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[–]TheInkerman1 point2 points3 points 10 years ago (1 child) | Copy Link
Would a dictatorship be "Alpha"?
Look at most modern (post-WWII) dictatorships. They are usually some form of socialism or have huge welfare funds for the common people in order to buy loyalty and prevent dissent. It is literally "Shut up, do as your told, and we'll look after you until we don't care anymore and let you die". Being an independent individual is impossible because the system is built to make you beholden to it and if you aren't it crushes you.
Free societies, on the other hand, are beholden to the political will of the masses, which ebbs and flows with time/history. Will we go back to a 1950s style society? No, because certain things (contraception, large scale manufacturing automation) have happened which makes that society impossible, but we could drift back into a more conservative society, and then out again when things improve. Free societies do push certain agendas, the Western 'consume, consume, consume' agenda being one of them, which has good and bad aspects. The difference is that people can opt out of that agenda (which has consequences, but they have the option), or they exploit it for their own purposes (which many in TRP community do), or object to it while remaining part of society, thanks to free speech.
In a free society, through hard work and some smarts, you can be Your man, in a dictatorship, you can only be Their man.
[–]Senior ContributorSkorchZang1 point2 points3 points 10 years ago (0 children) | Copy Link
We could also observe together that Democracy old Athens style is an absolute impossibility given the existence and prevalence of mass media.
You either have Television or Democracy, choose one. If there's Television, then whoever controls the medium will always be able to cast the decisive vote by using the passive masses with great ease as remotely programmable puppets. In other words, the entire concept of "self-rule by the demos" breaks down beyond repair as soon as such a technology is introduced into the picture, since the population loses its natural "self" to the influence of Television, radio, advertising etc., to the point that all its political ideas and leanings are formed from outside by the "invisible hand".
[–]agoodresponse 1 point2 points3 points 10 years ago (0 children) | Copy Link
"The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter." - Winston Churchill
[–]meh6130 points1 point2 points 10 years ago (0 children) | Copy Link
The entire problem with a dictatorship is that the dictator gets stale. Lee Kuan Yew, regarded almost universally, as a "good" dictator, having lead Singapore from a backwater to one of the most advanced places on Earth technologically. But for every Yew, you have people like Mugabe or Mobutu, who aren't as wonderful to live under.
[–]letriggeredface0 points1 point2 points 10 years ago (0 children) | Copy Link
Democracy works. Remember, originally it was jist wealthy landowners who voted. Suffrage ruined everything. We need voter licenses that test for your knowledge of a candidates positions.
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[–]TheInkerman1 point2 points3 points (1 child) | Copy Link
[–]Senior ContributorSkorchZang1 point2 points3 points (0 children) | Copy Link
[–]agoodresponse 1 point2 points3 points (0 children) | Copy Link
[–]meh6130 points1 point2 points (0 children) | Copy Link
[–]letriggeredface0 points1 point2 points (0 children) | Copy Link