shadeyinka:

Socrates say democracy is the worst form of government for an uneducated populace.

My opinion on Socrates opinion on democracy is written here.

Anyone who knows anything about Nigeria and our fight for democracy will not agree with him, and as the Awolowo era politicians emphasized, educating the electorate is the solution, and not the abandoning of democracy. Do tell though if you have a better way of choosing those who rule over us.

shadeyinka:
You can't blame the blind for not seeing the light. After the blind is healed, he would not be guilty again.

The blind are unfortunately responsible for their blindness, in this instance, and do deserve to be blamed. Listen to us being blamed even by you:

shadeyinka:
Our forefathers exchanged human beings for umbrellas and mirrors and guns. They could have exchanged this same humans for knowhow!

If we were not blind, our forefathers would have gone for that which is more valuable than "umbrellas and mirrors and guns", we can't after all claim those we got the "umbrellas and mirrors and guns" from did not have the "knowhow" we now pine for. But it is not to late to evolve, I say, if our desire is to become like them.

[s]

Corrinthians:
The imposter is working in connivance with Emma Powerful who is at large to fleece the remaining dumb Igbos.

Late Kanu is a focused young boy whose only passion was biafra. This imposter is an erratic noisemaker.

[/s]

budaatum:


My opinion on Socrates opinion on democracy is written here.

Anyone who knows anything about Nigeria and our fight for democracy will not agree with him, and as the Awolowo era politicians emphasized, educating the electorate is the solution, and not the abandoning of democracy. Do tell though if you have a better way of choosing those who rule over us.


The blind are unfortunately responsible for their blindness, in this instance, and do deserve to be blamed. Listen to us being blamed even by you:

With one phrase from you (in red) you have actually agreed that the problem isn't the electorates but the elite politician class.

If the politicians invest in educating the populace, the populace will have the light to see the kind of leaders that will lead them towards economic and political prosperity.

budaatum:

If we were not blind, our forefathers would have gone for that which is more valuable than "umbrellas and mirrors and guns", we can't after all claim those we got the "umbrellas and mirrors and guns" from did not have the "knowhow" we now pine for. But it is not to late to evolve, I say, if our desire is to become like them.

It wasn't the problem of religion. It was blindness caused by, disunity, inferiority complex and shortsightedness!

shadeyinka:

You blame the blind for not seeing the light!
How could he have seen the light?

Isn't lack of education a form of blindness?

Yes, I do blame the blind for not seeing the light. And light is indeed education.

Why do we not see that we are blind? Do we not see nations that are doing much better than we are? Do we not ask ourselves why they do better than we do? Is it not true that if we do what is right, we too would progress, but if we do not do what is right, sin is crouching at our door desiring to have us? Or is it that you do not see our lack of progress as the wages of our sin, as in ignorance, that which is killing us?

Go check how much those nations you compared us to spend on education and compare it to what we spend then ask why we do not see the light that they seem to see.

budaatum:

You show little knowledge of governance in thinking "One man changed" the nations you mentioned. Its the type of thinking one gets from reading headlines or getting one's reasoning from religion instead of studying history. If you studied history, and the books of religion, you'd know that despite the claim that "One man changed", many people were actually involved in making those nations ones you now envy, and even Jesus Christ stood on the shoulders of the giants who were before him and he needed disciples too.

In a democracy, the people are responsible for electing those who rule them. And when we become responsible like the nations you mention and envy, instead of our current irresponsible attitude of passing the buck or waiting for "one man", we too will become like those countries.

It's impossible for a single person to rule a nation. But a single person can set the ideology and path of a nation.

Like I said: At my level, I can do what I can by educating people about the nature of our problem and proposing solutions to such problems. I also do my best at MY sphere of influence.

I do NOT have the kind of money to do our kind of politics. I cannot sacrifice my conscience to serve a big politician until I have the power to compete according to their rule.

