Sorry to disagree, Michael, but democracies rise or fall on the presence, or not, of an educated electorate. This is a long known truth and many times repeated by historians and political scientists. This is, obviously, the problem in current America, as the uneducated and incapable of critical thinking voters can be easily led into Fascism and dictatorships. I fault our failed educational systems for our current political upheaval, on which the future survival of our constitutional Republic rests, or not. The bitter irony is that we now have immediate access to more information than ever before in history, but so much of it is filtered through corporate censors and propagandists. Critical thinking is key.
No need to apologize..I think the majority of my readers would agree with you! And since I am a majoritarian I shall not swim against the tide save to ask what is it that rises and falls? Is it nations, good governance or Democracy qua democracy? Majoritarian democracy can lead to bad outcomes, true. But government by highly educated, rational elites is a tyranny of the same order. One might as well substitute government by adequately programmed machines. As foolish and fallible as we may be, we must remain masters of our own fate be it for weal or woe.
And we do learn, however slowly, from our mistakes and the tutelage of those wiser than ourselves. Hence this particular debate.
I should add, to strengthen your own argument, that John Adams wrote to John Taylor in 1814 these famous words
" Remember Democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes exhausts and murders itself. There never was a Democracy yet, that did not commit suicide. It is in vain to say that Democracy is less vain, less proud, less selfish, less ambitious or less avaricious than Aristocracy or Monarchy."
Democracy can carry within itself the seeds of its own destruction but not necessarily will those seeds sprout. If it is the will of the people to bring back Kings or fascist autocrats, then let them. If they choose to be swayed by demagogues- why, let them.
But the people are not omniscient, nor can they see far into the future. In the heat of some moment, in a gust of folly they may ordain some malign change which they cannot later undo and therein lies the danger you speak of.
The above point was made well by The right honorable Charles James Fox addressing the House of Commons almost two centuries ago in England. At issue was what obligation did elected representatives have to reflect the sentiments of their voters when the former viewed the latter in error. Let us sit on the bench as the great Whig orator addressed the chamber:
"What, Sir, is the conclusion to be drawn? Why, this. Let us satisfy ourselves. Let us act according to the dictates of honour and conscience, and be at peace with our own minds. It is thus that we shall sooner or later regain the confidence of our constituents, if we have lost it; and not by humouring, as foolish nurses humour great lubberly boys, the wayward whims of a misled multitude."
Why, that puts paid to those mooncalf advocates of representative democracy, doesn't it?! The educated elite should do as their own lights prompt them and surely the mob will eventually follow. If they don't, so much the worse for them!
Sorry to disagree, Michael, but democracies rise or fall on the presence, or not, of an educated electorate. This is a long known truth and many times repeated by historians and political scientists. This is, obviously, the problem in current America, as the uneducated and incapable of critical thinking voters can be easily led into Fascism and dictatorships. I fault our failed educational systems for our current political upheaval, on which the future survival of our constitutional Republic rests, or not. The bitter irony is that we now have immediate access to more information than ever before in history, but so much of it is filtered through corporate censors and propagandists. Critical thinking is key.
No need to apologize..I think the majority of my readers would agree with you! And since I am a majoritarian I shall not swim against the tide save to ask what is it that rises and falls? Is it nations, good governance or Democracy qua democracy? Majoritarian democracy can lead to bad outcomes, true. But government by highly educated, rational elites is a tyranny of the same order. One might as well substitute government by adequately programmed machines. As foolish and fallible as we may be, we must remain masters of our own fate be it for weal or woe.
And we do learn, however slowly, from our mistakes and the tutelage of those wiser than ourselves. Hence this particular debate.
I should add, to strengthen your own argument, that John Adams wrote to John Taylor in 1814 these famous words
" Remember Democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes exhausts and murders itself. There never was a Democracy yet, that did not commit suicide. It is in vain to say that Democracy is less vain, less proud, less selfish, less ambitious or less avaricious than Aristocracy or Monarchy."
Democracy can carry within itself the seeds of its own destruction but not necessarily will those seeds sprout. If it is the will of the people to bring back Kings or fascist autocrats, then let them. If they choose to be swayed by demagogues- why, let them.
But the people are not omniscient, nor can they see far into the future. In the heat of some moment, in a gust of folly they may ordain some malign change which they cannot later undo and therein lies the danger you speak of.
The above point was made well by The right honorable Charles James Fox addressing the House of Commons almost two centuries ago in England. At issue was what obligation did elected representatives have to reflect the sentiments of their voters when the former viewed the latter in error. Let us sit on the bench as the great Whig orator addressed the chamber:
"What, Sir, is the conclusion to be drawn? Why, this. Let us satisfy ourselves. Let us act according to the dictates of honour and conscience, and be at peace with our own minds. It is thus that we shall sooner or later regain the confidence of our constituents, if we have lost it; and not by humouring, as foolish nurses humour great lubberly boys, the wayward whims of a misled multitude."
Why, that puts paid to those mooncalf advocates of representative democracy, doesn't it?! The educated elite should do as their own lights prompt them and surely the mob will eventually follow. If they don't, so much the worse for them!