#flaws of democracy

[afloweroutofstone]

The 57 countries that are better than the USA according to the current version of my overly-complicated "Nice Things Index" which I spend a lot of time playing around with

[langernameohnebedeutung]

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[tamamita]

Saw a Zelda OST popularity contest with BOTW winning, which is funny, because where the hell is the music in that game

[ahsoka-in-a-hood]

There's definitely something about the how the colonialism vibes of both Naboo and Tatooine, and Padme and Anakin when they discuss The Massacre, do all sort of fit together to paint a picture of some sort. (I mean Naboo was quite extraordinary really, they weren't even in contact with the indigenous people.)

and the way that fits with the whole picture of the republic and Padme's role

And it does have me sitting there squinting about how much was intentional commentary occasionally

[zoetekohana]

I don't understand anything anymore. I simply don't...

[short-wooloo]

"Lucas based SW off of the Vietnam war-"

No, Lucas compared the conduct/strategy of the conflict of the Galactic Civil War (original trilogy) to Vietnam, one side being more numerical than the other who uses guerrilla tactics to even the odds, it's an aesthetic, the conflict(s) of Star Wars are not the Vietnam War, Star Wars is good vs evil, light against darkness, selflessness against selfishness

It's fantasy for crying out loud

[swamp-cats-den]

Hesitatant to scroll Tumblr today because, on the one hand, don't wanna see the Americans whining how the end is nigh (you did it to yourselves, darlings, and you are not even the ones to pay the highest price, people in the position like us, Ukrainians, are), but on the other, I think I've curated my follow list so much that I only have fellow Ukrainians, Eastern Europeans and a couple of other lovely people with very reasonable political opinions left.

[gayahithwen]

I have so many half-formed ideas of ways to raise political awareness, it's kind of painful. But because my executive dysfunction keeps jumping from idea to idea, most of the time the most productive I get is writing an answer to something here on tumblr. Which is driven only by feeling inspired. And inspiration is great, but waiting for it to happen to get things done is not a reliable strategy.

I am genuinely scared of where the US is heading. Where the world is heading, honestly. I get a whole lot of the disenfranchisement in the system. Money sure seems to speak louder than public opinion.

But the biggest shitstains wouldn't gerrymander so much, wouldn't purge voter rolls, wouldn't keep putting up barriers in the way of voting if they weren't afraid of what an engaged electorate could do to them.

Please don't abandon democracy. I know some people keep whispering in your ear about a Glorious Revolution, where we chop the heads off people like Bezos and Musk. But there is little to no glory in violence. Once you endorse it, it tends to lead directly to Might Makes Right. Which leads to people like Robespierre, Mao, or Stalin taking over, once they convince you that all the other leaders are not True Believers in the Ideals of the Glorious Revolution.

The other alternative is to consider political action as a kind of union. Learn to vote in solidarity with others. Even if you're disappointed in the current state of affairs, picking every single candidate who is open to the idea of voting reform would take you like, a few hours to research.

Because here's the thing: if the US would just double down on democracy, the GOP might never win a single election again. The Democrats want that, because then they don't have to stretch so much to be an umbrella. The Democrats would love a more representational system, because they are primarily a centrist party, whose politicians would still do just fine in a different system.

Like. Get rid of the electoral college, enact ranked choice voting, and maybe do something about those unincorporated US territories. Maybe build a system where a multitude of parties can exist, rather than just two at a time.

And please, get some more recall mechanisms in place. If a government can't agree on a budget, everyone in said government should be kicked out and have to recampaign on how they would fucking solve the budget issues.

But like... unionization is up. More and more people are getting why that's a great idea. Now consider that a democracy is the closest societal equivalent of a union. Sometimes, you hold your nose and vote out of solidarity with the people with the most to lose if you don't do something. Collective action could push election reform onto the agenda.

Meanwhile, not participating in the system just allows more legitimacy to the people who want violence.

[sapphia]

“yeah i could have voted against facism but i wanted to send a message to someone else instead”

[l-alan-l]

The mob vote making people class conscious was definitely not on my bingo card for 2023

[grinleysspa]

this is fucking insane??? how are you gonna mock people who recognize that Hamas is a fucking terrorist organization, then acknowledge that the hostages exist (a very low bar that so many ppl fail to meet) while also claiming that calling for the hostages to be returned is a bad thing???

