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Thursday, 13 September 2018
quote [ Polarization. Conspiracy theories. Attacks on the free press. An obsession with loyalty. Recent events in the United States follow a pattern Europeans know all too well. ]
More evidence that politics may be impossible to understand, except maybe later, when it's history, which is too fucking late.
#wtf is wrong with people
#we're probably doomed
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5432 said @ 11:29am GMT on 14th September
I appreciate you taking the time to marshal a counter argument. Most people who attempt to delegitimize the Trump presidency do so without even going to the trouble providing an explanation. Their case against Brexit is even flimsier, but let’s start with the argument you put forward - the one most often heard from people attempting to undermine the legitimacy of the current administration.
The argument is that only “direct” democracies are “true” democracies, which is simply untrue. Representative democracies are democratic countries in any accurate sense of the word. India, frequently referred to as “The World’s Largest Democracy” is not a direct democracy. Nor is Australia. Nor is Canada, Indonesia, Brazil, Japan, Mexico, Britain, etc. When you narrow the definition of democracy down to “direct" democracies you’re basically defining the term out of existence. Switzerland, Ancient Athens, End of list. So, unless you are going to retire the term entirely, and never use it, then you have to recognize the US as a democracy. Indeed. Ms. Applebaum uses this definition of democracy in her article, otherwise she wouldn’t have an article to write.
And if you want “direct democracy” then the only real case of it was the Brexit vote. A vote as straight up and direct as you can get. You’ll find that most of the same people who dismiss the Trump presidency, have dismissed Brexit as well. Simply put, these people are working to undermine two of the most significant democracies in history.
The United State and England are two of the world’s bellwether democracies. When people go about delegitimizing the outcomes of their elections, something very serious is occurring.
5432 said @ 11:32am GMT on 14th September
I appreciate you taking the time to marshal a counter argument. Most people who attempt to delegitimize the Trump presidency do so without even going to the trouble of providing the fig leaf of an explanation. And their case against Brexit is even flimsier, but let’s start with the argument you put forward - The one most often heard from people attempting to undermine the legitimacy of the current administration.
The argument you put forward amounts to the notion that only “direct” democracies are “true” democracies, which is simply untrue. Representative democracies are democratic countries in any accurate sense of the word. India, frequently referred to as “The World’s Largest Democracy” is not a direct democracy. Nor is Australia. Nor is Canada, Indonesia, Brazil, Japan, Mexico, Britain, etc. When you narrow the definition of democracy down to “direct" democracies you’re basically defining the term out of existence. Switzerland, Ancient Athens, End of list. So, unless you are going to retire the term entirely, and never use it, then you have to recognize the US as a democracy. Indeed. Ms. Applebaum uses this definition of democracy in her article, otherwise she wouldn’t have an article to write.
And if you want “direct democracy” then the only real case of it was the Brexit vote. A vote as straight up and direct as you can get. You’ll find that most of the same people who dismiss the Trump presidency, have dismissed Brexit as well. Simply put, these people are working to undermine two of the most significant democracies in history.
TL;DR
The United State and England are two of the world’s bellwether democracies. When people go about delegitimizing the outcomes of their elections, something very serious is occurring.
<-- Entry / Current Comment
5432 said @ 11:29am GMT on 14th September [Score:-4]
I appreciate you taking the time to marshal a counter argument. Most people who attempt to delegitimize the Trump presidency do so without even going to the trouble of providing the fig leaf of an explanation. And their case against Brexit is even flimsier, but let’s start with the argument you put forward - The one most often heard from people attempting to undermine the legitimacy of the current administration.
The argument you put forward amounts to the notion that only “direct” democracies are “true” democracies, which is simply untrue. Representative democracies are democratic countries in any accurate sense of the word. India, frequently referred to as “The World’s Largest Democracy” is not a direct democracy. Nor is Australia. Nor is Canada, Indonesia, Brazil, Japan, Mexico, Britain, etc. When you narrow the definition of democracy down to “direct" democracies you’re basically defining the term out of existence. Switzerland, Ancient Athens, End of list. So, unless you are going to retire the term entirely, and never use it, then you have to recognize the US as a democracy. Indeed. Ms. Applebaum uses this definition of democracy in her article, otherwise she wouldn’t have an article to write.
And if you want “direct democracy” then the only real case of it was the Brexit vote. A vote as straight up and direct as you can get. You’ll find that most of the same people who dismiss the Trump presidency, have dismissed Brexit as well. Simply put, these people are working to undermine two of the most significant democracies in history.
TL;DR
The United State and England are two of the world’s bellwether democracies. When people go about delegitimizing the outcomes of their elections, something very serious is occurring.
