Can a democracy work in a place with an uneducated majority?

 

Democracy presupposes that the people know what they want, what is good for them, and most importantly, that they know HOW to get them.

By questioning if a democracy works in a place with an uneducated majority, one is really questioning if

1) Uneducated people don’t know enough to make an informed choice

2) Uneducated people are too stupid to know what they want

3) Uneducated people have not been brainwashed/taught to know what they ought to want.

 

Venezuela VOTED for dictatorship today.
80%  of the electorate are uneducated, it seems

 

In Singapore, both the ruling party, opposition and electorate seem to agree with this statement: (1) . They want only the real smart guys to be in power and to run the show. Its a completely elistist culture that supports the notion that only smart people knows what’s good for the country and knows what the country ought to want.

In Singapore, citizens must attend State – run schools, with State – prescribed curricula. Really supports the statement (3).

 

Can a democracy work in a place with an uneducated majority?

A Venezuelan friend who just saw his country vote for a dictatorship today does not think so.

A Chinese friend, who’s country is mostly uneducated, but who has already the pseudocommunist dictatorship, thinks it can, and it must.

 

What do you think?