The failings of democracy

The 2008 Taiwan elections just ended, and the President-elect Ma (馬英九) is from the Nationalist Party (中國國民黨). The Nationalist Party is the party that oppressed the Taiwanese natives, imposing among other things, martial law, upon arrival in Taiwan while fleeing Mao's Red Army. The losing party, the Democratic Progressive Party (民主進步黨) was eventually formed by the Taiwanese people in opposition.

One of the most interesting unmentioned tidbits regarding the demographics of this year's election is that this is the first time an entire generation of voters who have grown up without (or not remembering) the era of Nationalist imposed martial law. This particular demographic voted overwhelmingly for the winner, mainly as a reaction against perceived failings of the current president, who is of the DPP.

How has the failings of democracy been demonstrated in this election? Ultimately it comes down to the constrast between democracies requiring the populace to make rather important and long term choices, and that the decision process the populace employs to make these choices often reflect short-term desires. This seems to be currently happening in the presidential race in the United States as well. Time will tell.