NationStates Jolt Archive

I have recently begun to question democracy more and more and seen more and more problems with it. Please bring me back to the faith.

*Points to George Bush*

My evil work here is done.

*wanders off*

*Points to George Bush*

My evil work here is done.

*wanders off*
Erm... *points to evil dictator* (no, not Bush)

I have recently begun to question democracy more and more and seen more and more problems with it. Please bring me back to the faith.

Well, for one, dictatorships aren't really much better in terms of quality of life and so on.

Erm... *points to evil dictator* (no, not Bush)

Hey,stop pointing at me,its rude!

Government in any form isn't good. I feel the same way with religion, clothing, and electronic devices. Government is turning us into the misanthropic puppets that alot of us claim to hate.

Well, for one, dictatorships aren't really much better in terms of quality of life and so on.

Well the life under Marcus Aurelias, Charlemagne, Louis 14 etc. were not so bad. Although there are more examples of bad dictatorships it has been around for...a hell of a long time while modern democracy...less than 250 years. The successful democratic countries may be so due to other reasons not democracy.

I think Winston Churchill put it best when he said,
No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time."
When you are looking at democracy and picking out all of it's faults, you have to remember everything else that it brings with it. Sure, people are stupid, but they have their own interests, or their conception of those interests, at heart. While many other forms of government (facism, communism, benevolent dictatorship, libertarian semi-anarchy, etc.) may look good on paper, eventually you end up with a corrupt ruling class that just wants to look out for number one. Now, am I going to tell you that democracy never screws up? Of course not, just to list a few examples in the United States: slavery, civil rights, women's suffrage, Vietnam, Japaneese internment camps... But the great thing about democracy is that we realized how we had screwed up, and we fixed it. No other form of government can claim to be even half as versatile, nor anywhere near as capable of recovering from its own errors. The great thing about democracy is not that we never mess up, but that we always fix it and keep right on going. It might occasionally be a bit slow on the uptake, but hey, it's better than anything else we have been able to come up with. Until somebody can show me a working alternative, I'm quite happy with what we've got now.

I have recently begun to question democracy more and more and seen more and more problems with it. Please bring me back to the faith.
Why would you want to be democratic in a game?
join the dark side.
*starts breathing like darth vader*:sniper:

Why would you want to be democratic in a game?
join the dark side.
*starts breathing like darth vader*:sniper:
Just joking Democraty owns.

Government in any form isn't good. I feel the same way with religion, clothing, and electronic devices. Government is turning us into the misanthropic puppets that alot of us claim to hate.

ANARCHY!!!

As Winston Churchill said: "Democracy is the worst system in the world, except for all the others." I agree with that.

ANARCHY!!! Even worse, anarcho-primitivism.

Government in any form isn't good. I feel the same way with religion, clothing, and electronic devices. Government is turning us into the misanthropic puppets that alot of us claim to hate.

So why arn't you living naked in a mud hut in some anarchic state?

The problem is that there are no ways to keep dictators in check. They can kill anyone who criticizes them and cover it up, make up any justification and prevent the truth from getting out, and so on. Not surprisingly, they almost always do this sort of thing to some extent.

Government in any form isn't good. I feel the same way with religion, clothing, and electronic devices. Government is turning us into the misanthropic puppets that alot of us claim to hate.

So you'd rather walk around naked in 20 degree weather? If you're against technology, then why did you even turn on your computer?

Religion is truly vile, though. :sniper:

How can you possibly apply a word like "best" to a planet of cultures so varied and diverse that no governmental system can truly be the most effective for all people, or even any? Every governmental system has flaws, and no governmental system will work for the entire populous.

EDIT: Removed second half when I re-read the thread. The first and second posts ran together. I apologize for this.

I have recently begun to question democracy more and more and seen more and more problems with it. Please bring me back to the faith.

If you know of a better system that has been proven to work, please let me know. Personally, I don't know of any other political/economic system in the world that has worked better.

No, democracy is not perfect but at least the people living in a democratic society have the opportunity to change it.

ANARCHY!!!

Which has worked so well in Sudan. :(

Which has worked so well in Sudan. :(
Don't forget Somalia.

I think Winston Churchill put it best when he said,

When you are looking at democracy and picking out all of it's faults, you have to remember everything else that it brings with it. Sure, people are stupid, but they have their own interests, or their conception of those interests, at heart. While many other forms of government (facism, communism, benevolent dictatorship, libertarian semi-anarchy, etc.) may look good on paper, eventually you end up with a corrupt ruling class that just wants to look out for number one. Now, am I going to tell you that democracy never screws up? Of course not, just to list a few examples in the United States: slavery, civil rights, women's suffrage, Vietnam, Japaneese internment camps... But the great thing about democracy is that we realized how we had screwed up, and we fixed it. No other form of government can claim to be even half as versatile, nor anywhere near as capable of recovering from its own errors. The great thing about democracy is not that we never mess up, but that we always fix it and keep right on going. It might occasionally be a bit slow on the uptake, but hey, it's better than anything else we have been able to come up with. Until somebody can show me a working alternative, I'm quite happy with what we've got now.

In every other form of government, you end up with a corrupt ruling class, that just wants to look after number one.