But I have the power to talk: I will do more of educating people and complaining of need be so that others who read can think. You never know, one of them might be born close to the corridors of power or born with some diamond spoon in their mouths.

I will not say it is well when I know it isn't. I wouldn't keep quiet when I should speak up.

If it isn't me (as the president of Nigeria) , then it is certainly ONE MAN! The person who has heard the message and has been given the opportunity

shadeyinka:

With one phrase from you (in red) you have actually agreed that the problem isn't the electorates but the elite politician class.

If the politicians invest in educating the populace, the populace will have the light to see the kind of leaders that will lead them towards economic and political prosperity.

It wasn't the problem of religion. It was blindness caused by, disunity, inferiority complex and shortsightedness!

No shade, I have not "actually agreed that the problem isn't the electorates but the elite politician class". And if your desire is to cover your eyes to what I actually do say and see what you want to see then I would have to concede that your desire is to remain blind!

It benefits the rulers to keep us blind. It is only by keeping us blind that we would continue to be enslaved in their Garden of Eden that they have convinced us we are in. When we acquire knowledge, our eyes will be open and we would see how naked we are and learn the proper things to do to give us the results that we desire. But if we do not do what is right, the wages of our ignorance is crouching at our door with the desires to have us, as we ought to clearly see by the fact that we currently suffer!

It is our duty and responsibility to bear our crosses and rule over our blindness instead of relying on some non-extant messianic politician to rule over it for us. It is us who suffer if we do not.

budaatum:

Yes, I do blame the blind for not seeing the light. And light is indeed education.

Why do we not see that we are blind? Do we not see nations that are doing much better than we are? Do we not ask ourselves why they do better than we do? Is it not true that if we do what is right, we too would progress, but if we do not do what is right, sin is crouching at our door desiring to have us? Or is it that you do not see our lack of progress as the wages of our sin, as in ignorance, that which is killing us?

Go check how much those nations you compared us to spend on education and compare it to what we spend then ask why we do not see the light that they seem to see.

Blame the blind for not seeing: and the light is education?!

Since not all Nigerians are uneducated. Shouldn't you place the blame on the sighted for the sins of the nation?

One can estimate roughly that 99% of Nigerians have not stepped outside the shores of this country. Do they know better?

But is there a single Senator or House of Rep member of the National Assembly who has never traveled put to the developed world? Is there any Governor or member of the Federal Executive Council who has never traveled put of this country. And most of them have minimum of an HND; some are even professionals in their fields. Are these not the ones you should blame?

Who determines how much is voted for education of the masses? Is it the political figure representing them or the masses themselves?

budaatum:

No shade, I have not "actually agreed that the problem isn't the electorates but the elite politician class". And if your desire is to cover your eyes to what I actually do say and see what you want to see then I would have to concede that your desire is to remain blind!

It benefits the rulers to keep us blind. It is only by keeping us blind that we would continue to be enslaved in their Garden of Eden that they have convinced us we are in. When we acquire knowledge, our eyes will be open and we would see how naked we are and learn the proper things to do to give us the results that we desire. But if we do not do what is right, the wages of our ignorance is crouching at our door with the desires to have us, as we ought to clearly see by the fact that we currently suffer!

It is our duty and responsibility to bear our crosses and rule over our blindness instead of relying on some non-extant messianic politician to rule over it for us. It is us who suffer if we do not.

Unfortunately, the same blind uneducated populace are steaming in poverty. They are struggling to survive by their daily sweat. The daily income is just enough for them to barely keep alive.

It's like the case of Nigeria with this COVID-19 pandemic. Hunger is killing them because of the lockdown and the same time, government warns them about the Virus. What do you think is more real to them? It is not the Virus but the Hunger!

budaatum:

No shade, I have not "actually agreed that the problem isn't the electorates but the elite politician class". And if your desire is to cover your eyes to what I actually do say and see what you want to see then I would have to concede that your desire is to remain blind!

