A problem for democratic societies is they need a thoughtful citizenry to succeed. They need a critical mass of people who think for themselves and, generally, people don’t think for themselves. They don’t think at all. Mostly what they do that they call thinking is feel and remember. They remember what they were told to think when they were kids by their parents, by teachers, by preachers, priests, and rabbis, by other kids, by characters on television. As kids they took all this in and never forgot it and never doubted it. They still accept it without question, without thought, especially when it’s a matter of religion. And the result is that instead of a nation of independent minded adults, we live in a giant Sunday School full of dutiful children.
What a bunch of hooey.
The advantage of democratic societies is that they allow for regime changes without the need for civil wars. Thus they prevent bad outcomes rather than assist good outcomes. (i.e. by allowing those who lost to have a kick at the can again in four years, you encourage good losers.)
Furthermore, you give no evidence that thoughtful citizenry play any role in the success of democratic societies.
Next, you slam your fellow citizens. People do think, but they think about what is important to them. Just because they don't think about things you consider important does not mean they don't think. And also, you talk about 'they' and 'them'. I assume that this means you consider yourself a thinker, and not one of the hoi polloi. I suppose this makes you 'feel' better than them.
Finally, a successful long lived society needs some inherent conservatism. We stand on the shoulders of giants, not only for our scientific progress, but also for our societal structure. It is entirely rational to give great value to systems and structures that have worked in the past. Being inside the herd is pro-survival.
Plus, those who think they they can engineer societies often end up being called monsters in the history books.
Posted by: AEL | Saturday, January 24, 2015 at 02:36 AM
Lot of stuff packed into that retort, AEL. Looking forward to a response from LM. I suspect a proper unpacking would be a bit involved; but he is a teacher.
Posted by: David Hyland | Monday, January 26, 2015 at 01:13 AM
I agree. Our republic is based on the notion that the government will be elected by a thoughtful and informed electorate. The phenomenon you describe is a function of the combination of expansion of suffrage with utter (evolved into deliberate) failure to educate that electorate. Elections and ad campaigns both are so much easier when the audience can't think its way out of a paper bag.
Posted by: La Tricoteuse | Monday, January 26, 2015 at 01:35 PM