial institutions. Though these activities do not bring any benefit to the man in the street, the governments find it tough to get these activities under control. In fact, the costs of the excesses are born by all; but those who bring the houses down, are left with hardly a slap on the wrists!

The rich are getting richer; no complaints, if through hard work that benefit humanity. However, most are though rules & regulations that act as stumbling blocks for others to enter on a level playing field. These could be by way of capital required for the entry, contacts and favors given; that are available for those with money & influence.

Governments are supposed not to get involved in business as they require individual flair, quick decision-making, hire & fire etc.; that makes only private initiatives to make their head-way, even in areas that affect the common man for his daily needs, like the telecom & power sectors. Due to limited players, the price is dictated by profit motives, with enough room for unreasonable rewards. These make some very rich in a short time, even in China & India.

Democracy & capitalist systems go hand-in-hand; the people are the deciding factors, not some coterie who abuse power in totalitarianism & autocracy. But the common man is short-changed, taken for granted & left without succor; his hopes are dashed because of the greed & the hold of the few, who manage to hold-on to power. Real justice & fair-play elude those who look up to democracy for deliverance.

Developed countries are able to assure their ordinary folks, a basic wage & social security in times of need; but nascent democracies, that are generally the poorer countries, are grappling with deliverance of equality in justice. The few privileged, torpedo the whole system to suit their interests; the bottom of the pyramid, are left virtually on the streets, treated as second class, despite being in the majority, even in democracies! A real irony, that needs to be corrected!

Sharing the wealth is a basic of democracy & decency, everywhere, but it seems to be a mirage in most democracies. Even the natural resources of the countries are exploited for the benefits of few, even in countries that are still communists, like Russia. Overall, whatever the systems, the bottom of the pyramid in every country, be it communists, like China, Russia or democracies, like India, Indonesia, does not benefit in the end!

We all need to have heart & the feel for the real poor; democracies also fail the people, being labeled as one with regular elections to decide the party to govern, amounts to nothing in the hard-nosed, selfish world, where only the few enjoy the rewards! We all need to fine-tune the systems, tone-down the greed, become better human beings: tough call on some, agreed!!