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"In The Demon in Democracy, Legutko explores the shared objectives between these two political systems, and explains how liberal democracy has over time lurched

"In The Demon in Democracy, Legutko explores the shared objectives between these two political systems, and explains how liberal democracy has over time lurched towards the same goals as communism, albeit without Soviet style brutalality. " Unelected bureaucrats become nonviolent totalitarians. The Demon in Democracy: Totalitarian Temptations in Free Societies https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594038635 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594038635

badsock 10y ago
To take the US as an example, there's about 2.5 million people in the federal civil service - assuming a generous 1:8 ratio of bureaucrats to workers, that's about 300 thousand bureaucrats at just the federal level. I'm guessing you're not proposing that they all be elected.
HarryHirsch 10y ago
Unelected bureaucrats become nonviolent totalitarians. I for once am grateful to the faceless bureaucrat at the FDA who demanded that Theranos submit their device to FDA for appproval. This unnamed fellow is the Stanislav Petrov of medicine.
- int_19h 10y ago
  On the other hand, you also have FDA certification process to thank for the Daraprim monopoly and its consequences (like the ability to raise prices 50x). Which is to say, regulation can be good sometimes, and it can be bad sometimes, even when it's the same exact regulation. The trick is to find a balance that is beneficial to all of us overall.
  - HarryHirsch 10y ago
    It's unfair to pin Daraprim (and stock price movements when a candidate fails Stage 3 trial) on the FDA. They are tasked with safety. Pricing is an issue outside the remit of the FDA, one that most of the civilized world has dealt with successfully, usually through some form of centralized buying.
    - int_19h 10y ago
      It is fair to compare FDA to similar agencies in other countries, and ask whether their focus on safety is too extreme, to the point where it hampers other issues of importance. For example, is there any European country in which a generic alternative to Daraprim hasn't been certified yet? If there isn't one, then why is US special in that regard? Centralized buying is only a partial solution to drug prices. Access to cheap generics is also a part of that puzzle. If FDA procedures get in the way of that, it may very well be that the net balance for us is negative.

badsock 10y ago

To take the US as an example, there's about 2.5 million people in the federal civil service - assuming a generous 1:8 ratio of bureaucrats to workers, that's about 300 thousand bureaucrats at just the federal level. I'm guessing you're not proposing that they all be elected.

HarryHirsch 10y ago

Unelected bureaucrats become nonviolent totalitarians. I for once am grateful to the faceless bureaucrat at the FDA who demanded that Theranos submit their device to FDA for appproval. This unnamed fellow is the Stanislav Petrov of medicine.

int_19h 10y ago
On the other hand, you also have FDA certification process to thank for the Daraprim monopoly and its consequences (like the ability to raise prices 50x). Which is to say, regulation can be good sometimes, and it can be bad sometimes, even when it's the same exact regulation. The trick is to find a balance that is beneficial to all of us overall.
- HarryHirsch 10y ago
  It's unfair to pin Daraprim (and stock price movements when a candidate fails Stage 3 trial) on the FDA. They are tasked with safety. Pricing is an issue outside the remit of the FDA, one that most of the civilized world has dealt with successfully, usually through some form of centralized buying.
  - int_19h 10y ago
    It is fair to compare FDA to similar agencies in other countries, and ask whether their focus on safety is too extreme, to the point where it hampers other issues of importance. For example, is there any European country in which a generic alternative to Daraprim hasn't been certified yet? If there isn't one, then why is US special in that regard? Centralized buying is only a partial solution to drug prices. Access to cheap generics is also a part of that puzzle. If FDA procedures get in the way of that, it may very well be that the net balance for us is negative.