“People power” is nothing more than mob rule. It is an expression of the will of a crowd. But unlike a real election that is governed by rules, there is no way of determining at a reliable level of precision whether the outcome of a “people power” circus actually reflects the general will of an entire population.
A crowd gathered for a “people power” spectacle is supposedly a statistical sample of the population. Those who believe in “people power” as a means to decide things assume that this sample is representative of said population. However, one of the key requirements of a good and representative sample of a population is that its elements are randomly selected. A “people power” rally involves a set of people that is anything but such a set.
The important thing about a true democracy is that its governance framework is truly representative the entire population. Its institutions and processes have measures in place to ensure that this representation is as optimal as can possibly be designed. A “people power” rally, on the other hand, is a sloppy and chaotic situation that is an insult to that aspiration that governance be as representative of the governed people as possible.
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The notion that “people power is democracy” should be eradicated. It is a mental disease that no longer has a place in a real democratic society.
Webmaster of Get Real Philippines