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Yesterday I learned that Canada is the fourth oldest ongoing democracy, measured as beginning in 1867. I think given our short lifespans, anything that our par
by Waterluvian 4y ago
Yesterday I learned that Canada is the fourth oldest ongoing democracy, measured as beginning in 1867.
I think given our short lifespans, anything that our parents, grandparents, and great grandparents enjoyed is really easy to perceive as a steady state. Something to take for granted as being invariant. But it’s really not.
While it’s possible to debate the specifics and semantics, this really brought into focus, for me, just how young modern democracy is with a rather unproven durability.
- preommr 4y agoIt's even younger than that; women couldn't nationally until 1920 in the US. And in practice, many black people couldn't vote until the voting acts right of 1965.
- Waterluvian 4y agoThat’s true. Just… 1965. That’s barely “history.” This is all so incredibly young and brittle.
- rektide 4y ago> just how young modern democracy is with a rather unproven durability. Everything else has a rather more proven record of squandering human potential, of being iniquitous & unjust. Not my favorite person, but the quip still seems fair: > Democracy is the worst form of government – except for all the others that have been tried. - Winston Churchill