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Athenian democracy ran into two successful coups because of those internal flaws, and ultimately didn't last that long. It's better viewed as a "v0.1-alpha" tha
by Herring 11mo ago
Athenian democracy ran into two successful coups because of those internal flaws, and ultimately didn't last that long. It's better viewed as a "v0.1-alpha" than a final version
I wouldn't quite say "democracy requires equality". It's more accurate to say "inequality is corrosive". The amount of damage done depends on how much inequality and for how long and what countermeasures are taken (eg redistribution of wealth, expansions of rights, safety nets etc).
- skissane 11mo agoDemocracy-in the contemporary sense that you were defining it (near-universal adult suffrage)-is only a bit over a century old, in its widespread existence. Maybe too soon to judge what its long-term prospects will be? And I think if we look at history-sometimes excessive inequality is the downfall of a regime, yes; but then regimes also fall for lots of other reasons, and on other occasions inequality can endure seemingly-sustainably for centuries or even millennia.
- Herring 11mo agoIf age is your biggest concern, you should go fight vaccines. Most of them are less than 100 years old too. No telling what the long term prospects are on our DNA. Go ahead, ping me when you’re done.
- skissane 11mo agoThe two topics have nothing to do with each other. I don’t have any issue with vaccines. And I don’t actually have any problem with democracy per se either - I just think some of the things you have been saying about the topic are overly simplistic.