Democracy is a desirable system only when the people who make the decisions are educated, informed, and interested in actively participating in the political process. Unfortunately, it seems that most people do not have these three traits. On the other hand, policy in the United States has very little to do with democracy, and very much to do with money. We have de facto oligarchic rule (rule by the wealthy, as I use the term), and Stigler's "capture theory" has been fully realized. Need proof? Look at the bailouts...
There of course was ignorance skewing the vote on both sides; some 15% of voters polled by CNN believed Obama to be a Muslim. On democracy, we should listen to Plato:
"It is more worthy to give thought to the most decent men...the many do whatever they happen to do by chance"
Democracy (mob rule by the inept) however still seems preferable to the oligarchy where total "capture" has already taken place and corporate power and political power are nearly indistinguishable. At worst, people rise to power in a true democracy by chance, but in the oligarchy it is a series of calculated moves by the rich to keep themselves and their fellow oligarchs wealthy and elite.
"A body of men holding themselves accountable to nobody ought not to be trusted by anybody."
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Democracy is a desirable system only when the people who make the decisions are educated, informed, and interested in actively participating in the political process. Unfortunately, it seems that most people do not have these three traits. On the other hand, policy in the United States has very little to do with democracy, and very much to do with money. We have de facto oligarchic rule (rule by the wealthy, as I use the term), and Stigler's "capture theory" has been fully realized. Need proof? Look at the bailouts...
There of course was ignorance skewing the vote on both sides; some 15% of voters polled by CNN believed Obama to be a Muslim. On democracy, we should listen to Plato:
"It is more worthy to give thought to the most decent men...the many do whatever they happen to do by chance"
Democracy (mob rule by the inept) however still seems preferable to the oligarchy where total "capture" has already taken place and corporate power and political power are nearly indistinguishable. At worst, people rise to power in a true democracy by chance, but in the oligarchy it is a series of calculated moves by the rich to keep themselves and their fellow oligarchs wealthy and elite.
"A body of men holding themselves accountable to nobody ought not to be trusted by anybody."
--Thomas Paine
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