Do You Support Democracy?

[Sunstone]

No, I am the direct victim of democracy....India is way worse with democracy full of corruption.......A country needs a authoritative ruler but too bad Indians think democracy is their right or something but eventually it is degrading our lives.......People for short term benefits elect only to realise they have done a mistake later and the same thing happens again and again..Rinse and repeat...When can the country develop like this ?

You complain about the corruption in India's democracy, but that's not the fault of democracy. There are plenty of countries with less corruption than India, but with even more viable democratic traditions. Iceland, for instance. Canada for another. And so on.

 

[YmirGF]

As Churchill famously said, democracy is the worse form of government except for every other.

It's so weird when we whole-hardheartedly agree, Phil.

 

[Sunstone]

It's so weird when we whole-hardheartedly agree, Phil.

Makes me want to check the weather report, Paul, to see if it's a full moon tonight.

 

[Sunstone]

So far as I can see, constitutional representative democracy, like modest, rather than excessive, economic inequality, has a tendency to unleash human potential.

 

[Mycroft]

No, I don't.

 

[Underhill]

The ideal I think is some type of dictatorship. A ruler who can get the job done the way it needs to be done, when it needs to be done. The problem I think, is that there is no one trustworthy enough to be totally selfless as to be able to function as a beneficent ruler on his own. And even if there were such a person, society itself is not trusting enough as to allow such a person to function effectively (without revolting).
So baring that, the next best choice I believe is a democracy.

We could always build a computer to run the show. Give him ethics and a good solid moral compass. No bad habits, can't sleep with his interns...

Of course it might decide exterminating us would be the best answer... So there's that...

 

[David1967]

I'm one of the very few people I know who would hate being made dictator. I once employed a small number of people. To be a simple boss was bad enough. But to be a responsible dictator would absolutely suck the joy from life. Unless, of course, I could be a corrupt old *******, never show up for work, and spend all my time in orgies.

I'm with you on this one. I own a small company and am good at it. A big company with lots of employees? No thanks. Its fun on a small scale but a country? Not for me.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

You complain about the corruption in India's democracy, but that's not the fault of democracy. There are plenty of countries with less corruption than India, but with even more viable democratic traditions. Iceland, for instance. Canada for another. And so on.

likewise, there are some non-democracies that are very corrupt, and others that are relatively uncorrupt. Individual mileage will vary.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Using any definition of the word, do you support democracy and/or think it's the best system to run a government? Why, why not?

It runs well for smaller populations but as a country grows, a democracy tends to be less viable.

A representative republic seems to be the best form of goverment thus far.

 

[metis]

The best, imo, is a benevolent dictator, but how does one keep the dictator benevolent because "power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely"? Therefore, I go with democracy-- as sloppy as it is.

 

[Revoltingest]

The best, imo, is a benevolent dictator, but how does one keep the dictator benevolent because "power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely"? Therefore, I go with democracy-- as sloppy as it is.

I don't blame power.
It merely let's one's full personality bloom.
The underlying problem is that most people are corrupt.

 

[metis]

I don't blame power.
It merely let's one's full personality bloom.
The underlying problem is that most people are corrupt.

... except you and I, but I ain't too sure about you!

 

[DawudTalut]

Using any definition of the word, do you support democracy and/or think it's the best system to run a government? Why, why not?

Peace be on you.
1=Democracy in the hands of uneducated, weak people leads to nothing but towards licence to loot country's resources by some mafias, cartels and people with external ties. Third world countries are full of such examples.
2=If a candidate gets 51% vote and other 49%........First gets the government but in reality it is not fair to suppress rights of other huge number.
3=Various system of government [ranging from democracy to martial-law to kings and queen and so on......] can work well if absolute justice is practiced......All depends on intentions, condition of maturity of people and area of world.

 

[LuisDantas]

Using any definition of the word, do you support democracy and/or think it's the best system to run a government? Why, why not?

Pretty much. Systems of all kinds and sizes are rarely if ever even worth having without a strong element of representativeness in their decisions.

Admitedly that is a challenge for bigger populations, but even so that is no reason to attempt to bypass the representativeness efforts. Masking its need does not make it any less real.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

No, not really. Not with the stupid populace we have. Ideally, I'm an anarcho-communist, but humans are currently too stupid in general for that. So I'm rather authoritarian.

 

[LuisDantas]

We could always build a computer to run the show. Give him ethics and a good solid moral compass. No bad habits, can't sleep with his interns...

Of course it might decide exterminating us would be the best answer... So there's that...

It is impossible for entities without abstract reason to have even rudimentary command of ethics and morals, though.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Of course it might decide exterminating us would be the best answer... So there's that...

And it would probably be right. Lol.

 

[Underhill]

It is impossible for entities without abstract reason to have even rudimentary command of ethics and morals, though.

Now there is a debate. I would argue that it all depends on how good the programmer is. After all, what are morals but societal programming?

 

[Midnight Rain]

I support constitutional, representative democracy. Someday, I hope for a constitutional democracy with direct representation. It can't be any worse than the buffoons who represent us.

Actually that would be a very important and easy way for us to end corruption. The problem is that if everyone voted on every bill then who writes the laws? Who are the law makers? Would the general public be even be remotely capable of being up to the task? Probably not. A better representative system with harsh penalties for corruption would be better.

 

[Penumbra]

Due to the sheer number of bills that need to be passed in a large state, I think a republic is needed. But a method for the citizenry to call for a direct democratic vote on an important issue is also important, I think.

But none of it works well if the citizenry are uninformed or apathetic.