Defending Politics

I have just been reading a book called 'Defending Politics' by Prof. [of Parliamentary Government & Governance] Matthew Flinders of the University of Sheffield. His contention is that democratic politics delivers far more than most of us recognise and that “If more & more people are disappointed with what modern democratic politics delivers then it is possible that the fault lies with those who demand too much, fail to acknowledge the essence of democratic engagement, and ignore the complexities of governing in the 21st Century” and “Would politics be interpreted as failing a little less if we all spent a little less time emphasizing our individual rights and a little more time reflecting on our responsibilities to society and future generations?” These statements are taken from a summary on the dust cover but the book argues the case very readably and even handedly and I personally agree very much with him. You do not have to spend long on Facebook/Twitter to see how the 'debate' on pretty much anything is reduced in pretty short order to hysterical rants in which vicious character assassination is the prime thrust.