On Apr 8, 12:55 pm, "His Highness the Wise TibetanMonkey, Most Humble
Post by His Highness the Wise TibetanMonkey, Most Humble PhilosopherOn 4/8/2013 6:35 PM, His Highness the Wise TibetanMonkey, Most Humble
On 4/8/2013 6:23 PM, His Highness the Wise TibetanMonkey, Most Humble
On 4/8/2013 6:04 PM, His Highness the Wise TibetanMonkey, Most Humble
On 4/7/2013 4:39 PM, His Highness the Wise TibetanMonkey,
Most Humble
On 4/6/2013 9:24 PM, His Highness the Wise
TibetanMonkey, Most Humble
It proves people can be manipulated and misguided when
a democracy fails.
it shows how populist authoritarians can manipulate
democracy. It shows
the lack of strength in Venezuelan civil society.
Someone is also manipulating democracy in America, but
it's NOT a
single person.
Nor is in in Venezuela.
Chavez had lots of people working for him including Cubans.
Raul Castro sent Maduro an extra 2000 Cubans for the
election.
The minute someone casts a vote and ignores corruption
and quality of life everything goes wrong. They vote
for their narrow
interests, not the good of society.
Has happened in the past. Is happening now and will
regretfully happen
in the future.
Education and the strengthening of civil society are key.
In Europe a guy like Maduro that claims Chavez speaks to
him in
apparitions would end up in a loony-bin rather than
being elected.
Well, a sort of pattern is revealing itself, and there's
control.
Indeed: too much control results in a failing democracy.
On Apr 6, 9:49 pm, Marcus Aurelius
Aristotle, the ancient Greek philosopher, stated in his book
"Politics" that a republic based upon Constitutionally
protected equal
rights and equal responsibilities for all citizens was
one of the best
forms of government. On the other hand, he stated that a
democratic
nation without these Constitutionally guarranteed republican
guaranties was one of the worst forms of government, a
tyranny of the
majority that granted itself privileges while
discriminating against
electoral majorities which have fewer rights, liberties,
and more
responsibilities than the powerful electoral majority.
The USA changed
from a republican form of government to a democratic form of
government during the revolutionary period of the late
1960's and
early 1970's. India, Canada, and other nations
(including the USA)
have evolved from republican forms of government to
democratic forms
of government with the resulting politically sanctioned
"caste"
systems which give more rights, more freedoms, and fewer
responsibilities to identity groups based upon sex,
gender, race, and
national origin. The same represents, as Aristotle
stated, merely a
tyranny of the majority under a political spoils system.
I see "democracy" as a handy tool for the elites.
Stalin-ism is a much better tool for elites. See Cuba.
It's better for one small elite but not better for elites at large.
You may say in democracy elites are diversified and
competitive. And
yet they all hang on to the concept of elections. It's like taking
turns at power while the little guy remains insignificant.
Those asking for democracy in Cuba want a piece of the pie as well,
see what I mean? It's all about the piece of the pie.
those asking for democracy anywhere want all to have a real
shot at the
piece of the pie.
The question is how big is the piece of the rich and the poor.
if the pie is big enough and democracy works there is enough for all.
Imbalances have always existed and will always exist.
Democracies are not very functional where the poor live in filth and
fear while the rich live in gated communities.
True.
democracy function best with an educated public in a
functioning civil
society with adequate living conditions for all.
Well, I say whoever delivers the goods is the winner. Singapore is not
democratic and yet...
Well, there's no chewing gum and filth everywhere.
Hitler "delivered" highways.
trains ran on time in Mussolini's fascist Italy.
Both the Germans and Italian people lost a lot.
True, and in America the trains run on time but are slow. There's not
even bullet trains, just highways and more highways. You are a
consumer and you can cast your vote two ways, which amounts to more of
the same.
"Cheap gas" as in Venezuela, right? Not quite as cheap but much
cheaper than the rest of the civilized world, which in turn funds
alternative transportation.
Germany now works excellent under democracy so there's hope it may be
applicable elsewhere.
There are many, many parallels between Venezuela and America besides
being democracies. It is said that Venezuela imported everything
before Chavez --now scarcity is the norm-- and America has grown
dependent on China for everything. Germany alone exports more than
America --with 1/4 the population-- while unions remain strong. Now
there are not many unions in America and the "Made in America" tag has
disappeared together with it.
At the same time a small sector of the population controls the wealth
and lives in isolation from reality. In other words, Venezuela has
become more like Cuba and America more like Venezuela...
democracy and then forgot about it ourselves.
Myth, after all, is what we believe naturally. History is what we must
painfully learn and struggle to remember. -Albert Goldman