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Agreed. The US has backslidden since the 20th century back towards an elitest Republic and away from democracy. But even in the US, collective action has a bett

Agreed. The US has backslidden since the 20th century back towards an elitest Republic and away from democracy. But even in the US, collective action has a better track record than "altruism".

TaylorAlexander 4y ago
Sometimes I wonder if the back slide narrative is really accurate, or if we’re looking back at the myth of history rather than the facts. When the country was founded, only white men could vote and people of color were legally property with no rights. That’s obviously not democracy, so I question at what point after that but before today we really had democracy to have slid back from.
- bugglebeetle 4y ago
  When we realize it’s really only about from the 1970s that we had full enfranchisement and political participation of all citizens, this becomes more obvious. “Coincidentally,” this enfranchisement was followed by the Volker shock and then the Reagan administration, both of which led to the decimation of labor’s political power and share of the economic pie.
- DubiousPusher 4y ago
  Think of democracy as multivariable. One variable is the percentage of the population that are enfranchised. The other is how responsive the political, legal and economic systems are to the needs of everyday people. America started as an elitest Republic. Slowly, variable #1 grew and shrank in fits in starts but variable #2 changed very little. Until we get to the 1930s and then variable #2 explodes wide open. Then in 1960s variable #1 breaks wide open as well. By the 70s we are probably at the high point of both. Since then #1 has significantly eroded. And now with the court punches at the voting rights act #2 is now under threat as well. I don't mean it in the usual internet guy sense. I don't see America as having a pure past. I believe America was an elitest Republic with very slow steps towards democracy. To me America only turned the corner towards becoming a democracy in the 1930s. It was a bumpy up and down from there with a slump in the last 40 years.

Agreed. The US has backslidden since the 20th century back towards an elitest Republic and away from democracy. But even in the US, collective action has a better track record than "altruism".

TaylorAlexander 4y ago

Sometimes I wonder if the back slide narrative is really accurate, or if we’re looking back at the myth of history rather than the facts. When the country was founded, only white men could vote and people of color were legally property with no rights. That’s obviously not democracy, so I question at what point after that but before today we really had democracy to have slid back from.

bugglebeetle 4y ago
When we realize it’s really only about from the 1970s that we had full enfranchisement and political participation of all citizens, this becomes more obvious. “Coincidentally,” this enfranchisement was followed by the Volker shock and then the Reagan administration, both of which led to the decimation of labor’s political power and share of the economic pie.
DubiousPusher 4y ago
Think of democracy as multivariable. One variable is the percentage of the population that are enfranchised. The other is how responsive the political, legal and economic systems are to the needs of everyday people. America started as an elitest Republic. Slowly, variable #1 grew and shrank in fits in starts but variable #2 changed very little. Until we get to the 1930s and then variable #2 explodes wide open. Then in 1960s variable #1 breaks wide open as well. By the 70s we are probably at the high point of both. Since then #1 has significantly eroded. And now with the court punches at the voting rights act #2 is now under threat as well. I don't mean it in the usual internet guy sense. I don't see America as having a pure past. I believe America was an elitest Republic with very slow steps towards democracy. To me America only turned the corner towards becoming a democracy in the 1930s. It was a bumpy up and down from there with a slump in the last 40 years.