There are now more autocratic states than democracies according to BTI. Last updated in 2022.

[Twilight Hue]

Democracy in decline worldwide – DW – 02/23/2022

Just to think most of the world isnt regarded as free is anymore isn't a good sign for future generations.

Will this trend continue? I hope not, but givin how countries are ever increasing in restricting and controlling their populations, it dosent seem people want freedom anymore, and are giving up in areas of the world.

They say it's a natural drive for people to want to be free, but this trend brings that into question as it appears more and more prefer to be controlled by others IMHO.

 

[Soandso]

I don't think it really matters what the population wants as far as autocracies go, and it's hard to get a feel for how people really feel about their situations when speaking out draws the ire of the state

 

[Shadow Wolf]

They say it's a natural drive for people to want to be free, but this trend brings that into question as it appears more and more prefer to be controlled by others IMHO.

A look out in the world at any given time throws the claim into question. Even our own psychology reveals it's not something we necessarily seek, it doesn't really rank in as important for our well being, and even that things are easier for us when he have fewer choices and structured plans and orderly days in our lives.
Freedom just lets this group do it this way and that group do it that way so there's less chance of conflict and war. After all, we probably don't even have freewill. But we do tend to just go about our business until we die, just as any other animal.

 

[Heyo]

Democracy in decline worldwide – DW – 02/23/2022

Just to think most of the world isnt regarded as free is anymore isn't a good sign for future generations.

Will this trend continue? I hope not, but givin how countries are ever increasing in restricting and controlling their populations, it dosent seem people want freedom anymore, and are giving up in areas of the world.

They say it's a natural drive for people to want to be free, but this trend brings that into question as it appears more and more prefer to be controlled by others IMHO.

Looking at the longer time frame, democracy was on the rise until recently. The pendulum is swinging back now. The question is how far and how long. On the really big time frame, there was always a back and forth with an underlying direction towards more freedom.

 

[PureX]

Capitalism is NOT democratic. And capitalism now controls the lives of people all around the planet. Calling this "autocracy" is misleading as it does not clarify who's actually in control. Through capitalism, those who have the most money are in control of everyone else, regardless of what form of government they are living under. And this is why the world has become "autocratic" regardless of what form of government they claim to have. And the few real holdouts against this capitalist control are actually the hyper-authoritarian dictators, like Putin and Kim Jong. Which is why, I suspect, the general population has become somewhat more agreeable to authoritarian posturing among it's politicians. As they see them as the only possible means of countering this relentless and increasingly abusive capitalist control.

We are entering into a new era of corporate feudalism, and a world ruled by billionaires and their corporate conglomerates instead of kings and their armies.

 

[Sand Dancer]

Democracy in decline worldwide – DW – 02/23/2022

Just to think most of the world isnt regarded as free is anymore isn't a good sign for future generations.

Will this trend continue? I hope not, but givin how countries are ever increasing in restricting and controlling their populations, it dosent seem people want freedom anymore, and are giving up in areas of the world.

They say it's a natural drive for people to want to be free, but this trend brings that into question as it appears more and more prefer to be controlled by others IMHO.

This has been happening more the last decade. I hope there is a backlash. Maybe it's scary to have freedom. It's unpredictable.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Looking at the longer time frame, democracy was on the rise until recently. The pendulum is swinging back now. The question is how far and how long. On the really big time frame, there was always a back and forth with an underlying direction towards more freedom.

I'm thinking it's due to ever more sophisticated. technology that makes it much easier to control and force masses of people to do whatever the elites in charge bid and mandate them to do.

A symptom of the road to a dystopian worldwide environment.

 

[PureX]

I'm thinking it's due to ever more sophisticated. technology that makes it much easier to control and force masses of people to do whatever the elites in charge bid and mandate them to do.

A symptom of the road to a dystopian worldwide environment.

It's not the technology per se. It's the fact that almost every human on the planet now has to engage in commerce to get what they need to survive. That makes those who control of that commerce the controllers of everyone else's well being. And under capitalism, that's the capital investor, i.e., those who have more wealth than they need to live on, and can use that excess wealth to capture yet more excess wealth. And the more of it they pile up, the more control they gain over the commerce we all have to engage in to live.

It's our productive inter-dependence that has enslaved us to the endless greed of the capital investors among us. And if we don't see this and make some real changes to this system of commerce we are going to be destroyed by all that greed running amok. The longer we wait the harder those changes are going to be.

 

[vulcanlogician]

After all, we probably don't even have freewill. But we do tend to just go about our business until we die, just as any other animal.

I agreed with all the observations you made in your post except this one. I agree that freedom isn't necessarily going to lead to happiness, and that too much freedom can lead to unhappiness. But that doesn't have much to do with whether we ultimately have free will.

I don't think we have free will (in a metaphysical sense) either. But that isn't a good justification for revoking our political freedoms. Whether they are truly free or not, people often act in a way that satisfies their own desires. If the state's job is to ensure the happiness and wellbeing of its citizens, allowing them to pursue their own happiness (within reason) is just a good call. Because people take care of the bulk of that themselves.

 

[Heyo]

I'm thinking it's due to ever more sophisticated. technology that makes it much easier to control and force masses of people to do whatever the elites in charge bid and mandate them to do.

A symptom of the road to a dystopian worldwide environment.

Then why are countries which have less technology more likely to be autocratic then highly technicized countries?

 

[Sand Dancer]

I'm thinking it's due to ever more sophisticated. technology that makes it much easier to control and force masses of people to do whatever the elites in charge bid and mandate them to do.

A symptom of the road to a dystopian worldwide environment.

More access to knowledge does threaten some people. We are harder to control that way.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

But that isn't a good justification for revoking our political freedoms.

True, however it is an issue for the idea of people gravitating towards freedom and liberty. They may say they want it, but then they give their freedom to the clergy, cults of personalities, media influences and others telling them how to be.
As for revoking, it's all the reason more we must be ever vigilant in preserving our freedoms. We rarely actually use them in any meaningful way, there are philosophical issues with it, but it's best for optimizing the chances of people living out a peaceful existence when the policies are wisely applied. If not it's probably just a bunch of rabble rousers who are really just out to start trouble.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Then why are countries which have less technology more likely to be autocratic then highly technicized countries?

Like China? Russia?

 

[Heyo]

Like China? Russia?

Yep. Both can't hold a candle to Europe, Japan or the US.