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Democracy is not a synonym for "good". Whether something is democratic or not tells you very little about whether it is worth keeping. Most things are not democ

by drcube 8y ago

Democracy is not a synonym for "good". Whether something is democratic or not tells you very little about whether it is worth keeping. Most things are not democratic, nor should they be.

yingw787 8y ago
I agree with the notion that democracies aren't synonymous with "good", but I disagree that things shouldn't be democratic. The sole purpose of democracies is to make people's problems their fault. Most systemic issues we see today have a root cause in people giving up their ability to vote -- electorally, financially, or otherwise. Keeping things democratic means keeping people's options open and legally, in writing, preserving each person's share in the power pie. IMHO, that's a worthwhile goal in and of itself.
- kijin 8y ago
  Things shouldn't be democratic. Governments should be. Both corporations and charitable foundations often emulate democratic governments in some ways, most notably in their shareholder and/or board meetings. There's nothing wrong with emulating the good parts of democracy in other suitable contexts. But I'm not sure whether it's worthwhile to emulate them in every context. Even when things are run democratically, it is sometimes better to limit participants to those who are directly involved. Would you like some democratic input from the general public as to what happens in your bedroom between consenting partners, for example?
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
- nearbuy 8y ago
  > The sole purpose of democracies is to make people's problems their fault. Why is this good? I would say the goal is to reduce problems. > Most systemic issues we see today have a root cause in people giving up their ability to vote Could you provide examples? Is this responsible for poverty, war, or poor education? > preserving each person's share in the power pie Bit of a mixed bag. Depending on your political leanings, I might give Trump and Brexit as examples of democracies making poor choices.
colechristensen 8y ago
>Most things are not democratic, nor should they be. Why not?
- nearbuy 8y ago
  For one, it would be a terrible choice for a charity dedicated to helping the poorest of the world. People in democracies tend to vote for their own interests. The U.S. spends about 1% of their budget on foreign aid. Yet in polls, most Americans think foreign aid should be further reduced [1]. [1] In the following poll of 1012 Americans, 81% thought foreign aid should be reduced and only 18% thought it shouldn't be: http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2011/images/01/25/rel2d.pdf http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2011/images/01/25/rel2d.pdf
- drcube 8y ago
  The main answer is "minorities". Look at the American South during the Jim Crow era. Minorities need protection from majorities in democracies. And not just racial, religious or ethnic minorities. Everyone is a minority in multiple ways. You have hobbies, beliefs, goals and connections that the majority in your country doesn't have. And they are all at risk under a democracy. This is why we don't have a "pure" democracy. This is why the Founders put many anti-democratic features in the US Constitution. Every right you enjoy is a point where society drew a line and said "this will not be subject to a vote".

by drcube 8y ago

Democracy is not a synonym for "good". Whether something is democratic or not tells you very little about whether it is worth keeping. Most things are not democratic, nor should they be.

yingw787 8y ago

I agree with the notion that democracies aren't synonymous with "good", but I disagree that things shouldn't be democratic. The sole purpose of democracies is to make people's problems their fault. Most systemic issues we see today have a root cause in people giving up their ability to vote -- electorally, financially, or otherwise. Keeping things democratic means keeping people's options open and legally, in writing, preserving each person's share in the power pie. IMHO, that's a worthwhile goal in and of itself.

kijin 8y ago
Things shouldn't be democratic. Governments should be. Both corporations and charitable foundations often emulate democratic governments in some ways, most notably in their shareholder and/or board meetings. There's nothing wrong with emulating the good parts of democracy in other suitable contexts. But I'm not sure whether it's worthwhile to emulate them in every context. Even when things are run democratically, it is sometimes better to limit participants to those who are directly involved. Would you like some democratic input from the general public as to what happens in your bedroom between consenting partners, for example?
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
nearbuy 8y ago
> The sole purpose of democracies is to make people's problems their fault. Why is this good? I would say the goal is to reduce problems. > Most systemic issues we see today have a root cause in people giving up their ability to vote Could you provide examples? Is this responsible for poverty, war, or poor education? > preserving each person's share in the power pie Bit of a mixed bag. Depending on your political leanings, I might give Trump and Brexit as examples of democracies making poor choices.

colechristensen 8y ago

>Most things are not democratic, nor should they be. Why not?

nearbuy 8y ago
For one, it would be a terrible choice for a charity dedicated to helping the poorest of the world. People in democracies tend to vote for their own interests. The U.S. spends about 1% of their budget on foreign aid. Yet in polls, most Americans think foreign aid should be further reduced [1]. [1] In the following poll of 1012 Americans, 81% thought foreign aid should be reduced and only 18% thought it shouldn't be: http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2011/images/01/25/rel2d.pdf http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2011/images/01/25/rel2d.pdf
drcube 8y ago
The main answer is "minorities". Look at the American South during the Jim Crow era. Minorities need protection from majorities in democracies. And not just racial, religious or ethnic minorities. Everyone is a minority in multiple ways. You have hobbies, beliefs, goals and connections that the majority in your country doesn't have. And they are all at risk under a democracy. This is why we don't have a "pure" democracy. This is why the Founders put many anti-democratic features in the US Constitution. Every right you enjoy is a point where society drew a line and said "this will not be subject to a vote".