Dictators v Democrats: Why We Fight
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Democracy is at war. We can see the forces rallied against it: autocratic states like Russia, China, Iran and North Korea, techno-aristocrats, religious fundamentalists and populist demagogues.
From the trenches of Ukraine to the halls of power in the US, democratic, free values are under determined assault.
But, there are those who resist.
In 'Why We Fight' we talk to those who claim to be defending democracy; that's everyone from soldiers, protestors, activists, religious leaders, industrialists and politicians.
We find out who they are, what drove them to take up the struggle, what their work is and why their idea of democracy is worth fighting for.
Dictators v Democrats: Why We Fight
Is Democracy Broken? Metin Peckin’s Radical Case Against Political Parties
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Are political parties actually undermining democracy?
In this episode of Dictators v Democrats: Why We Fight, We sit down with businessman-turned-author Metin Peckin, whose new book Breaking Democracy’s Chains argues that the biggest threat to modern democracy isn’t dictators—it’s the system itself.
Peckin makes a provocative case: political parties have become gatekeepers, limiting true representation and concentrating power in the hands of wealthy elites and entrenched interests. Drawing on history—from the warnings of the American Founding Fathers to modern examples like the Iraq War and Citizens United—he argues that democracy has been captured.
Together, we explore:
- Why political parties may be “the bottleneck” in representation
- How money and elite influence shape modern politics
- Whether independent candidates could replace party systems
- A radical proposal for a party-less democracy
- The role of technology in transforming representation
- The limits of freedom, and what democracy should actually mean
Peckin also outlines his proposed reforms, including independent MPs, ranked-choice voting, and a “democracy tax” designed to curb the influence of big money in politics.
This is a challenging, wide-ranging conversation about whether democracy as we know it still works—and what it might take to fix it.