FROM ORKUT post on democracy

FYI, there was democracy even before the greeks in Tamil Nadu in India. I had the oppurtunity to read a small excerpt from one of books of Thiruvalluvar. There he had written the qualifications for a head of Panchayat, king and emporer. He was listing in modern terms the managerial skills needed for the post. There was amention of a person practically proving his own business before he can be chosen for a village pacnchayat chief's post. A King must similarly be capable of running 3-5 villages effectively before he can become a king. An emporer must be capable of leading 2-3 kingdoms before he can be made an emporer.

Democracy is not only of people intelligently choosing a leader. It must be for ppl to make a choice for a leader among highly competent leaders. The Europeans diluted the real definition of Democracy because they wanted legitmacy for their barbaric governments. Even the famous quote of "of the ppl, by the ppl..." was made in a rally to increase the popularity of the person.