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What is Democracy, is Democracy Possible?

 
 
Reply Wed 19 Nov, 2008 07:29 pm
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Type: Discussion • Score: 1 • Views: 1,895 • Replies: 26
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sarek
 
  1  
Reply Thu 20 Nov, 2008 02:30 pm
@Holiday20310401,
Democracy is a much more down to earth concept than most idealists would have it. It is no more than a partially successful method for putting the highest authority at the lowest level.
A truer form of democracy is IMHO only achievable through the instrument of a referendum.

Why do I think democracy is a superior system from the social POV? Well, I am a believer in the potentially beneficial effects of complex systems with their emergent properties.
Instituting a democratic system vastly increases the potential number of decision-making interactions and events thus increasing the complexity of the system. It will give said system more options for change and more degrees of freedom. It will be less predictable.

I have come across ecological theories which claim that all ecosystems will strive to increase their complexity to the maximum amount possible, just before the point of falling into chaos.
I can see parallels in society and in the political system. It is trying to become more complicated. Witness also the increase in the number of supranational entities.
0 Replies
 
Mr Fight the Power
 
  1  
Reply Thu 20 Nov, 2008 02:38 pm
@Holiday20310401,
Democracy is a system of collective self-government where all individuals have equal access to government decision making.
Holiday20310401
 
  1  
Reply Tue 25 Nov, 2008 09:21 pm
@Mr Fight the Power,
Mr. Fight the Power wrote:
Democracy is a system of collective self-government where all individuals have equal access to government decision making.


Exactly! So is it right to use the propoganda of the false "concept" of democracy as mutual to the practical definition that you just gave to get the support of populaces? As if to somehow convince the public that if we have the definition you just gave, then we have the concept as well.
Mr Fight the Power
 
  1  
Reply Wed 26 Nov, 2008 06:43 am
@Holiday20310401,
Holiday20310401 wrote:
Exactly! So is it right to use the propoganda of the false "concept" of democracy as mutual to the practical definition that you just gave to get the support of populaces? As if to somehow convince the public that if we have the definition you just gave, then we have the concept as well.


I am not quite sure what you are asking.

Are you referring to using the propaganda of the romanticized view of democracy rather than promoting a concrete view of what conceptually democracy actually is?

or

Are you referring to using the concept of democracy as it should be (equal access) to shield what democracy has generally become (oligarchy).

I believe neither are correct, but here in America (as with most countries I surmise) we have mastered the art of using false history and politics to make ourselves feel really good about a situation that could be much better.
xris
 
  1  
Reply Wed 26 Nov, 2008 09:08 am
@Mr Fight the Power,
Secular democracy is better than the democracy we see in most western countries..its an impefect system thats preferable to any other form of goverment..not unless you had me as leader of a totalitarian goverment..
0 Replies
 
Mr Fight the Power
 
  1  
Reply Wed 26 Nov, 2008 09:10 am
@Holiday20310401,
If you were the leader of a totalitarian government over me, I would do my best to assassinate you.
xris
 
  1  
Reply Wed 26 Nov, 2008 09:24 am
@Mr Fight the Power,
is that becauseyou dont believe in totalitarian goverment whatever its individual worth ?
Mr Fight the Power
 
  1  
Reply Wed 26 Nov, 2008 09:54 am
@xris,
xris wrote:
is that becauseyou dont believe in totalitarian goverment whatever its individual worth ?


Yes. The idea of the philosopher king is ludicrous and dangerous.

A society is the aggregation of millions of individual wills and actions, and no man could ever, ever come to an understanding of it.

In my opinion, if one ever comes to a position of power over another, not to mention political power over the whole of society, that person has a moral obligation to relieve himself or herself of power. If this is not done, I consider it my moral right to relieve him or her of this power and to punish them for wrongdoings.

I am Mr. Fight the Power, after all.
xris
 
  1  
Reply Wed 26 Nov, 2008 10:10 am
@Mr Fight the Power,
Mr. Fight the Power wrote:
Yes. The idea of the philosopher king is ludicrous and dangerous.

A society is the aggregation of millions of individual wills and actions, and no man could ever, ever come to an understanding of it.

In my opinion, if one ever comes to a position of power over another, not to mention political power over the whole of society, that person has a moral obligation to relieve himself or herself of power. If this is not done, I consider it my moral right to relieve him or her of this power and to punish them for wrongdoings.

