Local democracy bites the dust
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="headline">headline</span> (<span word="The">The</span> <span word="Guardian">Guardian</span>, <span word="March">March</span> 25, 2016): <span word="Michael">Michael</span> <span word="Rosen">Rosen</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="academy">academy</span> <span word="schools">schools</span>: ‘<span word="Local">Local</span> <span word="democracy">democracy</span> <span word="bites">bites</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="dust">dust</span>’. <span word="Bites">Bites</span> “<span word="the">the</span> <span word="dust">dust</span>”, <span word="what">what</span> <span word="dust">dust</span>?</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="Dust">Dust</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="phrase">phrase</span> <span word="refers">refers</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="dirt">dirt</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="floor">floor</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="open">open</span> <span word="ground">ground</span> <span word="rather">rather</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="earth">earth</span> <span word="itself">itself</span>.</p><p><span word="It">It</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="nothing">nothing</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="Beijing">Beijing</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="polluted">polluted</span> <span word="air">air</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="smog">smog</span>, <span word="thank">thank</span> <span word="heaven">heaven</span>.</p><p><span word="Literally">Literally</span>, <span word="if">if</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="bites">bites</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="dust">dust</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="fall">fall</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ground">ground</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="that">that</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="since">since</span> <span word="men">men</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="business">business</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="eat">eat</span> <span word="dust">dust</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="living">living</span>, <span word="hence">hence</span> <span word="we">we</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="supposed">supposed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="phrase">phrase</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="face">face</span> <span word="value">value</span>. <span word="What">What</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="really">really</span> <span word="implies">implies</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="going">going</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="bite">bite</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="dust">dust</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="he">he</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="going">going</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="die">die</span>.</p><p><span word="From">From</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="comes">comes</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="figurative">figurative</span> <span word="meaning">meaning</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="something">something</span> <span word="failing">failing</span> <span word="terribly">terribly</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="when">when</span> <span word="local">local</span> <span word="democracy">democracy</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="described">described</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="biting">biting</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="dust">dust</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="democracy">democracy</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="dead">dead</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="local">local</span> <span word="level">level</span>.</p><p><span word="What">What</span> <span word="does">does</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="mean">mean</span>?</p><p><span word="I">I</span> <span word="don">don</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="know">know</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="idea">idea</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="whole">whole</span> <span word="idea">idea</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Western">Western</span>-<span word="style">style</span> <span word="democracy">democracy</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="vague">vague</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="due">due</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="lack">lack</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="direct">direct</span> <span word="experience">experience</span>. <span word="However">However</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="speculate">speculate</span> – <span word="and">and</span> <span word="venture">venture</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="contend">contend</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="locale">locale</span>, <span word="wherever">wherever</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span>, <span word="where">where</span> <span word="democracy">democracy</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="practiced">practiced</span>, <span word="albeit">albeit</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="sort">sort</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="feeble">feeble</span> <span word="fashion">fashion</span>, <span word="people">people</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="turning">turning</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="droves">droves</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="vote">vote</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="elections">elections</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="things">things</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="nature">nature</span>.</p><p><span word="Or">Or</span> <span word="perhaps">perhaps</span> <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="holding">holding</span> <span word="elections">elections</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="all">all</span>. <span word="Whatever">Whatever</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="exactly">exactly</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="ails">ails</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="place">place</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="sure">sure</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="democratic">democratic</span> <span word="process">process</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="failing">failing</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="locals">locals</span>.</p>
页:
[1]