Does Democracy Really Work?

The Ornery American ^ | February 6, 2005 | Orson Scott Card

[Mr170IQ]

Long read, but facinating.

[Next_Time_NJ]

Long Read = short answer: Yes

[GeronL]

I hope Hollyweird doesn't do to Ender's Game what it did to Starship Troopers

[sodiumodium]

*ahem*

republic republic republic republic republic etc.

[sodiumodium]

"I hope Hollyweird doesn't do to Ender's Game what it did to Starship Troopers"

---

That's the reason I thank god they haven't tried to make "the moon is a harsh mistress"

[GeronL]

There are so many ways they could destroy Ender's Game

[swilhelm73]

bttt

[frankiep]

I stopped reading after the first few mini paragraphs and the lament that we are not a complete democracy.

We are a CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC.

Maybe if more Americans realized this we would be better off.

[Molly Pitcher]

Long read ping.

[freedumb2003]

I don't know how they could possibly do Ender's Game justice. There is too much happening at the psychological level.

[SMARTY]

"... people had only to go out of their doors to join a crowd, mobs formed far more frequently than they do now."

That's not entirely true. People 'could' only go to their doors if they wanted to voice their views. Why? Because, no infrastructure was in place for individuals to be represented. This was intentional. Monarchies, dictatorships, theocracies, what have you...were the law of the land and these leaders would not, dared not, permit the accounting of populations for the purpose of representation. If census information was gathered at all, it was for the purpose of taxation. Consequently, exploitation, grinding poverty, corruption AND... mobs. Mobs formed out of frustration and were as quickly and EASILY crushed by the armies of the leadership. Further, mobs typically, were urban dwellers who, if the voice of the mob was ever attended, made THEIR needs paramount over the needs and concerns of the rural populace. Voila, class war. In America, the great grandaddy of all Revolutions, the farmer and city man 'came out' against the crown as one man, together...or at least enough of an social and political monolith that the crown forces could be overwhelmed.

[Unreconstructed Selmerite]

For a long time, democracy had a bad name, mostly because it was regarded as a synonym for "mob rule." Nothing struck terror into the hearts of serious political philosophers than when masses of people took to the streets with violence and looting.

Well, after having gotten the full-fledged democracy we have today there still were and are philosophers who didn't and don't let democracy cast a spell on them.

To mention a few:

Erik von Kuehnelt-Leddihn, Bertrand de Jouvenel, H.L. Mencken, and Hans-Hermann Hoppe.

[ArGee]

Fascinating, but not really addressing the important questions.

Our democratic republic isn't the best form of government because it works best, but because it comes closest to recognizing the rights and the dignity of the governed.

Other forms of government may be able to accomplish more by other measures - more nations conquered, more trains running on time, more palaces. But no other form of government can even compete in the proper treatment of human beings.

Based on this, exporting our form of democracy is a moral imperative.

Shalom.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Scary thought making a movie of Ender's Game...wow...I don't know if they can find kid actors with the depth to play Ender...never seem to be able to find one with it to play Huck Finn...

[kjvail]

*Sigh*

Democratism (Jacobinism), has taken hold probably no way out til it all comes crashing down - meanwhile Satan is having a grand old time as an ever increasing number of people repeat his exhortation "non serviam!"

If you all want to play with the Jacobins again be my guest.

Ping for the "Crown Crew"

FReepmail me to get on of off this list

[kjvail]

*Sigh*

Democratism (Jacobinism), has taken hold probably no way out til it all comes crashing down - meanwhile Satan is having a grand old time as an ever increasing number of people repeat his exhortation "non serviam!"

If you all want to play with the Jacobins again be my guest.

Ping for the "Crown Crew"

FReepmail me to get on of off this list

[GeronL]

I agree, most of the real action in the book is not physical in my opinion. I hope OSC knows what he's doing edaling with Hollyweird. At least Heinlein was dead before they made STARSHIP TROOPERS

[TradicalRC]

Our democratic republic isn't the best form of government because it works best, but because it comes closest to recognizing the rights and the dignity of the governed.

You have assumed: a) that people would rather not have a different form of government that works better and b) that the democratic system has come closest to recognizing the rights and dignity of the governed, a point that I could not disagree with more,

Based on this, exporting our form of democracy is a moral imperative.

Yavolt!

[Poohbah]

Does Democracy Really Work?

Democracy is the worst form of government known to man, with the exception of everything else.

[TradicalRC]

The book does sound interesting, however there seems to be a certain "pretzel logic" regarding the differences between 'crowds' and 'groupthink'. When it supports the authors premise it's "the wisdom of crowds" when it doesn't it's "groupthink". Really, if his premise is right, China ought to have the best of everything. I expect to find it at a garage sale in five years along with Future Shock, Megatrends, and The Third Wave.