Article

2008-07-13 Olde Tyme Religion

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by tu3031 2008-07-13 00:00|| || Front Page|| [3 views ] Top

#1 The problem is not in democracy, but in incorrectly defining democracy.

Democracy is not about freedom or liberty. They are just side effects. The biggest, most powerful, and undeniable advantage of democracy is efficiency.

Democracy is more efficient than tribalism, Sharia Law, Dictatorship, Royalism, Socialism, Communism, Bureaucratic Rule or any other system. As a basic tenet, it assumes that among the people, many people will be better at things than the leaders. No leader can be best at doing it all.

This means that it is the people that create, innovate, and adapt, and it is the leaders who must use their wisdom to manage what the people have done, for the benefit of the social contract.

Problems develop in democracy only when leaders assume that they always know better, and there is a break in the communication and execution of ideas from the people. The resulting decline in efficiency makes other forms of government appear more attractive.

Often this takes the form of factions that seek to usurp the voice of the people, and pretend to be their representatives to the elected politicians. In this way, factions strive to disenfranchise the public.

Importantly, a multitude of factions is not such a threat, because they tend to work at cross purposes, neutralizing each others efforts to usurp the public voice.

Ironically, democracy seems impossible, because it is decentralized authority. And proto-democratic systems can and do exist in other forms of government as well, which explains their durability in the face of democratic revolution.

But make no mistake, democracy continues its advance in the world, even when not called democracy.

Posted by Anonymoose 2008-07-13 12:14|| 2008-07-13 12:14|| Front Page Top

#2 'moose, you're close but have it backwards.

"Democracy is not about freedom or liberty. They are just side effects. The biggest, most powerful, and undeniable advantage of democracy is efficiency."

This is backwards.

Democracy is the most efficient implementation or Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. IT is the effect of Liberty, not the cause.

Individual Liberty by definition must be the foundation for a truly democratic system. Otherwise you get the GDR and that ilk. Freedom first, THEN democracy.

Posted by AlanC 2008-07-13 15:42|| 2008-07-13 15:42|| Front Page Top

#3 Tyrants can generate popular support. Hitler cultivated a personality cult, and people bought it. That is one reason why Nazism was outlawed under terms of occupation, after WW2.

The use of civil means to address jihad terror phenomenon, is madness. Frankly, jihad suspects should be put in a show cause situation where they would have to disprove accusations. Financing, advocacy, participation, arming, etc should warrant the death penalty. However, I would create procedural safeguards so that convictions wouldn't be based on mere accusation. I would also allow infiltration of mosques, planting of wire taps and easy video gathering.

Posted by McZoid 2008-07-13 16:17|| 2008-07-13 16:17|| Front Page Top

23:45 Jan
23:16 JosephMendiola
22:39 Abdominal Snowman
22:33 Steve White
22:28 Frank G
22:18 crosspatch
22:17 Steve White
22:12 Chief
22:06 trailing wife
22:05 Chief
21:56 Abu do you love
21:54 Shieldwolf
21:53 Alaska Paul
21:52 badanov
21:50 Alaska Paul
21:42 Nimble Spemble
21:37 JosephMendiola
21:36 OldSpook
21:33 Nimble Spemble
21:33 OldSpook
21:29 OldSpook
21:25 Besoeker
21:18 OldSpook
21:18 JosephMendiola