It benefits the rulers to keep us blind. It is only by keeping us blind that we would continue to be enslaved in their Garden of Eden that they have convinced us we are in. When we acquire knowledge, our eyes will be open and we would see how naked we are and learn the proper things to do to give us the results that we desire. But if we do not do what is right, the wages of our ignorance is crouching at our door with the desires to have us, as we ought to clearly see by the fact that we currently suffer!

It is our duty and responsibility to bear our crosses and rule over our blindness instead of relying on some non-extant messianic politician to rule over it for us. It is us who suffer if we do not.

The electorates doesn't even know that they are Blind.
The politicians know, but the blindness work in their favour.

Who then will open the eyes of the blind?

shadeyinka:

It's impossible for a single person to rule a nation. But a single person can set the ideology and path of a nation.

Like I said: At my level, I can do what I can by educating people about the nature of our problem and proposing solutions to such problems. I also do my best at MY sphere of influence.

I do NOT have the kind of money to do our kind of politics. I cannot sacrifice my conscience to serve a big politician until I have the power to compete according to their rule.

But I have the power to talk: I will do more of educating people and complaining of need be so that others who read can think. You never know, one of them might be born close to the corridors of power or born with some diamond spoon in their mouths.

I will not say it is well when I know it isn't. I wouldn't keep quiet when I should speak up.

If it isn't me (as the president of Nigeria) , then it is certainly ONE MAN! The person who has heard the message and has been given the opportunity

Please stop underestimating yourself! You are far more powerful than you think. You are afterall here, a single person, setting the ideology and path of a nation, and we are here reading the ideology and path that you are setting. Even when we disagree with you, you sow seeds. And while some of your seeds may seem to fall along the path for the birds to eat; and some may fall on rocky places with little soil and be scorched by the sun and wither and die and some among thorns which choke them; still some seeds of yours will fall on good soil and produce a crop a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.

Those who have ears (and eyes) that work properly will hear (and see).

budaatum:

This idiot needs to go check how much debt America, UK and all of Europe are incurring to fight Covid-19, and he needs to understand that whether you pay back debt or not depends on the borrower and not on the lender.

But if you do happen to agree with him that Nigeria should not be lent any money, just consider the drop in Nigeria's revenues and ask how government would pay wages and fund other expenses and who would suffer if they don't.

weyrey you have no idea of what you are saying. Imagine comparing America and UK debt profile with that of Nigeria. Bro stop this hatred and let work collectively to change Nigeria.

shadeyinka:

Who then will open the eyes of the blind?

You. Me. Every single Nigerian who takes responsibility and decides to do what the person quoted below suggested, though he would need to show more responsibility and read more instead of ignorantly responding without reading and understanding.

firo08:
work collectively to change Nigeria.

shadeyinka:

What do you think is more real to them? It is not the Virus but the Hunger!

Not to those who lose people because of one or the other. It is here that Socrates attitude to democracy comes in. Further reading of Plato, who put words into Socrates mouth, would show you that the educated must be wise and smart enough to stop mob rule. If we can't, it just shows that we are not as wise and smart as we think we are, and must work harder instead of giving up to the mob.

budaatum:

Not to those who lose people because of one or the other. It is here that Socrates attitude to democracy comes in. Further reading of Plato, who put words into Socrates mouth, would show you that the educated must be wise and smart enough to stop mob rule. If we can't, it just shows that we are not as wise and smart as we think we are, and must work harder instead of giving up to the mob.

But it's the way life is everywhere!
Those who came to watch the crucifixion of Christ were much more than those who actually did the crucifixion. In the world, the mob always win. Whenever you see a thief being moved and tires on his neck, only a few people do the job. These are negative occurrences, the positive (Governance) also work similarly!

Sometimes, it takes one or two persons to stand up to a mob

budaatum:

You. Me. Every single Nigerian who takes responsibility and decides to do what the person quoted below suggested, though he would need to show more responsibility and read more instead of ignorantly responding without reading and understanding.

