The Democracy Solution

In his TED talk, former Prime Minister George Papandreou wonders if it’s just a preview of what’s to come. “Our democracies,“ he says, "are trapped by systems that are too big to fail, or more accurately, too big to control” – while "politicians like me have lost the trust of their peoples.” How to solve it? Have citizens re-engage more directly in a new democratic bargain.

via George Papandreou: Imagine a European democracy without borders | Video on TED.com

With recent European economic crises as backdrop, Papandreou suggests that civic engagement across national boundaries is what it will take to create the kind of meaningful change that large corporations shun and politicians lack imagination and will to achieve.

I would argue that yes, he is correct.