Whereas, in Democracy, you end up with a corrupt ruling class, that just wants to look after number one.... but the peasants get to scribble "x" on a piece of paper, from time to time.

If you know of a better system that has been proven to work, please let me know. Personally, I don't know of any other political/economic system in the world that has worked better.

No, democracy is not perfect but at least the people living in a democratic society have the opportunity to change it.

Keep telling yourself that.

In a monarchy, the minority oppresses the majority. In a democracy, the majority oppresses the minority. I think that government is a case-specific deal.

In a monarchy, the minority oppresses the majority. In a democracy, the majority oppresses the minority. I think that government is a case-specific deal.
Monarchy, Aristocracy, and Democracy are not qualitatively different from one another. They only differ quantitatively (as in how many people are supposedly involved).

You can establish qualitative differences through things like Constitutions and the like, however.

Monarchy, Aristocracy, and Democracy are not qualitatively different from one another. They only differ quantitatively (as in how many people are supposedly involved).

You can establish qualitative differences through things like Constitutions and the like, however.
Can't you let me be a superficial bastard just once?!

Communism is not a form of government, it's an economic philosophy.

[/ungrits teeth]

Becoming a politics student combined with my nitpicky nature and these forums was, in hindsight a bad move.

I tend to agree with Grave_n_idle, Democracy is pretty much a sham, in the UK the Civil Service runs everything, in the US only the rich ever get into high office etc.

Democracy, from Greek demokratia, more or less equivalent to "Mob Rule." The name says it all.

Communism is not a form of government, it's an economic philosophy.

[/ungrits teeth]

Becoming a politics student combined with my nitpicky nature and these forums was, in hindsight a bad move.

I tend to agree with Grave_n_idle, Democracy is pretty much a sham, in the UK the Civil Service runs everything, in the US only the rich ever get into high office etc.

Indeed, it really takes something of a microcosm mindset to view any REAL differences between the Tories and Labour, or between the Democrats and the G.O.P.

Of course - neither the UK or the US even IS a Democracy...

Democracy, from Greek demokratia, more or less equivalent to "Mob Rule." The name says it all.

I wish I could remember who and when...

A 'comedian' walks down the street, and accosts a random passerby:

"If you were in charge of everything, for ONE day... what would you do?"

Random passerby looks confused for about ten seconds...

"And THAT, is why Democracy doesn't work"....

Government in any form isn't good. I feel the same way with religion, clothing, and electronic devices. Government is turning us into the misanthropic puppets that alot of us claim to hate.

clothing?! does even zerzan go that far?

I would but I can't find any nudist colonies around here. I have searched the internet for over 2 years now.Only things that are related that come up are nude beaches, which I have been to a couple and went nude. As for the technology, I'll keep using it until December 22nd, 2012, at the latest, then we will see what happens from there if anyone is alive after that time.

So far, the best system that has been tried, and perhaps the best system period, is democracy with a strong constitution to limit state power. That way the will of the people is carried out, providing that it doesn't infringe upon the rights of individuals.

So far, the best system that has been tried, and perhaps the best system period, is democracy with a strong constitution to limit state power. That way the will of the people is carried out, providing that it doesn't infringe upon the rights of individuals.

First - what you have described is not a true democracy... since the 'people' MUST ALSO BE individuals... thus, state power, in a TRUE democracy, must be the DIRECT application ONLY of the will of individuals.

No 'protection' against 'infringment' would need to exist in true democracy.

Second - Actually, the BEST system that has been tried, is the benign dictatorship. Or anarcho-communism. Or wapentak-style direct democracy.

It really depends on what you mean by 'best', no?

Second - Actually, the BEST system that has been tried, is the benign dictatorship. Or anarcho-communism. Or wapentak-style direct democracy.

It really depends on what you mean by 'best', no?

personally, i'm patrial to egalitarian consensus-like processes in face-to-face communities.

in terms of state based systems, the theocratic god-king idea seems to win the longevity award.

The best form of government is a benevolent dictatorship run by a wise and knowledgeable ruler. I would have no problem giving up my right to vote if such a person could be found. Sadly, that day will never come since, like many other good ideas such as a communist state, this flies in the face of human nature. Until humanity itself improves its nature, democracy is the best we deserve.

The best form of government is a benevolent dictatorship run by a wise and knowledgeable ruler. I would have no problem giving up my right to vote if such a person could be found. Sadly, that day will never come since, like many other good ideas such as a communist state, this flies in the face of human nature. Until humanity itself improves its nature, democracy is the best we deserve.

Excuse me, I should say my *privilege* to vote.

Democracy itself, just like all government systems, and just about anything else conceived by humans, is a reflection of the inferiority of humanity itself. We were never supposed to live in large groups, or have so much control over nature and ourselves. That very fact wreaks havoc with our primitive under-developed brains. In fact, I would say that we are like chimpanzees in a subatomic particle lab.

But, still, democracy is the current trend nowadays, and I think the strongest reason behind that is the fact that the majority has been led to believe that democracy is the best by some influental people. As to why those people preach it in the first place... I can't say. Rest assured that when that question is answered, fully, humanity will have achieved perfection.