Libya, participatory democracy and the Big Society

Ok, Gadhafi’s a rambling insane and dangerous nightmare, and the sooner he falls, the better for the brave Libyans. But I can’t help wondering if he’s actually helped the transition through his legacy of theoretical participatory democracy, as it’s now being made real every time civilians and protesters take control of one more town. Take a look at what happened in Misrata when the civilians took over.

Citizens grouping are organising blood drives, directing the traffic, patrolling the areas beyond the city limits, shackling mercenaries, and generally keeping things ticking along without the monstrous hand of Gadhafi’s unaccountable goons pervading every part of government and civic life.

This reminds me of two things. First, the people committees everywhere that Gadhafi espouses in his “Green Book”, with no one excluded from decision-making. A pathetic piece of window dressing for a dictatorship for the last 40 odd years, for sure. But something that has been drilled into Libyan minds routinely for over 40 years too.

So perhaps they are now thinking, “ok, we’ve never actually done these participatory things mentioned in that book that had seemed like fiction until now, but now we are free to do so, we know how we’ve got to organise, let’s get on so things don’t fall apart.” I wonder if it will sustain, or if we end up with the usual representative democracy and its inevitable disappointments.

The other thing it reminds me of is David Cameron’s big society vision. People, not bureaucrats, in charge of hospitals and policing. OK, perhaps not the means of getting there he had in mind, but hey, what, in essence, is the difference? Locally determined public services according to immediate needs – how could they be more responsive? And these are being run in Libyan cities at no cost to the Libyan taxpayer (oh, for taxpayer, read state oil company) – perfect! What’s not to like, David?