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Topic: Is democracy even possible? - page 2. (Read 1226 times)

member
Activity: 70
Merit: 10
May 24, 2013, 12:13:49 PM
#8
The market is a democracy where you get to vote based upon the value you provide to the market.   The more value you provide to the market the more votes you get in the market.

Not so sure about that..
legendary
Activity: 966
Merit: 1052
May 24, 2013, 12:09:59 PM
#7
Tobacco companies have some of the strongest lobbies. Is that because of all the value they add to society? Or does the process allow any corporation, shady or not, positive or not, to gain power and basically start ruling the people based on the amount of income they can generate?
hero member
Activity: 770
Merit: 566
fractally
May 24, 2013, 12:05:54 PM
#6
The market is a democracy where you get to vote based upon the value you provide to the market.   The more value you provide to the market the more votes you get in the market.  He who serves others the best by providing them value has the most power, but their power is only really a 'vote' in the market and exercising their 'power' transfers it to who ever serves them.

Market power and cannot be morally backed by 'violence' in the nature of 'political power'.
member
Activity: 70
Merit: 10
May 24, 2013, 11:59:38 AM
#5
Yes, democracy sounds good but how many people continue to truly support it when they find themselves in the minority? Or not even in the minority, but simply not getting what they expect?
legendary
Activity: 966
Merit: 1052
May 24, 2013, 11:50:39 AM
#4
But what seems to happen is in societies ruled by 'values' of democracy, wealth ends up being concentrated in the hands of a small percentage. That small percentage then gains the monopoly on who gets elected(donations, if you want to call them that), lobbying, and whatever else they do.

The result is loss of democracy again. Because representation is no longer equal or fair, but the actual democratic process becomes a cover up.
sr. member
Activity: 260
Merit: 250
May 24, 2013, 11:03:04 AM
#3
In a pure democracy everyone votes on every group decision.  This gets impractical and unwieldy even before you get to the problems you have listed.

Does "everyone votes" mean everyone is required to vote or does it just mean everyone has the option to vote?  Does "everyone" include 4-year olds?  Those are some of the first things we'd have to vote on.

In a society with any amount of freedom and self-determination, concentrations of power (wealth) will always exist.  It is the nature of free choice that people go their own way and follow different priorities.
full member
Activity: 126
Merit: 100
Capitalism is the crisis.
May 24, 2013, 10:59:01 AM
#2
Democracy is an ideal achieved by nobody, approachable ony through the most reprehensible elitism, ie, no women, slaves, unlanded, felons ect... that results in psuedoethically defendable oppression of minorities and marginalized voices.
Consensus decision making turns this on its head. Global consensus based bodies are neat-o.
legendary
Activity: 966
Merit: 1052
May 24, 2013, 10:50:31 AM
#1
I've often thought about this, and seem to be in a dilemma about if democracy is even a remote possibility. There are various definitions of democracy; I am specifically referring to the ability of any citizen to have equal votes in determining the direction of their government.

It seems though that democracy in itself is an antithesis. The influence of the media, lobbying groups, big money, and big companies has shifted the power from the people to corporation. These are the same corporations the civilians work in. After working for corporations/rulers, citizen get paid and deposit that money in bank accounts. Those bank accounts are owned by the bankers who are also running their government.

See a problem?
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