What is democracy? LO15751

LonBadgett@aol.com
Mon, 10 Nov 1997 11:28:41 -0500 (EST)

Replying to LO15693 --

> I also think the way I have been treated in this post is
> also the way people are treated who protest the way systems work.

When I read those words an image of the tragedy of the commons popped into
my head. I imagined a wise tribesman who knows exactly what the
consequences of unrestricted grazing will be on the land. Pleading
passionately with his peers, he is ignored by those whose personal
interests are currently met by the existing situation. They then take a
vote on the issue with the predictable outcome being the continuation of a
policy that will eventually destroy them all.

Politics is the process of the apportionment of privilege in society, and
democracy runs aground on this point, namely that the will of the people
is a systemic political process, not a precise analysis of common or
future good.

The framework of the American Republic is designed to prevent the abuses
and inherent risks of the democratic process, but I share Sheri's doubts
about its effectiveness in this regard.

-- 
Lon Badgett
lonbadgett@aol.com
"Democracy:  When 51% of the people have voted for binding majority rule."  
Emil Gobersneke

Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>