Greece betrays failure of most western democracies

Forty-three elected members of the Greek parliament were disendorsed and expelled from their Pasok and New Democracy parties because they did not vote for the austerity bill.  The usurpation of parliamentary votes by political parties is now common practice in democracies around the world, and only adds to growing social unrest.

Even though there was some justification to create desperately needed political agreement in Greece, the events demonstrate how party dictate now displaces democratic rule.

Democratic parliaments were not intended to vote according to party dictates:  they were for the wider populace.  Elected members often now represent their parties instead of their voters, under the pretence of representing those voters.  Once voted into parliament, to retain party endorsement, they will often pursue party interests even in conflict with constituents' wishes.  The resulting parliamentary censorship of electors' collective voices by political parties for political party interests fuels further public hostility towards "democratic" governments.  The founding principle of western democracies, that elected members represent and give a voice to their electorate, continues to be violated.