I am Mr. Fight the Power, after all.
AHH but we are in the philosophers world of makebelieve...i am a benevolent ruler ,all my subjects have individual freedoms that live in luxury, freemedical care,no wars and most of all i have implemented a zero emmisions on all transport..nature and the environment are a priority..iam almost the benevolent god...now would you kill me and why have you not been killing lately?... are you full of promises and not much action or are you to stuck in the philosphers world..
Mr Fight the Power
 
  1  
Reply Wed 26 Nov, 2008 10:24 am
@xris,
xris wrote:
AHH but we are in the philosophers world of makebelieve...i am a benevolent ruler ,all my subjects have individual freedoms that live in luxury, freemedical care,no wars and most of all i have implemented a zero emmisions on all transport..nature and the environment are a priority..iam almost the benevolent god...now would you kill me and why have you not been killing lately?... are you full of promises and not much action or are you to stuck in the philosphers world..


A person's right to self-determination is categorical.

I will skip the discussion of what I would expect from my chosen ruler (closer to an advisor) and just state that benevolence does not imply righteousness. All of your implementations are wrong if at anytime they violate a person's right to self-determination and deny the person's ability to become his own person.

If I find myself in a position where I stand to lose greatly from your assassination, I would not attempt it, but at the same time I am morally forbidden from stopping another attempt. So you must rule with the understanding that revolution and death can become morally justified.

I don't kill lately because no man can kill a system. Education is the role of the anarchist now, and while I don't oppose violence against oppression and aggression, it is often counterproductive.
xris
 
  1  
Reply Wed 26 Nov, 2008 11:38 am
@Mr Fight the Power,
Mr. Fight the Power wrote:
A person's right to self-determination is categorical.

I will skip the discussion of what I would expect from my chosen ruler (closer to an advisor) and just state that benevolence does not imply righteousness. All of your implementations are wrong if at anytime they violate a person's right to self-determination and deny the person's ability to become his own person.

If I find myself in a position where I stand to lose greatly from your assassination, I would not attempt it, but at the same time I am morally forbidden from stopping another attempt. So you must rule with the understanding that revolution and death can become morally justified.

I don't kill lately because no man can kill a system. Education is the role of the anarchist now, and while I don't oppose violence against oppression and aggression, it is often counterproductive.
Im not denying the rights of an individual to become his own person except his right to change the government.. thats the only right im refusing...do you deny the practical benefits at all times for the moral high ground? im a ruler that only intercedes when government wishes to impose... i have no layering of government... generally i let the people decide their own path...i intercede when natural justice is threatened.i am the perfect leader i have no faults other than i dont let anyone take my power...the group that want to kill me are politically motivated by corporate business who wish to expand into the jungle and strip it for gain and take the natives land without their consent..do you stand by and watch them kill me?
Mr Fight the Power
 
  1  
Reply Wed 26 Nov, 2008 01:02 pm
@xris,
xris wrote:
i intercede when natural justice is threatened


I measure practical benefit by natural justice, and this is the only legitimate role of government.

The question becomes whether it is necessary for a state to exist to protect natural justice. I do not believe it is necessary, and whatever benefit it may provide in providing a final arbiter of justice is outweighed by the risk of granting some unchecked body this power.
xris
 
  1  
Reply Wed 26 Nov, 2008 03:44 pm
@Mr Fight the Power,
Mr. Fight the Power wrote:
I measure practical benefit by natural justice, and this is the only legitimate role of government.

The question becomes whether it is necessary for a state to exist to protect natural justice. I do not believe it is necessary, and whatever benefit it may provide in providing a final arbiter of justice is outweighed by the risk of granting some unchecked body this power.
every power is checked eventually by common revolt..
0 Replies
 
incubusman8
 
  1  
Reply Sat 20 Dec, 2008 08:03 pm
@Holiday20310401,
Holiday20310401 wrote:
other such virtues evoked by democracy, especially in contrst of the third world nations in which media depicts the negativity, the vile, the cruelty, the lesser freedom that is preached outside of this western demos. The idea that the political concept/definition comes with or evokes these qualities that makes us seem superior (and by "seem" I talk ideologically especially) is rather presumptuous since nobody is willing to actually think about what it is that progresses us to make these claims. Why should a voting system evoke all these "fuzzy" (in humble respect to the conceptions of others) principles. I don't see the common people ruling as being contributory to media, technology, etc. Yes of course there is some influence, but its intentions are indifferent nonetheless.


The road to democracy began with the Magna Carta in Britain some 500 years ago. Since then, true democracy has slowly taken shape from these roots and spread across the world.

