Tres13 · 51-55, M
Law of the Jungle Biggest Dick rulz
sarabee1995 · 26-30, F
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GERRI · 51-55, F
@sarabee1995 Democracy has always failed... PERIOD!! That's why we have a Representative Republic.. I know the Social Justice Warriors and Open Society Cultist Children,,, all the misguided brain-washed products of George Soros, BTW,,,,,, believe we have a democracy,,, but we positively DO NOT.. Higher Education must really be in the dumper, these days.
sarabee1995 · 26-30, F
@GERRI Oh please. The OP wasn't suggesting that we have a one-man/one-vote pure democracy with referendums deciding every issue.
In common usage, the word democracy today refers to all constitutional monarchies, representative republics, parliamentary systems, etc, etc.
Western democracies from the US to Canada to the UK to France to Germany to Poland and many more are all generally referred to as democracies despite none being literal democracies. What we are instead are systems of government where the people have input at the ballot box.
I get what you are saying. But don't be ridiculous.
In common usage, the word democracy today refers to all constitutional monarchies, representative republics, parliamentary systems, etc, etc.
Western democracies from the US to Canada to the UK to France to Germany to Poland and many more are all generally referred to as democracies despite none being literal democracies. What we are instead are systems of government where the people have input at the ballot box.
I get what you are saying. But don't be ridiculous.
ServantOfTheGoddess · 61-69, M
Abstraction · 61-69, M
Democracy is being strangled by wealthy and powerful special interests - those who think it's functioning well aren't paying attention. It seems to be the best form of government, so what's needed is democracy with transparency and accountability and pruning of the power of special interests.
The most successful countries balance government, markets and civil society. Currently market interests are dominating government and civil society has little power. That makes it 'democracy' in only token ways.
The most successful countries balance government, markets and civil society. Currently market interests are dominating government and civil society has little power. That makes it 'democracy' in only token ways.
ServantOfTheGoddess · 61-69, M
@Abstraction Agreed. What can we do about it though?
Abstraction · 61-69, M
@ServantOfTheGoddess I can do little. In Australia since both major parties are beholden to large donors little happens. However we are starting to see an increase in independents and groups like Greens who promote transparency - mostly due to younger voters coming through. We just missed having the balance of power held by these groups but the younger voters will continue to cause this swing I hope - so that next election it may force change as the government will need to negotiate to govern.
Most Western countries have now been practising democracy for around 200 years, some for longer.
None of the versions are ideal.
Which are thought to work better often seems to depend on personal bias.
Objective criteria include percentage of population with a healthy standard of living, plus a balance of personal freedom and responsibility versus civic and social duty, and the fewest number of people falling through the cracks.
An ideal political system is not possible.
Any whole is always greater than the sum of its parts and,
since no human is without faults or flaws,
every system we invent will be flawed by our misbehaviours and mistakes.
The best we can do is to create checks and balances.
One of these is the news media. It should be mandated that each outlet must show all sides of issues and publish the views of relevant experts. Media should pay heavy penalties for proven lies or omissions, and worse if these are proven to be deliberate or part of a systemic pattern. Media monopolies should be broken apart and forbidden from mergers.
Most democracies already have several checks but need more independent investigative bodies, paid by the public purse, whose job is to prosecute and expose corruption in any and all political, public, corporate systems, and to mandate improvements to legislation. In some cases, this might require referenda for changes to constitutions.
According to history, autocracy is guaranteed to be far worse. Power concentrated in one person or group for too long leads to abuse of power. Although a benign dictator is theoretically possible, I don't know of even one that has ever existed.
We do need leaders in emergencies, but the choice must depend on expertise and the job should end as soon as the emergency passes.
None of the versions are ideal.
Which are thought to work better often seems to depend on personal bias.
Objective criteria include percentage of population with a healthy standard of living, plus a balance of personal freedom and responsibility versus civic and social duty, and the fewest number of people falling through the cracks.
An ideal political system is not possible.
Any whole is always greater than the sum of its parts and,
since no human is without faults or flaws,
every system we invent will be flawed by our misbehaviours and mistakes.
The best we can do is to create checks and balances.
