Quote:
Originally posted by Moo
optimum form of government
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Perhaps 'optimum' is a bit of a misnomer there, and I mean in terms of cyc's outlook as well as in general. 'Best of a very bad bunch' might be more fitting.
We all know what mob rule can do. Then again we know what aristocracy can do as well. The ideal balance would be a democracy where everyone takes the time to consider their vote thoughtfully rather than just rolling into a polling station and ticking "TOUGHER PUNISHMENTS!!!1
" so hard it rips the ballot and leaves a mark on the desk, without even a second thought
That sounds a lot like your typical arrogant philosopher's argument I know, that is that you'd agree with me only if you were capable of rational thought; but I'm quite prepared to accept that different people will have different opinions on things, as long as people try - just a little - to think things through and also to consider that their viewpoint isn't quite cast in stone either.
For a kick I looked up some old threads on this very issue.. I found a couple of threads where I was on the diametrically opposite side of the argument to where I am now. It's interesting to me, because maybe there'll be a time when I switch back. Perhaps, perhaps not. But what I know is that back then, I was one of those people I'm appealing to now, someone who didn't bother thinking about anything; but rather someone who just wrote, said and thought whatever felt good. I know the things cyc and I say sometimes seem anal or picky, but to me it's at least a step in the right direction and it's a step I wish more people would take. Again, if that results in a fair disagreement then so be it. That is the spice of an ideal political system.
Obviously that ideal is impossible, otherwise it wouldn't be an ideal, it would just be the way things are. What we have is something between that and total mob lunacy, and it works well enough. Not optimally, but passably
