And with caos sufferings and poorness. By the way, when democracy appeared in Greece it was only for maybe 300 persons. The rest were soldiers, and slaves that just obeyed orders. Things have not changed too much today in spite the numbers now are bigger. Martial arts, without the strong obedience to the sempai kohai relationship makes no sense or it will not be a good training for dayly life that it is not democratic.
Common people has always somebody to obey, and somebody to give orders like in their jobs.
Democracy is just for very special citizens, as I said, with very big, but really big, bank accounts. In Aikido World things turns bewteen the japanese shihan and Doshu. That is the today reallity. Maybe in the close future some special westerns will be able to join the club. My point about Aikikai being a political federation was only intended to mean that it is an organization and a clearinghouse for graduations and the spreading of Aikido as it sees fit.