Vision 2030 Jan. 2013 | Page 8

When the Greek Prime Minister had the audacity to propose putting a referendum on matters economic to the people, he was promptly removed from office and replaced by a technocrat until a new leader could be elected. How ironic that this should happen in the very birthplace of democracy itself. A similar fate befell Italy after Berlusconi stepped down as president, only to be replaced by Goldman Sach’s technocrat, Mario Monti. Add to the mix a flawed international banking system run amok with corruption and thievery and the demise of the sovereign as it, in Ireland’s case, panders to the orders of the International Monetary Fund, the European Central Bank and the European Union. Balance that with the Occupy movement and the actions of an international hodge-podge of superintelligent, idealistic hackers, and it is apparent that we are living through some very interesting times indeed. We are seeing the ebb and flow of democracy and tyranny right in front of our eyes. The forces that will undoubtedly shape our future are very much in conflict. Any one of the above points could be explored in far more detail, and indeed, they will be throughout the rest of this publication. Having set the scene, and endeavored to point out the forces at play, the central point that I would like to make is regarding democracy and the social contract, as this becomes increasingly important as we see signs of tyranny entering our democracy. 8