Human rights had always existed in the ancient worlds (if only half the standard of the modern movement that exists today) and survived to some extent throughout the feudal ages. In modern history (as far back as Napoleon), the struggle towards the liberties and freedoms that we celebrate today, which are enshrined in our constitution and regulated by international organisations such as the United Nations have been a result of the strive towards equality and justice, which is found in all people.

Cultural doctrination led by authoritarian states certainly have a much slower strive towards these social concepts, but they are certainly not ignored forever. Independant of democratic tendency, there is a common desire for liberty. Liberty and equality are certainly not ideas that were born out of democracy. Long before democracy was invented, and long after it's finished, men everywhere will struggle for it.

Holiday20310401 wrote:

So, is true democracy possible? Depends. If it's a political definition then yes of course, we have the minimum requirement of being able to claim such an irrelevancy. If it's the social concept then no I do not believe so. It would be like the absurdity of saying theodemocracy exists. In what way would that matter then?

Any thoughts, ideas, or arguments?


Democracy is just a catalyst for the evolution of social liberty.
xris
 
  1  
Reply Sun 21 Dec, 2008 04:25 am
@incubusman8,
What a fantasy you live in...do you really believe that democracy is as you described it?
0 Replies
 
Holiday20310401
 
  1  
Reply Sun 21 Dec, 2008 06:45 pm
@incubusman8,
incubusman8 wrote:

Democracy is just a catalyst for the evolution of social liberty.


I think democracy could do just the opposite, well, pseudo-democracy at least. It's the mindset that we live in democracy that gives us apathy.

What people call democracy is not democracy. I think a lot of people will claim democracy is this freedom out of the sense that we have it better off than other countries. In what way? Technologically speaking, everyone's right to vote.

If western society was the same as it is today, and eastern society was all of a sudden living in a state of luxury compared to now then america would not classify themselves as a democracy.
incubusman8
 
  1  
Reply Sun 21 Dec, 2008 09:03 pm
@Holiday20310401,
xris wrote:
What a fantasy you live in...do you really believe that democracy is as you described it?

That last line was too hopeful. I apologise, it is not truly this way. The democratic system is slow... and does not function so smoothly as I described. But even still, from the perspective of our lives, it is better than the struggle that can be found in all other past systems.

Holiday20310401 wrote:
I think democracy could do just the opposite, well, pseudo-democracy at least. It's the mindset that we live in democracy that gives us apathy.

+1 It's a big problem and I never meant to defend democracy. It does indeed have problems and this is one I feel strongly about as well.
Holiday20310401 wrote:

What people call democracy is not democracy. I think a lot of people will claim democracy is this freedom out of the sense that we have it better off than other countries. In what way? Technologically speaking, everyone's right to vote.

So far compared to all other forms of centralised government, democracy is the best. Typically, because of its nature, the countries that are bound to it celebrate more civil rights and liberties than of other ones. I never meant to say that democracy was the best, just that so far it is better.
Holiday20310401
 
  1  
Reply Sun 21 Dec, 2008 09:27 pm
@incubusman8,
See I don't think that an electoral system that allows everybody to vote creates these virtues for society. The electoral system itself emerges from the virtues of society. I think social characteristics make more sense to cause the political characteristics and not the other way around.

I just don't believe that democracy has a nature, it's just inherent from the social status of the society; how educated are people, how much do institutions affect the lifestyles, what institutions affect the culture, the media, etc.

It is the technology that acquires the liberties IMO, not the electoral system, but I agree that true democracy should be defended.
incubusman8
 
  1  
Reply Sun 21 Dec, 2008 09:41 pm
@Holiday20310401,
Holiday20310401 wrote:
See I don't think that an electoral system that allows everybody to vote creates these virtues for society. The electoral system itself emerges from the virtues of society. I think social characteristics make more sense to cause the political characteristics and not the other way around.


I always saw social characteristics as a product of environment and experience; political characteristics of a society having a large impact on this.

Holiday20310401 wrote:

I just don't believe that democracy has a nature, it's just inherent from the social status of the society; how educated are people, how much do institutions affect the lifestyles, what institutions affect the culture, the media, etc.

This is very true... perhaps it works both ways? Affecting eachother.

Holiday20310401 wrote:

It is the technology that acquires the liberties IMO, not the electoral system, but I agree that true democracy should be defended.

I think that struggle acquires liberties. But then it could be reasoned that by reducing struggle, democracy has slowed the strive to true liberty.
 

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