INEQUALITY SPOILS DEMOCRACY
Political freedom consists of the factors among which democracy has very important place. In a politically free country there is no certainty that people of that country are also free to live their life as standard sets of rules. Their freedom is decided by the democratic rights which they have and which they use practically. But for enjoying those democratic rights it's essential that the inequality and inequity among people of the country are kept at lowest level. If this is not so unequal people can't enjoy democratic rights equally. This is very simple arithmetic and is measurable on a scale. Political freedom is a deceiving concept because most people though feel they are free as they can chose their government as per their rule but in reality they don't do so as their level of inequality shape their involvement in the political process for choosing their government. Further , choosing a government is just one democratic -political right among many others which people don't even think that they exist at all.
In the era of rapid technological improvements in which we live and our progeny will have to live rapid change and improvements are needed and for makin skill development tuned with technological progress we need readily available educational and training resources. This exercise of continuous upgradation needs sufficient amount of money in pocket and abundant educational and training institutions. If either is less we can't upgrade. Further scarcity of one makes the other scarce. If we have less than required money we can't opt of upgradation and this will make us redundant in the field of economic activities and will be a liability for the system making the system weak and fragile. On the other hand if educational resources are scarce only a few are able to get into and upgrade themselves which again leave many as redundant and useless. If the system responds poorly those who have no money to be upgraded and trained are either left out or they have to opt for low standard institutes making them under skilled. In any case inequality in income or resources deepen inequality further and only a handful.who are rich earlier have chance to move upward.
If this inequality and inequity continue to grow more and more people remain either unemployed or underemployed . Their bargaing capacity deciles more and more. Such people are not in a position to claim their democratic rights which are written in rule books. Neither are they able to challange the unequal rich . This situation enables richer or well to do sections to claim all important jobs, including jobs of politicians and jobs of arbitrators. Thus inequality fill the structure of power with those who are unequally higher.
In a society who are technologically more well and advanced trained have higher capacity to bargain and to earn. They have higher social status as well. But for achieving this status and income well to do background is needed. Since facilities for such education are scarce or very small only boys and girls from a sound background compete for this. On the other hand those who are not so sound and who are in majority are left behind and have to be satisfied with lower quality of education and this makes them capable of only low paid or poorly paid jobs. Thus inequality perpetuates inequality, inequality breeds inequality. In a society where every one has no chance to get equal training for his or her future such losers fall behind in claiming their democratic rights. In such a situation though theoretically rights are available to all, all are equal before law, all have equal opportunity to compete in reality they are decided in unequal boundaries and such boundaries are more difficult to be crossed than any international physical boundary.
This continuing inequality and inequity are manifested in child rearing, standard of life, level of attained education, healthcare facilities, social relationship and all other walks of life . But one more impact which is not even considered by the sufferers themselves is the dignity of life as a whole. The entire edifice of democracy rests on the plateform of human dignity which is paramount. Inequality and inequity diminish the chance for unequally low person to enjoy a dignified life for which democracy is being accepted as a model for governance. Politically that person lives in a free nation but his/her own life is not free enough to avail the fruits of a dignified life. If democracy fails to provide her followers a dignified life then democracy is nothing but a form of governance adopted by those who had already access to resources of society including resource of power. Thus in a society with marked inequality democracy becomes self defeating. No amount of rules and regulations and ideologies can save such democracy from become oligarchy. Symbolism in name of democracy and rhetoric can't build democracy.