5 ms·

Everyone wants to crush their citizens. Except Iceland, maybe.

spcoll 11y ago
Factors that prevent states from going totalitarian: - small size - decentralized/local government structure - limited geopolitical influence - high level of education of the population - history/culture of democracy Large, powerful states with a lesser educated population will inevitably drift towards totalitarianism over time. This implies the use of various means of population control, with total surveillance being first and foremost.
- vollmond 11y ago
  Only in combination, though. There are dozens of "small size" "limited influence" dictatorships, no? Esp in Africa/Latin America?
- nl 11y ago
  Disproof by counter example: Singapore (the "history/culture of democracy" is arguable I suppose).
  - guard-of-terra 11y ago
    Singapore is centralized, has comparatively large population, especially for its size, and no history of democracy. That's where you become halfway there.
- frozenport 11y ago
  >>Large, powerful states with a lesser educated population will inevitably drift towards totalitarianism How about India? Don't treat states or societies as people, they are not people rather they are made of people. Totalitarianism isn't the outcome of a system it rather the outcome of the people oppress and the cowards who do nothing to stop it.
  - arandomafrican 11y ago
    I'm not sure India is the best example either. Sure, at the National political level, it's a democracy. But there are several issue that allow citizens of some lesser democratic states enjoys more freedom in some cases... (it's very un-even though) Religious rights, women's rights... Or the amount of power that some have at the local level (cast issues, landowners, etc..).
jkot 11y ago
Did not Iceland banned pornography?
- rpedroso 11y ago
  Certain politicians in Iceland wanted to ban a particular subset of pornography (hardcore, violence, etc). I don't remember hearing that any progress was made on that legislation, but I could just be uninformed on that front.
tomjen3 11y ago
They want to ban porn though. Any country left that actually cares about freedom, other than Germany?
- Apocryphon 11y ago
  Oh, the historical irony
  - gpvos 11y ago
    Their feeling of guilt about their history is the reason they care about freedom at least a little bit more than others.
- Xylakant 11y ago
  > Any country left that actually cares about freedom, other than Germany? Last time I checked (5 minutes ago), we didn't. (german speaking)
  - kuschku 11y ago
    The day when even the Spiegel titles "DER VERRAT – BND und Bundesregierung gegen deutsche Interessen" (in english: "THE TREASON – BND and federal government vs. German interests") you really can’t say the country cares about freedom :/
- 1ris 11y ago
  No, no, we just pretend. We are the USAs and the NSAs bitch like all our neighbors.
- e12e 11y ago
  Banning porn can be seen as wanting to ban oppression/exploitation. Freedom is not absolute -- because at some point one persons freedom interferes with another persons freedom (AKA your freedom ends where your fist meet my face). A lot of people will pretend that porn is about freedom, that selling sex is about freedom, that selling drugs is about freedom... And while you can make arguments for all those things, that's not to say that any kind of legislation by definition is "anti-freedom". Legislation can be a means to enforce freedoms too.

Factors that prevent states from going totalitarian: - small size - decentralized/local government structure - limited geopolitical influence - high level of education of the population - history/culture of democracy Large, powerful states with a lesser educated population will inevitably drift towards totalitarianism over time. This implies the use of various means of population control, with total surveillance being first and foremost.

vollmond 11y ago
Only in combination, though. There are dozens of "small size" "limited influence" dictatorships, no? Esp in Africa/Latin America?
nl 11y ago
Disproof by counter example: Singapore (the "history/culture of democracy" is arguable I suppose).
- guard-of-terra 11y ago
  Singapore is centralized, has comparatively large population, especially for its size, and no history of democracy. That's where you become halfway there.
frozenport 11y ago
>>Large, powerful states with a lesser educated population will inevitably drift towards totalitarianism How about India? Don't treat states or societies as people, they are not people rather they are made of people. Totalitarianism isn't the outcome of a system it rather the outcome of the people oppress and the cowards who do nothing to stop it.
- arandomafrican 11y ago
  I'm not sure India is the best example either. Sure, at the National political level, it's a democracy. But there are several issue that allow citizens of some lesser democratic states enjoys more freedom in some cases... (it's very un-even though) Religious rights, women's rights... Or the amount of power that some have at the local level (cast issues, landowners, etc..).

jkot 11y ago

Did not Iceland banned pornography?

rpedroso 11y ago
Certain politicians in Iceland wanted to ban a particular subset of pornography (hardcore, violence, etc). I don't remember hearing that any progress was made on that legislation, but I could just be uninformed on that front.

tomjen3 11y ago

They want to ban porn though. Any country left that actually cares about freedom, other than Germany?

Apocryphon 11y ago
Oh, the historical irony
- gpvos 11y ago
  Their feeling of guilt about their history is the reason they care about freedom at least a little bit more than others.
Xylakant 11y ago
> Any country left that actually cares about freedom, other than Germany? Last time I checked (5 minutes ago), we didn't. (german speaking)
- kuschku 11y ago
  The day when even the Spiegel titles "DER VERRAT – BND und Bundesregierung gegen deutsche Interessen" (in english: "THE TREASON – BND and federal government vs. German interests") you really can’t say the country cares about freedom :/
1ris 11y ago
No, no, we just pretend. We are the USAs and the NSAs bitch like all our neighbors.
e12e 11y ago
Banning porn can be seen as wanting to ban oppression/exploitation. Freedom is not absolute -- because at some point one persons freedom interferes with another persons freedom (AKA your freedom ends where your fist meet my face). A lot of people will pretend that porn is about freedom, that selling sex is about freedom, that selling drugs is about freedom... And while you can make arguments for all those things, that's not to say that any kind of legislation by definition is "anti-freedom". Legislation can be a means to enforce freedoms too.