[starlooove]

And on another note despite what I’m focusing on I do think it’s abhorrent to assume everyone who voted for or supported Harris is chill with genocide like yeah that’s like. What blew up online that tori maya shit was stupid as fuck but due to the disorganization and lateness of this campaign there was REAL misinformation being spread especially to our elders by ppl misconstruing info and a large number of ppl genuinely RIGHT NOW believe she’s pro Palestine called for a ceasefire etc. Like that’s a big chunk of the issue happening rn - where ppl literally made up policies for her or suddenly fell for “neutral” talking points bc it’s on someone they like and spread that. Like idk I feel like until everyone can be honest and humble nobody’s getting anywhere

[choppedcowboydinosaur]

People who say populism isnt true democracy and demagogues arent true democracy sound a lot like the people saying communist dictatorships aren't true communism.

It's literally the criticism Socrates had of democracy in Plato's Republic. That it would devolve into a demagogue taking power because he says sweet nothings into the ears of the people. Either you can accept that as a flaw of democracy and move on or not.

[falseandrealultravival]

The USA is dead - Trump killed the Constitution and democracy (Essay)

D. Trump is surrounded by six people. Then Trump shoots, killing three people. - This is a Tumblr image from about three months ago, but it has become a reality. The six Republican Supreme Court justices, including the three who Trump forced into the court, foolishly issued an outrageous precedent that "acts while in office will not be held criminal." It is judicial suicide to pander to Trump and issue such a stupid precedent.

This is tantamount to saying that "the president is free from the law and can do whatever he wants with impunity." It guarantees a king above the law, and the USA could become a dictatorial state like North Korea. "Assassinating political opponents," "performing a coup," "taking a bribe and being pardoned"... anything goes, says the Democratic Supreme Court justice.

Are there any stupid precedents like this? The USA is getting worse. Trump said about this precedent: "The Constitution and democracy were protected." - The opposite! "The Constitution and democracy were killed." The presidential system of the USA is flawed, to begin with. This makes it even more incomplete.

Rei Morishita

2024.07.03

USAは死んだートランプが憲法と民主主義を殺した（エッセイ）

トランプの周りを6人が取り囲んでいる。そしてトランプは銃撃し、３人を殺した。―これは３か月ほど前のタンブラーの画像だが、まさしくそれが現実化した。トランプが無理やり押し込んだ３人を加えた６人の共和党系最高裁判事が、愚かにも、「大統領在任中の行為は罪に問われない」というとんでもない判例を出したのだ。トランプに阿って、こんな愚かな判例を出すとは、司法の自殺だ。

これは「大統領は法から解き放たれ、思うままなにをしても免責される」と言うに等しい。法を超えた王を保障するもので、ＵＳＡが北朝鮮のような専制独裁国家になりえる。「政敵の暗殺」「クーデターの実行」「賄賂を貰って恩赦」・・・なんでもありと民主党系最高裁判事は言う。

こんなフザケタ判例ってあるのだろうか？USAはますます悪くなる。この判例にトランプは言った：「憲法と民主主義が守られた。」―逆だ！「憲法と民主主義は殺された。」元々USAの大統領制は不備だった。これでもっと不備になる。

[darkfrog24]

Political side of Tumblr: In the God-forbid event that Trump wins in 2024 (which he can legally attempt even if he's in prison at the time) do you think he'll pardon these dregs or forget about them?

Any other candidate from any party, no matter what they say in their campaign speeches, will let them ferment because they undermined the political system that they've invested their adult lives learning to navigate. Pence? They literally tried to kill him. DeSantis, Haley, Scott, or Hutchinson? They'll rot in jail. Christie? He's been clear--they're traitors. The Jan 6 riotors' only hope is that Trump wins and feels like it serves his image or ego to cut them loose and wriggles free of his handlers long enough to actually do it.

[eileennatural]

has anybody noticed lately that like. right wing people are increasingly opposed to the idea that the US is a democracy... like someone will refer to the US as a democracy and they'll respond with "um actually we're a constitutional republic" (which does not preclude the US from also being a democracy...) but is it just like an obsession with being more right or feeling more informed than leftists and liberals ? or is democracy just not cool anymore