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The irrationality of the mob is multiplied 10x with the power of technology and automation. These past two years makes me feel like we’re living in a black mir

The irrationality of the mob is multiplied 10x with the power of technology and automation. These past two years makes me feel like we’re living in a black mirror episode. “Plato argued that democracies inevitably degenerate into anarchy, as the poor plunder the rich and profligacy produces bankruptcy.” Tech has only sped the slide of western democracy. 100 years from now, the West will be ruled by mobs or will have adopted something close to China’s modern communism just to ensure “order.”

knaik94 6y ago
That's an overgeneralization. Democracy is not a new invention, it was theorized and implemented back in Athens in 5 BC. If it took 100 years to fall apart, it would already have fallen apart. A pure democracy doesn't scale well and so requires some corrections to be implemented in the real world. If anything modern technology has accelerated the corrections required to sustain a government based on liberal democracy principles. Also I'm not sure what makes you think that China is not ruled by mob mentality. I would argue that propaganda and censorship, which is the foundation of a communist government, is more likely to produce mobs. While classical communism might not have a strong opinion on information censorship, China's modern communism is strongly for censoring speech as well as information.
sandspar 6y ago
He thought democracy degenerates into tyranny - what we'd think of as a dictatorship. Anarchy is a temporary stop on the route. (Democracy - anarchy - people look for leader - tyranny)
cwhiz 6y ago
When a bunch individuals BUY a stock to hold it, it’s an irrational mob. As opposed to the “institutional investors” who are shorting a stock, which is to borrow a stock, sell it, and then buy it back later at a reduced price. Which one sounds more like an irrational mob? Seems like people are getting mad that the exclusivity of Wall St is getting torn down.

knaik94 6y ago

That's an overgeneralization. Democracy is not a new invention, it was theorized and implemented back in Athens in 5 BC. If it took 100 years to fall apart, it would already have fallen apart. A pure democracy doesn't scale well and so requires some corrections to be implemented in the real world. If anything modern technology has accelerated the corrections required to sustain a government based on liberal democracy principles. Also I'm not sure what makes you think that China is not ruled by mob mentality. I would argue that propaganda and censorship, which is the foundation of a communist government, is more likely to produce mobs. While classical communism might not have a strong opinion on information censorship, China's modern communism is strongly for censoring speech as well as information.

sandspar 6y ago

He thought democracy degenerates into tyranny - what we'd think of as a dictatorship. Anarchy is a temporary stop on the route. (Democracy - anarchy - people look for leader - tyranny)

cwhiz 6y ago

When a bunch individuals BUY a stock to hold it, it’s an irrational mob. As opposed to the “institutional investors” who are shorting a stock, which is to borrow a stock, sell it, and then buy it back later at a reduced price. Which one sounds more like an irrational mob? Seems like people are getting mad that the exclusivity of Wall St is getting torn down.