One of these is the news media. It should be mandated that each outlet must show all sides of issues and publish the views of relevant experts. Media should pay heavy penalties for proven lies or omissions, and worse if these are proven to be deliberate or part of a systemic pattern. Media monopolies should be broken apart and forbidden from mergers.
Most democracies already have several checks but need more independent investigative bodies, paid by the public purse, whose job is to prosecute and expose corruption in any and all political, public, corporate systems, and to mandate improvements to legislation. In some cases, this might require referenda for changes to constitutions.
According to history, autocracy is guaranteed to be far worse. Power concentrated in one person or group for too long leads to abuse of power. Although a benign dictator is theoretically possible, I don't know of even one that has ever existed.
We do need leaders in emergencies, but the choice must depend on expertise and the job should end as soon as the emergency passes.
ServantOfTheGoddess · 61-69, M
@hartfire Thank you for such a thorough and thoughtful answer and good suggestions!
Rutterman · 46-50, M
I like what Winston Churchill said on the topic...
‘Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.…’
‘Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.…’
ServantOfTheGoddess · 61-69, M
@Nanoose I live here too and parliamentary democracy has a lot to be said for it but did you see the latest figures on how much CEOs are earning in this country? And have you noticed the extreme weather becoming just normal, here and elsewhere in the world? The slow moderate processes of our system of government don't deal well with long-term crises. We pretty much gave up on dealing seriously with covid, two years in...
ServantOfTheGoddess · 61-69, M
@Lucia That's setting the bar pretty low.
Lucia · 36-40
@ServantOfTheGoddess Well if you have a better suggestion, please feel free to come up with it. But until a better one is found, I'd say the least bad one is the one we go with.
ServantOfTheGoddess · 61-69, M
@Lucia Trying to think about better suggestions is exactly the point of this post.
I wouldn't try to run the world.
But I would try to encourage the development of more actively engaged "citizen democracy".
It starts at the local level using proven data from specialist experts.
When people have all the facts (or as many as possible), decisions are usually much easier
and left and right divisions become almost irrelevant.
But I would try to encourage the development of more actively engaged "citizen democracy".
It starts at the local level using proven data from specialist experts.
When people have all the facts (or as many as possible), decisions are usually much easier
and left and right divisions become almost irrelevant.
ServantOfTheGoddess · 61-69, M
@hartfire How do we get people to actually recognize those facts and take them seriously? 😢
Roundandroundwego · 61-69
Crazywaterspring · 61-69, M
Illusiocracy.
i will control your subconscious mind with simulated intelligence and wave emissions. all your actions will be strictly deterministic. the illusion of free will will be perceived by you as true free will.
my system of control over you is designed down to the smallest detail.
now you don't notice it, do you?
i will control your subconscious mind with simulated intelligence and wave emissions. all your actions will be strictly deterministic. the illusion of free will will be perceived by you as true free will.
my system of control over you is designed down to the smallest detail.
now you don't notice it, do you?
ServantOfTheGoddess · 61-69, M
@fakable this gets "scariest answer"!
ServantOfTheGoddess · 61-69, M
@Wiseacre in what way?
scrood · 31-35
United States is NOT and never has been a democracy. The REPUBLIC is only fit for God-fearing, morally upright men.
This world belongs to the adversary who is preparing the Return of the King, Jesus Christ. All divine right of kings is based on the rule of the Lord. The U.S. Constitution does not deny the right of kings to rule; the King of Britain has no jurisdiction over the new world. The Pope gave the new world to Spain and Portugal.
This world belongs to the adversary who is preparing the Return of the King, Jesus Christ. All divine right of kings is based on the rule of the Lord. The U.S. Constitution does not deny the right of kings to rule; the King of Britain has no jurisdiction over the new world. The Pope gave the new world to Spain and Portugal.
smiler2012 · 61-69
Roundandroundwego · 61-69
ServantOfTheGoddess · 61-69, M
@Roundandroundwego OK, include some of it in your new system :)
Roundandroundwego · 61-69
@ServantOfTheGoddess communism means democracy in the economic system.
That's why it's the enemy.
That's why it's the enemy.
Heartlander · 80-89, M
Unfortunately, democracy is used as a path to autocracy.
When it's my turn to rule the world I will outlaw political parties, which tend to be governments within a government.
When it's my turn to rule the world I will outlaw political parties, which tend to be governments within a government.