flix on Nostr: Democracy is superior to the alternatives, but not for many of the blatant propaganda ...

Democracy is superior to the alternatives, but not for many of the blatant propaganda reasons taught at govt. schools.

It's not good because "The People" will make good decisions. That is a clear lie.

It's not because leaders are virtuous or selfless, they rarely are.

It's not good because some mythical "Will of the People" is expressed at the ballot box, that is propaganda.

It's not because of a non-existing "social contract". That is at best a meaningless abstraction and at worst a total lie.

It's not good because representatives defend their voters or care about their problems. That is simply not how politics works.

It's not good because it guarantees or defends human rights. If a majority does not care about them, they will not vote to defend them. If the political class does not care about them, you will not even have a choice to vote that way.

The great virtue of democracy is that it allows for a peaceful transition of power. It is a method to measure relative strength without fighting. It often (not always) prevents civil war.

It takes a lot of effort and time to build. A lot can be destroyed very quickly in a civil war. For civilisation to prosper, for capital accumulation to progress... Peace is a necessary condition.

Blood is a big expense. Votes are better than bullets.

All other systems, empires, kingdoms, theocracy, tyranny, totalitarianism, etc.. frequently lead to civil strife and massive destruction during transitions of power. If you are lucky, it's a relatively bloodless coup, but more often than not it's war.

Being able to change the rulers without killing thousands, sometimes millions is a great advance. Democracy is superior. But don't be fooled, it's no panacea. Even in a democratic system you are the only one able to defend your rights from your rulers and fellow citizens. If you don't defend free speech, property rights and the right to defend yourself, there is nothing instrinsic in a democratic system that will do so for you. Majorities can be as tyrannical as kings.

Churchill was right when he said "democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time."