5 ms·

Hmm...maybe it’s time to try some alternatives to democracy. What if we chose councilors from a pool at random? To get into the pool, you’d have to take some t

Hmm...maybe it’s time to try some alternatives to democracy. What if we chose councilors from a pool at random? To get into the pool, you’d have to take some training and pass a series of exams. Training consists of how to write laws, how to read data and adapt policy to data, communication, consensus building, etc. People serve short stints on the council as an act of service.

ruined 6y ago
that's not not-democracy. it's called sortition. sortition is considered by some to be a necessary part of democracy, and is even used by anarchists in some contexts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sortition https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sortition
- fmajid 6y ago
  It was used extensively by the original democracy, Athens.
worker767424 6y ago
> maybe it’s time to try some alternatives to democracy. I've long maintained most people are too easily manipulated and pandered to, and have too poor of an understanding of policy to vote. It's too bad poll tests have a bad history in the US.
- zapita 6y ago
  Manipulation of voters works best in low turnout elections. The more people vote, the harder it is to manipulate either the voters or the voting results.
  - worker767424 6y ago
    That's a fair point. In a two party system, you drive turnout where you know you can benefit, pass enough broadly popular legislation to have a plausible bid for reelection, then ignore your constituents and do what your party and donors want.
    - zapita 6y ago
      None of this seems specific to a two-party system. You’re just caricaturing the democratic system in general, without offering constructive criticism or any alternative. You also haven’t addressed the point made by the comment you’re responding to.
TMWNN 6y ago
>Hmm...maybe it’s time to try some alternatives to democracy. >What if we chose councilors from a pool at random? "I am obliged to confess I should sooner live in a society governed by the first two thousand names in the Boston telephone directory than in a society governed by the two thousand faculty members of Harvard University." —William F. Buckley, Jr., 1963 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nf_bu-kBr4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nf_bu-kBr4 )

ruined 6y ago

that's not not-democracy. it's called sortition. sortition is considered by some to be a necessary part of democracy, and is even used by anarchists in some contexts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sortition https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sortition

fmajid 6y ago
It was used extensively by the original democracy, Athens.

worker767424 6y ago

> maybe it’s time to try some alternatives to democracy. I've long maintained most people are too easily manipulated and pandered to, and have too poor of an understanding of policy to vote. It's too bad poll tests have a bad history in the US.

zapita 6y ago
Manipulation of voters works best in low turnout elections. The more people vote, the harder it is to manipulate either the voters or the voting results.
- worker767424 6y ago
  That's a fair point. In a two party system, you drive turnout where you know you can benefit, pass enough broadly popular legislation to have a plausible bid for reelection, then ignore your constituents and do what your party and donors want.
  - zapita 6y ago
    None of this seems specific to a two-party system. You’re just caricaturing the democratic system in general, without offering constructive criticism or any alternative. You also haven’t addressed the point made by the comment you’re responding to.

TMWNN 6y ago

>Hmm...maybe it’s time to try some alternatives to democracy. >What if we chose councilors from a pool at random? "I am obliged to confess I should sooner live in a society governed by the first two thousand names in the Boston telephone directory than in a society governed by the two thousand faculty members of Harvard University." —William F. Buckley, Jr., 1963 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nf_bu-kBr4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nf_bu-kBr4 )