evidentemente

Dear súbditos,

Let me reiterate one idea which is by now a strong belief of mine: your culture is not, has never been and will never be a democratic culture, and democracy has never lasted and will never last long among you.

I would like to address in this post one single aspect, though a very important one, that makes your culture an undemocratic one. That is your tendency to belittle your fellow-citizens - may I say, your fellow-súbditos - and your elected politicians, if not to insult them.

Obviously, in a culture where people see themselves as súbditos, they have no respect for themselves and can have no respect for their equals. Only free men and women do have respect for themselves and, thus, for their fellow-citizens whom they see as being equally free.

The most distinguishing characteristic of a free, democratic society is the respect and consideration that people exhibit for their fellow-citizens and for their elected politicians. A democracy is run by the will of the majority and politicians are elected to carry out that will. In a democracy people are sovereign and politicians are agents or representatives of the people .

You cannot insult or belittle your Prime Minister, your Ministers and, for that purpose, your public servants ( much less your fellow-citizens), and yet claim you are a democrat. You are not. For those insults and personal abuse show that you have no respect for them and, most importantly, you have no respect for the people who elected them - that is, the majority of the people. How could you claim then you are a democrat?

Vasco Pulido Valente writes today in his column in newspaper Público: "Não passa de um burocrata, ou de um tecnocrata, sem destino, nem visão. É cinzento, baço, previsível, medíocre. Falo, evidentemente, de Sócrates (...)". If VPV were an obscure opinion-maker the episode wouldn´t have any particular relevance. But he is, actually, one of the most widely read opinion makers in your country, isn´t he?