If we define democracy as voting, then you’re right. However, to understand what I’m saying it’s important to understand what I mean by democracy. I’m using democracy to mean inclusive institutions that invest in their citizens to increase their capabilities and therefore their freedoms.
And you’re right: America is exceptionally un-democratic. You’re actually doubly right: there are democratic backsliding pressures around the world.
It’s a matter of time to see what the more powerful pressures will be: democracy or authoritarian populism.
The evidence powerfully suggests one answer. If you want to know more about this, check out Christian Welzel’s articles on democracy!
Yeah, but usually in trade for something else. Gun laws, building code, mandatory driver licensing, having to pay for that soda pop; these are good restrictions we trade for safety, health, and reliable commerce.
I have no idea what Americans are getting out of the restrictions on freedom they’ve voted into effect recently.
A republic is just a state with an elected head of state. It says nothing else about the political system of te country. Nominally the US is a representiative democratic republic. Of course it is no longer either of those things, but it pretended to be so for a long time.
Small flaw in your reasoning here. The USA was never a democracy and, indeed, was designed not to be one. Your Founding Fathers held the masses in contempt and deliberately designed a system that would minimize the masses’ voice.
They don’t do this inherently. What is happening in America shows that often people vote to restrict their own freedoms.
But that’s being caused by anti democratic forces.
Democratic countries need to keep progressing.
Concentrated power isn’t democratic, there needs to be an always on equalizer.
If we define democracy as voting, then you’re right. However, to understand what I’m saying it’s important to understand what I mean by democracy. I’m using democracy to mean inclusive institutions that invest in their citizens to increase their capabilities and therefore their freedoms.
And you’re right: America is exceptionally un-democratic. You’re actually doubly right: there are democratic backsliding pressures around the world.
It’s a matter of time to see what the more powerful pressures will be: democracy or authoritarian populism.
The evidence powerfully suggests one answer. If you want to know more about this, check out Christian Welzel’s articles on democracy!
Yeah, but usually in trade for something else. Gun laws, building code, mandatory driver licensing, having to pay for that soda pop; these are good restrictions we trade for safety, health, and reliable commerce.
I have no idea what Americans are getting out of the restrictions on freedom they’ve voted into effect recently.
Mostly it’s supremacist validation fed by self-destructive cultural narrative. Which kind of supremacist depends on the individual.
You’d be surprised how many people happily volunteer to suffer so long as they know the people you’ve convinced them to hate are suffering more.
America is ranked dead-last on most global lists of western functioning democracies, and for good reason.
Americans vote within a republic not a democracy. Republics are famously corrupt
A republic is just a state with an elected head of state. It says nothing else about the political system of te country. Nominally the US is a representiative democratic republic. Of course it is no longer either of those things, but it pretended to be so for a long time.
That is all modern “democracies”. There are no countries which run on pure democracy.
Small flaw in your reasoning here. The USA was never a democracy and, indeed, was designed not to be one. Your Founding Fathers held the masses in contempt and deliberately designed a system that would minimize the masses’ voice.