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> Democracy is a means: good government and liberty are the ends. WTF. > That's a good part of the reason why the United States are not a democracy but rather
by anoncake 7y ago
> Democracy is a means: good government and liberty are the ends.
WTF.
> That's a good part of the reason why the United States are not a democracy but rather a republic:
I guess it makes more sense if you think that rule of the people is somehow the opposite of not having a monarch.
- no_one_special 7y ago> WTF. Democracy is a decision-forcing mechanism that allows for a some amount of public participation in the mechanisms of governance. it is not a terminal value, it is an instrumental value. good government and liberty are the terminal values. democracy is a means to achieve good government.
- anoncake 7y agoDemocracy is freedom, excercised collectively. If the people does not rule itself – which in terms of individuals means that everyone has about equal influence – it gets ruled by someone. That entity probably doesn't have the people's best interests in mind, if it even knows them. We need freedom for the same reason: Because when you let a person make decisions for themselves, you have generally picked the best person for the job. Ultimately neither are terminal conditions though, happiness is.