Mob rule

[fluffymark]

Can someone, anyone, explain to me just WHY democracy is supposed to be a good thing? I could never understand this. While you're at it, can anyone explain just how having elected representatives in a parliament constitutes "democracy", as it still doesn't seem that democratic to me!

Just because a plurality (or even a majority) of people want something doesn't make it right, or even the best thing to do.

When I rule the world everyone will have chocolate, and life will be perfect

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Can someone, anyone, explain to me just WHY democracy is supposed to be a good thing

The people who know are the ones who don't have it. Go anywhere that isn't a democracy and you'll find people willing to be beaten, arrested or killed for the sake of it.

Just because a plurality (or even a majority) of people want something doesn't make it right, or even the best thing to do.

There are no certainties, and there's no point looking for them, but democracies make, overall, better decisions than non-democracies. In any case, the people of the country have a moral right to be consulted.

[zotz]

That was me, by the way.

[mstevens.livejournal.com]

Since people get so desperate for it, surely there must be terribly convincing arguments in favour of it?

[fluffymormegil.livejournal.com]

I think "everything else that is plausibly actualisable is worse" is, sad to say, a pretty damned convincing argument.
Yes, what you actually want is a hypercompetent benevolent dictator - but unfortunately, history records very few instances of such, and even fewer instances of getting two in a row.

[(Anonymous)]

Indeed, and there are whole books on the subject. I very much doubt anyone is actually unaware of them. As I said, the main argument is that democratic governments are more responsive to the people's will and are much less repressive and violent. There are obviously other differences too, but those are the ones that strike me as being most important.

[mstevens.livejournal.com]

Yes, but "it's really popular" is hardly one of them.