Read on Twitter
Definitions matter!
The opposite of “democracy” is not “authoritarianism.”
You can have democratic authoritarianism, i.e., you vote for an authoritarian leader, or to give a leader authoritarian powers.
The opposite of “democracy” is not “authoritarianism.”
You can have democratic authoritarianism, i.e., you vote for an authoritarian leader, or to give a leader authoritarian powers.
Democracy: how leaders are chosen.
Authoritarianism: a system of government—how the leader can act and what powers they have.
Not opposites of each other!
Authoritarianism: a system of government—how the leader can act and what powers they have.
Not opposites of each other!
Someone who is “against democracy” might just think there’s a better way to CHOOSE leaders, but still wants limits on the powers of leadership.
Someone PRO-DEMOCRACY might just want the people he votes for to have absolute power to do what they think is right w/ no limits.
Someone PRO-DEMOCRACY might just want the people he votes for to have absolute power to do what they think is right w/ no limits.
An authoritarian might hold elections!
They could replace the authoritarian with another authoritarian. Or elect other gov’t officials but keep the top guy in power.
That’s a democracy!
They could replace the authoritarian with another authoritarian. Or elect other gov’t officials but keep the top guy in power.
That’s a democracy!
I harp on stuff like this because I find various theories of government interesting.
An authoritarian may be benevolent and do good!
A democracy may produce tyranny and do bad!
Nothing is guaranteed by the system.
A democracy may produce tyranny and do bad!
Nothing is guaranteed by the system.
Some monarchies, for example, produced better results then some democracies.
We just fetishize the idea of “democracy” to a weird degree without really understanding what it is.
We just fetishize the idea of “democracy” to a weird degree without really understanding what it is.
In the United States, we’ve conflated “democracy” with “results.”
“Results I personally like” equals democracy.
“Results I personally don’t like” equals dictatorship or whatever.
“Results I personally like” equals democracy.
“Results I personally don’t like” equals dictatorship or whatever.
Nobody really cares about THE PROCESS as long as they get the results they like. Because getting the results you like proves democracy works! Because NOBODY EVER would really VOTE FOR stuff I don’t like, right?
This is how tens of millions of people think!
This is how tens of millions of people think!
Nobody is happy in America. Nobody is happy with how things are or with how they’re going.
And we HAVE “freedom and democracy”!
So what gives?
And we HAVE “freedom and democracy”!
So what gives?
I don’t know! All I know is that even suggesting that our system has and currently does produce bad results gets you labeled:
- a commie
- a Russian asset
- a statist
- a fascist
And so on.
Weird that in the “land of the free” you can’t have anti-status quo views.
- a commie
- a Russian asset
- a statist
- a fascist
And so on.
Weird that in the “land of the free” you can’t have anti-status quo views.