Yes, each one who know what Nigeria should be should do their own part AND educate everyone by not pretending that all is well. They should applaud the government when they do right but also speakup when government does bad

budaatum:

Please stop underestimating yourself! You are far more powerful than you think. You are afterall here, a single person, setting the ideology and path of a nation, and we are here reading the ideology and path that you are setting. Even when we disagree with you, you sow seeds. And while some of your seeds may seem to fall along the path for the birds to eat; and some may fall on rocky places with little soil and be scorched by the sun and wither and die and some among thorns which choke them; still some seeds of yours will fall on good soil and produce a crop a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.

Those who have ears (and eyes) that work properly will hear (and see).

I agree with you!
Gideon felt inadequate but God supplies grace for his purpose

shadeyinka:

But it's the way life is everywhere!
Those who came to watch the crucifixion of Christ were much more than those who actually did the crucifixion. In the world, the mob always win.

I do not agree that those who "came to watch the crucifixion of Christ" won, and from what I know of you, neither do you! If those who "came to watch the crucifixion of Christ" won, Jesus would not, as some believe, be sitting at the right hand of God judging the living and the dead and giving some what we refer to as eternal life!

I therefore ask you to reconsider if it is "the way life is everywhere", and that "in the world, the mob always win". Is it not the truth that the light always shines in the darkness, and the darkness, weak as it is, can never overcome?

shadeyinka:

Yes, each one who know what Nigeria should be should do their own part AND educate everyone by not pretending that all is well. They should applaud the government when they do right but also speakup when government does bad

Yes we should. We should also remind ourselves that we are the government. and therefore remove the twigs that blind us from our own eyes first so that we can more properly play our own parts in governing.

budaatum:

I do not agree that those who "came to watch the crucifixion of Christ" won, and from what I know of you, neither do you! If those who "came to watch the crucifixion of Christ" won, Jesus would not, as some believe, be sitting at the right hand of God judging the living and the dead and giving some what we refer to as eternal life!

I therefore ask you to reconsider if it is "the way life is everywhere", and that "in the world, the mob always win". Is it not the truth that the light always shines in the darkness, and the darkness, weak as it is, can never overcome?

I did NOT say "that those who "came to watch the crucifixion of Christ" won ". I said they were more in NUMBER! Interestingly mindlessly these chanted "crucify Him"!

It is known that the life of any mob is the apex minority!

budaatum:

Yes we should. We should also remind ourselves that we are the government. and therefore remove the twigs that blind us from our own eyes first so that we can more properly play our own parts in governing.

But we aren't the Government!
The government is actually one person: "The President".

Not even the vice President can say the phrase "my government".

The government is the one who has final authority is the sharing and disbursement of authority and resources of the nation.

We are the governed! It's the plain truth when analyzed

shadeyinka:

I agree with you!
Gideon felt inadequate but God supplies grace for his purpose

As did Moses and Christ and Mohammed and just about every prophet we read about today. Even God, we read, had to say, "[url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+1%3A26&version=NIV]Let us[/url]"!

Those who walk wisely never walk alone. Thy walk with an accompanying grace that acts like the [url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2013:18-21&version=NIV]Mustard Seed and the Yeast[/url].

shadeyinka:

But we aren't the Government!
The government is actually one person: "The President".

Not true. Though the majority irresponsible mob would agree with you.

We are a democratic nation. We run a system of governance by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives. If you do not participate, you are indeed being governed, but if you do take responsibility and participate even if it's just by casting a vote and electing the representatives, then you are the government, and your elected representatives serve at your pleasure.

shadeyinka:


I did NOT say "that those who "came to watch the crucifixion of Christ" won ". I said they were more in NUMBER! Interestingly mindlessly these chanted "crucify Him"!

It is known that the life of any mob is the apex minority!

