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That response comes up a lot: that a particular choice of what the government does won't be agreeable to everyone. But like, so what? That's abstractly the poin
by ajkjk 6y ago
That response comes up a lot: that a particular choice of what the government does won't be agreeable to everyone. But like, so what? That's abstractly the point of democracy. It is kind of fine if governments do things their citizens don't like. There are correction mechanisms also but it's just approximate, it's not supposed to appease everyone completely.
- int_19h 6y ago> It is kind of fine if governments do things their citizens don't like. Quite a few people would disagree. There's that whole consent of the governed thing, for example - and 50%+1 is certainly not it.
- ajkjk 6y agoHigh-level you would like the government to mostly do things that the citizens mostly like. Then the citizens will mostly consent to have a government that mostly leaves them free. But it's all approximate. It doesn't extrapolate to always doing things that all citizens like. That doesn't work at all, for obvious reasons like the government being licensed to tax or imprison people.
- int_19h 6y agoBut, again, you can, at least, try to minimize the number of people who do not like what the government is doing. Which is very different from declaring that a simple (or even qualified) majority gets to decide for everybody simply by virtue of being a majority.