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But we can revoke the "monopoly of force" whenever we* want, without violence. That sounds a lot like a "social contract". * For some value of "we" which diff

But we can revoke the "monopoly of force" whenever we* want, without violence. That sounds a lot like a "social contract". * For some value of "we" which differs by jurisdiction: https://ripplejustice.com/2020/01/02/prisoner-voting-uk/ https://ripplejustice.com/2020/01/02/prisoner-voting-uk/

DocTomoe 4y ago
Can you, really? Or are you just replacing the color of their hats, believing that that changes the system?
- dane-pgp 4y ago
  > just replacing the color of their hats Are you saying that there are literally no policy differences between major political parties in countries like the UK? What about countries that have voting systems that make the legislature more representative of voters' preferences? The only way I can think to steel-man your position is that you're saying "Some unspecified power would intervene to stop a government relinquishing its monopoly on force even if the population overwhelmingly voted for the government to do so". That's hard to imagine though; not because the unspecified power is so vague, but because no country would ever vote like that to remove the protections that a state provides for them.
  - em-bee 4y ago
    in most multi party systems parties cater to the interests and issues of the majority. minority (issue) parties don't have much chance to even get enough votes.
  - DocTomoe 4y ago
    > Are you saying that there are literally no policy differences between major political parties in countries like the UK? What about countries that have voting systems that make the legislature more representative of voters' preferences? In the context of my parent's comment: "Government trying to legislate things that they do not understand", no, there is no distinguishable difference between the Tories, Sinn Fein, the DUP, the LibDems, the SNP or Labour. The Raving Loonies at least have the introspection that they consider themselves incompetent, so ... more power to them, I guess?

DocTomoe 4y ago

Can you, really? Or are you just replacing the color of their hats, believing that that changes the system?

dane-pgp 4y ago
> just replacing the color of their hats Are you saying that there are literally no policy differences between major political parties in countries like the UK? What about countries that have voting systems that make the legislature more representative of voters' preferences? The only way I can think to steel-man your position is that you're saying "Some unspecified power would intervene to stop a government relinquishing its monopoly on force even if the population overwhelmingly voted for the government to do so". That's hard to imagine though; not because the unspecified power is so vague, but because no country would ever vote like that to remove the protections that a state provides for them.
- em-bee 4y ago
  in most multi party systems parties cater to the interests and issues of the majority. minority (issue) parties don't have much chance to even get enough votes.
- DocTomoe 4y ago
  > Are you saying that there are literally no policy differences between major political parties in countries like the UK? What about countries that have voting systems that make the legislature more representative of voters' preferences? In the context of my parent's comment: "Government trying to legislate things that they do not understand", no, there is no distinguishable difference between the Tories, Sinn Fein, the DUP, the LibDems, the SNP or Labour. The Raving Loonies at least have the introspection that they consider themselves incompetent, so ... more power to them, I guess?