Well, as long as you agree that they lost despite being more in number and watching Jesus Christ crucified. A mob can only win when the light is overcome. And that can only happen when people with light put it under a bowl instead of putting it on its stand so it gives light to everyone.

budaatum:

Well, as long as you agree that they lost despite being more in number and watching Jesus Christ crucified. A mob can only win when the light is overcome. And that can only happen when people with light put it under a bowl instead of putting it on its stand so it gives light to everyone.

The mob may not win (depending on the cause at hand) but they sheepishly follow a Lead (good or bad).

budaatum:

Not true. Though the majority irresponsible mob would agree with you.

We are a democratic nation. We run a system of governance by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives. If you do not participate, you are indeed being governed, but if you do take responsibility and participate even if it's just by casting a vote and electing the representatives, then you are the government, and your elected representatives serve at your pleasure.

In the last election at my polling booth, I looked around and discover that as per purpose, I was a minority. A vast majority had been bought before the election. To most, it was about collecting "what had been promised". The election was cancelled at the end of the day as people were sent home because of the rowdiness.
Come and see how people were rejoicing: why? Because the politicians will come to pay them. APC N4000, PDP N3000. I was disgusted but that was what happend.

Participation amidst a flood of blind folks does not make you part of the government. Your votes based on intellectual selection of credible candidate is meaningless.

Don't forget: in a democratic governance like in Nigeria, the vote of a professor of economics is exactly equal to the votes of a riffraff as long as he is 18years old. When the number of blind seriously outweigh the number of sighted, the equation becomes purely a game of numbers not of brains.


Using the example of Socrates or Plato, a group of seamen are better able to choose the best Captain for the ship through a storm than giving the seamen equal votes with the passengers. Of course in a cruise ship, the seamen would be less than 30 while the passengers are like 600. Which is sensible?
The fact that the seamen were part of the election doesn't make them part of the government.

Now, if the passengers overwhelmingly choose a rice-marchant as the ship Captain, do you think the seamen will agree that "it's their government?"

The key is this: the passengers know nothing about ship navigation and control: on what bases do you want them to choose a Captain. The uneducated don't know anything about governance, on what bases do they choose a Leader.

Now

shadeyinka:

The mob may not win (depending on the cause at hand) but they sheepishly follow a Lead (good or bad).

No the mob do not "sheepishly follow a Lead (good or bad)"! If they did, we'd all have a horde of sheep following us, good or bad! And if Christ had adopted that attitude “[url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+27%3A46%2CMark+15%3A34&version=NASB]Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?”[/url] would have had a greater significance than we give it today.

The work of enlightening, they say, is plenty, but competent enlighteners are few and so those few must work harder and smarter instead of enlightening in vain because they are not really with light.

The mob follow what best appeals to them, and in light of not many workers adequately promoting light, the mob flounder in the dark because that is all they have appealing to them.

The art is in making the light appeal to the mob, and if they are not following that light, then perhaps that light is dim and not bright enough. The light people should therefore put in more effort to put their light on a stand and make the light brighter so the mob will see and follow it instead of blaming their own inadequacies and lack of ability to enlighten on the mob.

shadeyinka:

In the last election at my polling booth, I looked around and discover that as per purpose, I was a minority.

Well, I'd say you erred in waiting till you were at the booth on election day to discover you were a minority. If you had been smarter and wiser, you'd have been out there educating and mobilising people before election day.

Thankfully, here we are with the next election a few years away and you are proactively mobilising and educating so your minority might decrease. Have faith in your abilities and your seeds will produce a crop a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.

budaatum:

Well, I'd say you erred in waiting till you were at the booth on election day to discover you were a minority. If you had been smarter and wiser, you'd have been out there educating and mobilising people before election day.

Thankfully, here we are with the next election a few years away and you are proactively mobilising and educating so your minority might decrease. Have faith in your abilities and your seeds will produce a crop a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.

