

Why Democracy Will Die - libpcap
http://pietersz.co.uk/2010/12/democracy-will-de

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TomOfTTB
The problem with his thesis is, as he points out, democracy is currently
supporting the factors he thinks will kill it. Why challenge your country's
constitution when it's much easier to just convince people to let you subvert
it?

If Democracy is in any real danger I think it's from the ineffectiveness of
the governments of the world when it comes to controlling themselves. It's
easy to imagine a world where democratic governments simply run out of money
and have to start cancelling debts. At which point banks start to fail and the
government doesn't have the financial power to prop them up. Which in turn
causes an economic collapse the likes of which we've never seen.

That's exactly the type of environment that breeds dictatorship (and is in
fact how Hitler turned Germany from democracy in World War II)

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iwwr
Civil liberties should be defended not because they foster a democratic
society, but in spite of it. Mass fear will always be exploitable, that's why
we need a set of political principles stronger than pure mob rule.

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curious_man
So, everyone _must_ be free? I can't consciously trade some of my civil
liberties for something in return? My idea of freedom is the power of choice.
Choice to be free, or NOT free.

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dflock
Once you've 'chosen' not to be free, it's very hard to get back to where you
started, though.

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curious_man
Well, this is true. But again, if I can't make a decision for myself then I'm
not completely free. Even if that decision limits my freedom henceforth, I've
made that decision excercising my free will.

Probably your definition of freedom is something along the line of "the right
to exercise free will and take responsibility for my decisions, _and the
ability to do so now and forever_ ". With this definition, restricting your
own rights is against this concept of freedom. My definition doesn't have that
restriction.

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curious_man
It's like boiling a frog: if you throw one in boiling water it will immediatly
jump away. But if you place a frog in cold water and slowly making it hot, the
frog won't even notice it is being boiled.

As with frogs, we humans need constant awareness on the context in which we
live.

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dflock
Technology as an enabler of police states - yes, it is, and judging by current
events, pretty much irresistible to a lot of governments. I would imaging that
this will balance out, as technology diffuses further into society and
matures, but who knows. Two party systems - yes, again. They roundly suck.
Someone really needs to figure out how to break the US, UK, Canada, etc.. out
of the death grip of their two party local minima. How do you convince people
that some form of PR is much better - and then fight the huge incumbent party
machines which oppose it?

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known
Winston Churchill said: "The best argument against democracy is a five-minute
conversation with the average voter."

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noonespecial
One of the quotes that makes me think that Churchill was more erudite when
drunk.

