Reflect on this

[JBeukema]

Browse these boards


Take a drive through traffic


Turn on a game show


These people vote...


I don't think I believe in democracy anymore. It requires more of people that I think we can expect from most of it.

 

[California Girl]

Look in a mirror. You are 'these people'.

 

[LordBrownTrout]

You're alluding to a notion that the populace is stupid. So, when did this happen, in your opinion?

 

[JBeukema]

Look in a mirror. You are 'these people'.

Hey, I know what I know and I know what I don't know. I realize the need for experts to run things based on what's actually best and not based on what the idiot masses might think.

I believe in a meritocracy that allows those most able to run things. Modern representative democracy would choose it's leaders based on glorified popularity contests.

There's a reason we don't rely on republicanism when it really matters- like in the military. Insomuch as democracy might still exist in regards to the higher levels of government, perhaps it shouldn't. Just look at our current representatives and those people are talking about replacing them with. They won popularity contests and beauty contests. You'd be hard pressed to argue many of them had a fucking clue how to govern or run a country.

Hell, the FF didn't really come to power based on popularity. They rose to places of import and influence during and following the war based on their natural abilities and their natural place as leaders of men and architects of a nation. By the time elections came around, they had already taken their places and could effectively choose what candidates to let the masses choose from. This, of course, continues today, as the real rulers of this society decide what representatives and policies the masses may choose from- like parents deciding what cereals to ask their children 'which one do you want?'

I no longer really believe that real democracy either does or can exist on any large scale.

Bernay was right...

 

[30x90]

I blame the media and government propaganda.
People are easily distracted and that's just what the govt. wants.

"Give them bread and circuses"

 

[JBeukema]

You're alluding to a notion that the populace is stupid. So, when did this happen, in your opinion?

As the saying goes, 'A person is smart. People are fucking retarded'.

The collective intellect of a population seems to be inversely related to its size, in my experience. And most persons I encounter seem pretty stupid as individuals. Get them all together, and they seem to feed off of eachother's ignorance and stupidity.

 

[G.T.]

Look in a mirror. You are 'these people'.

Hey, I know what I know and I know what I don't know. I realize the need for experts to run things based on what's actually best and not based on what the idiot masses might think.

I believe in a meritocracy that allows those most able to run things. Modern representative democracy would choose it's leaders based on glorified popularity contests.

There's a reason we don't rely on republicanism when it really matters- like in the military. Insomuch as democracy might still exist in regards to the higher levels of government, perhaps it shouldn't. Just look at our current representatives and those people are talking about replacing them with. They won popularity contests and beauty contests. You'd be hard pressed to argue many if them had a fucking clue how to govern or run a country.

Hell, the FF didn't really come to power based on popularity. They rose to places of import and influence during and following the war based on their natural abilities and their natural place and leaders of men and architects of a nation. By the time elections came around, they had already taken their places and could effectively choose what candidates to let the masses choose from. This, of course, continues today, as the real rulers of this society decide what representatives and policies the masses may choose from- like parents deciding what cereals to ask their children 'which one do you want?'

I no longer really believe that real democracy either does or can exist on any large scale.

Bernay was right...

Yea, I think is for the most part accurate.

 

[uscitizen]

We are programmed what to think, what to buy, who to fear and hate, vote for...etc.

We have mostly lost the capacity for independent thought and analysis.
And that is how our corporate controlled government wants it.

 

[JBeukema]

We are programmed what to think, what to buy, who to fear and hate, vote for...etc.

We have mostly lost the capacity for independent thought and analysis.
And that is how our corporate controlled government wants it.

I don't want a nation of thinkers, I want a nation of workers.
-Attributed to John D. Rockefeller

​

 

[dilloduck]

We are programmed what to think, what to buy, who to fear and hate, vote for...etc.

We have mostly lost the capacity for independent thought and analysis.
And that is how our corporate controlled government wants it.

Be fair now----we gripe about it all the time. That outta count for something.

 

[JBeukema]

We are programmed what to think, what to buy, who to fear and hate, vote for...etc.

We have mostly lost the capacity for independent thought and analysis.
And that is how our corporate controlled government wants it.

Be fair now----we gripe about it all the time. That outta count for something.

But, as a population, we can rarely even be bothered to vote against the incumbents we bitch about.

Bullshit walks...

 

[uscitizen]

We are programmed what to think, what to buy, who to fear and hate, vote for...etc.

We have mostly lost the capacity for independent thought and analysis.
And that is how our corporate controlled government wants it.

Be fair now----we gripe about it all the time. That outta count for something.

But, as a population, we can rarely even be bothered to vote against the incumbents we bitch about.

Bullshit walks...

Yep and as a group our memory is about 3 months.

 

[dilloduck]

We are programmed what to think, what to buy, who to fear and hate, vote for...etc.

We have mostly lost the capacity for independent thought and analysis.
And that is how our corporate controlled government wants it.

Be fair now----we gripe about it all the time. That outta count for something.

But, as a population, we can rarely even be bothered to vote against the incumbents we bitch about.

Bullshit walks...

The power that voting used to have has been so diluted that it's only practical for something like Neighbor Dog Catcher.

 

[uscitizen]

We have the best government that money can buy.

 

[JBeukema]

Be fair now----we gripe about it all the time. That outta count for something.

But, as a population, we can rarely even be bothered to vote against the incumbents we bitch about.

Bullshit walks...

Yep and as a group our memory is about 3 months.

Really? You think it's that long?

 

[JBeukema]

Be fair now----we gripe about it all the time. That outta count for something.

But, as a population, we can rarely even be bothered to vote against the incumbents we bitch about.

Bullshit walks...

The power that voting used to have has been so diluted that it's only practical for something like Neighbor Dog Catcher.

It doesn't matter whom the people voted for; they always vote for us
-Stalin
​

 

[manifold]

Sure our system of government sucks donkey dick.

But it's still the best system ever devised and implemented.

Anyone who thinks otherwise can go fuck a duck.

 

[uscitizen]

But, as a population, we can rarely even be bothered to vote against the incumbents we bitch about.

Bullshit walks...

The power that voting used to have has been so diluted that it's only practical for something like Neighbor Dog Catcher.

It doesn't matter whom the people voted for; they always vote for us
-Stalin
​

Absolutely we no longer really have a 2 party system.

 

[JBeukema]

Sure our system of government sucks donkey dick.

But it's still the best system ever devised and implemented.

Anyone who thinks otherwise can go fuck a duck.

You wouldn't see it less centralized?

 

[Liability]

Elitism is alive and well.

JB doesn't care for where we are and the decisions we have made of late. Me neither.

His "remedy" is to disenfranchise the "people" on the supposition that we wouldn't be in this plight of "they" weren't so damn stupid.

Mine is to see what we can do to more fully inform and educate the very same people.

His "remedy" will take the ability to make self- determination out of the hands of the "people."

Mine leaves the ability to bear responsibility for how the government treats us ON us.

Who determines who has merit in the JB system of "meritocracy?" And who takes the brunt of the decisions made on behalf of the people?

We don't live in a pure democracy anyway. But if you want to use that term as shorthand, that's fine. Why shouldn't the people who are affected by the actions of government have their say in who represents them and their say in what those officials may and may not do?