I said you're out of touch with realities on ground. It's not like in many countries where fliers are shared in the neighbourhood by interested campaigners.

There was NO campaign except for money sharing (where APC and PDP reps came to distribute their incentive to people).My candidate was neither APC nor PDP and I wasn't even a card carrying member of his party.

You are certainly out of touch! Walahi!

budaatum:

No the mob do not "sheepishly follow a Lead (good or bad)"! If they did, we'd all have a horde of sheep following us, good or bad! And if Christ had adopted that attitude “[url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+27%3A46%2CMark+15%3A34&version=NASB]Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?”[/url] would have had a greater significance than we give it today.

The work of enlightening, they say, is plenty, but competent enlighteners are few and so those few must work harder and smarter instead of enlightening in vain because they are not really with light.

The mob follow what best appeals to them, and in light of not many workers adequately promoting light, the mob flounder in the dark because that is all they have appealing to them.

The art is in making the light appeal to the mob, and if they are not following that light, then perhaps that light is dim and not bright enough. The light people should therefore put in more effort to put their light on a stand and make the light brighter so the mob will see and follow it instead of blaming their own inadequacies and lack of ability to enlighten on the mob.

What happens with the mob isn't strange

John 3:19:
"And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."

shadeyinka:

I said you're out of touch with realities on ground. It's not like in many countries where fliers are shared in the neighbourhood by interested campaigners.

There was NO campaign except for money sharing (where APC and PDP reps came to distribute their incentive to people).My candidate was neither APC nor PDP and I wasn't even a card carrying member of his party.

You are certainly out of touch! Walahi!

You can accuse me of being out of touch as much as you want shade. The fact that you did not campaign in your neighbourhood does not mean no one else campaigned in your neighbourhood even if they never campaigned to you.

Some of us are campaigning despite being out of the country and our candidates are winning elections while you are sitting on your ass moaning. And we are not sharing money while doing so since we are much smarter than that.

Campaigning is not only about sharing money. Some of us go so far as seeing campaigning as educating. And we start educating long before you are old enough to vote because the evildoers do not rest so neither do we.

budaatum:

You can accuse me of being out of touch as much as you want shade. The fact that you did not campaign in your neighbourhood does not mean no one else campaigned in your neighbourhood even if they never campaigned to you.

Some of us are campaigning despite being out of the country and our candidates are winning elections while you are sitting on your ass moaning. And we are not sharing money while doing so since we are much smarter than that.

Campaigning is not only about sharing money. Some of us go so far as seeing campaigning as educating. And we start educating long before you are old enough to vote because the evildoers do not rest so neither do we.

So you campaigned for Buhari?
No wonder!

For me, I want Impressed with the campaign promises of Atiku and Buhari didn't even campaign at all(not talking about rally o). You should know that for now in Nigeria, once you are not APC or PDP your candidate can't win an election. The two parties have the money to use for political inducements and a political structure that goes down to the grassroots

shadeyinka:

So you campaigned for Buhari?
No wonder!

For me, I want Impressed with the campaign promises of Atiku and Buhari didn't even campaign at all(not talking about rally o). You should know that for now in Nigeria, once you are not APC or PDP your candidate can't win an election. The two parties have the money to use for political inducements and a political structure that goes down to the grassroots

I do know that "once you are not APC or PDP your candidate can't win an election". And being the realist that I am, I certainly did campaign for my bubu! If I hadn't, that crooked Atiku would be President today. And since his manifesto was sell the goose NNPC that lays our golden eggs, and since I know he was going to sell it to his cronies who would strip the goose as he did when he was privatizing under Obj leaving us with lots of now dead companies, I am very pleased with myself thank you very much.

Nigeria is certainly not ready for a better ruler so we chose the least worse out of those who come forward while we educate the mob to know better. For now though there's absolutely no way I am going to be irresponsible and let that more crooked Atiku preside over me. The level of irresponsibility required for that is way beyond me!