"Democracy is awful. Unfortunately every other system is even worse."

Well yes, but define democracy. How near is the British system, or the US system or any other system, to that definition? In order to make something workable from the theory, constraints are needed e.g. limits on the electorate and government by representatives rather than direct majority. Different societies have different constraints, and democracy can be tyrannical: Hitler was elected with a landslide in 1933, in a free and democratic (the German version of democracy) election, because most of the voters believed in his policies. It was probably 10 years (or just two of our Parliaments) before the majority stopped supporting him, so in that sense he had a democratic mandate while he was murdering millions.

To say glibly that democracy is awful, but every other system is even worse is facile. Not to say there isn't truth in it, but practical democracy is a human construct, and as such is deeply suspect.

Posted By: Higher Wrather, Jan 24, 16:52:22