The Problem of Democracy

Rival said:

Capitalism is an economic system, not a form of government.

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osgart said:

I know that technically it is. However the system produces wealthy authoritarian rule. It controls everything.

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Rival said:

Communism has been known to do the same.

Any system can do this, really.

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osgart said:

Well then it comes down to human nature. I think science can benefit us in understanding both systems and human nature. Maybe humanity can safeguard itself from itself.

But I also see that maybe the systems are damaging themselves. Many systems are also subverted away from their intended purpose, and end up being nothing that it was intended to be.

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Laika said:

There are plenty of things you can do. Proper civics education for young people, media regulation to prevent the most grotesque disinformation, breaking up media corporations so they don't have effective control over public opinion, reforming the electoral system so it's genuinely competitive, give third-parties a greater chance, perhaps even public funding for parties and electoral campaigns, reduce the voting age to 16, voting rights for prisoners, making voting as easy as humanly possible by postal voting, etc. The UK could abolish the monarchy and the house of Lords to elect a second chamber and a head of state, or have an devolved English (and Cornish) assembly.

But it's not going to happen because nobody has the power to pass that kind of legislation through the institutions we currently have and those who could, really don't care and everyone knows it. And that kind of demoralising inertia that makes you want to smash your head against the wall is entirely self-perpetuating and self-sustaining. What fun!

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