What's so great about democracy?

[Lozzer]

So, democracy supposedly works. The governments it produces don't always work, but democracy has a self-correcting ability. If a government is dictatorial or inefficient, then a possibly better one is reinstated. But how do terrible governments come to power in the first place? By democracy. The democratic process invariably breeds bad ruler ship. A bad government makes a bad country and vice versa. Governments are only bad because we perceive them as such, therefore a nation without democracy and with a government which can't be perceived as bad is not bad.

A totalitarian state which doesn't support or permit a free press isn't despotic. A totalitarian state which weeds out contrary opinion is an efficient state.


A state dependant on propaganda and censorship is superior to one of 'freedom' and 'democracy'.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Lozzer, the change comes about by the subversion of democracy. The "subversion" bit is the important part.

[Rum]

Winston Churchill, not someone I normally am full of admiration for said 'democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried'. That about sums it up for me.

[klr]

Winston Churchill, not someone I normally am full of admiration for said 'democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried'. That about sums it up for me.

What Winston (and Rum) said. End of thread. Next!

[Drewish]

Governments exist in a market system. So because any government that seeks to conquer the world will be opposed uniformly by the rest of the world, it will fail. Then governments that are less efficient will also fail, and governments that provide greater freedom to their citizens will attract the wealthy, productive, and intelligent to their country. The form of government is no longer important, in that all governments that do not work effectively will by their very nature fail, and as government itself is an impedance to freedom in most cases, it is ONLY by propaganda that governments persist at all. The only reason that democracy has worked, is because people disagree about stuff all the time, so it's much harder to centralize power under a democracy. Basically, democracies work so well because they don't work at all.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Governments exist in a market system. So because any government that seeks to conquer the world will be opposed uniformly by the rest of the world, it will fail. Then governments that are less efficient will also fail, and governments that provide greater freedom to their citizens will attract the wealthy, productive, and intelligent to their country. The form of government is no longer important, in that all governments that do not work effectively will by their very nature fail, and as government itself is an impedance to freedom in most cases, it is ONLY by propaganda that governments persist at all. The only reason that democracy has worked, is because people disagree about stuff all the time, so it's much harder to centralize power under a democracy. Basically, democracies work so well because they don't work at all.

That's the "hot house" version. The real world is less cut-and-dried.

[Drewish]

I know that's a bit simplified, sorry. I know I could have gone more in depth on that, but I didn't want to bore people. Those are just some sentences pulled out of an essay I wrote in college called, "Raging Against Lincoln."

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I know that's a bit simplified, sorry. I know I could have gone more in depth on that, but I didn't want to bore people. Those are just some sentences pulled out of an essay I wrote in college called, "Raging Against Lincoln."

Antebellum America was a laboratory, wasn't it? "Let's see what happens if we . . . "

[klr]

I know that's a bit simplified, sorry. I know I could have gone more in depth on that, but I didn't want to bore people. Those are just some sentences pulled out of an essay I wrote in college called, "Raging Against Lincoln."

You may be asked to appear before the House Committee on Un-American Activities if you're not careful.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I know that's a bit simplified, sorry. I know I could have gone more in depth on that, but I didn't want to bore people. Those are just some sentences pulled out of an essay I wrote in college called, "Raging Against Lincoln."

You may be asked to appear before the House Committee on Un-American Activities if you're not careful.

House Un-American Activities Committee, HUAAC.

[klr]

I know that's a bit simplified, sorry. I know I could have gone more in depth on that, but I didn't want to bore people. Those are just some sentences pulled out of an essay I wrote in college called, "Raging Against Lincoln."

You may be asked to appear before the House Committee on Un-American Activities if you're not careful.

House Un-American Activities Committee, HUAAC.

I checked on wiki ... I used the article title. "House Un-American Activities Committee/HUAAC" appears immediately below it.

Or maybe you don't believe me. I am not now nor ever have I been ...

[Drewish]

The only good reason to have a government is to protect its citizens form other governments.

EDIT -

I am applying for higher security clearance right now. So let's hope they don't see this thread or interpret it to mean that I'm contemplating treason.

[klr]

The only good reason to have a government is to protect its citizens form other governments.

EDIT -

I am applying for higher security clearance right now. So let's hope they don't see this thread or interpret it to mean that I'm contemplating treason.

Knowing the sort of contacts 'Zilla has, I'd say you'll be doing well not to make an appearance in the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

The only good reason to have a government is to protect its citizens form other governments.

EDIT -

I am applying for higher security clearance right now. So let's hope they don't see this thread or interpret it to mean that I'm contemplating treason.

I'll put in a word for you.

Trigger Warning!!!1! :

Trotskyite.

[Drewish]

The only good reason to have a government is to protect its citizens form other governments.

EDIT -

I am applying for higher security clearance right now. So let's hope they don't see this thread or interpret it to mean that I'm contemplating treason.

I'll put in a word for you.

Trigger Warning!!!1! :

Trotskyite.

Please. As an Objectivist, just call me a traitor. Associating me with communists is just WAY too insulting. If I were an anarchist, I'd be a anarcho-capitalist.