[ExI] Effectiveness of democracy as a result of selection bias

[Rafal Smigrodzki]

Woohoo! I get to live forever on the internets as a sig-file pundit!!  :)

I need to mention that the correct spelling of my name has an
un-Polish "dz" instead of "ski".

Anyway, you made my day!

Rafal

On Tue, Jun 30, 2009 at 7:51 PM, Jeff Davis<jrd1415 at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Mon, Jun 29, 2009 at 9:46 PM, Rafal
> Smigrodzki<rafal.smigrodzki at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> ..., I really dislike the idea of random jerks usurping the right
>> to control my life as they collectively see fit. ...
>
> Indeed, this seems the problem.  Everybody gets to vote, and the
> losers have to suck it up.
>
> I agree with Rafal here.
>
> If a culture is nearly homogeneous, and the choices are only slightly
> differing shades of "the" dominant cultural theme, it's far easier for
> the losers to deal with the result, because their "loss" is likely
> quite small, and so, tolerable  In a diverse culture, however,
> particularly one where value differences are stark/polar, the
> "minority" group, ie the losers, are more likely to feel like enslaved
> victims.  This is a bad deal.  Unjust, unstable, and dangerous.  The
> world over we see post-imperial nation states with highly distinct
> sub-groups literally at war with one another.  Nation states generally
> "control" this by the time-tested application of an even greater level
> of violence.  This is neither right nor rational (is that redundant?).
>
> As if that weren't bad enough, political elites use cultural diversity
> as a political resource.  They cynically pit one group against another
> in order to achieve their own personal political advancement, with
> little real concern for the voters.
>
> With cultural diversity, democracy gets corrupted by the elite,
> becoming, for the voting masses, a form of self-betrayal.  I have at
> long last taken "democracy" down from its pedestal, and out of its
> shrine (I store the lawn mower there now) and put it over by the
> corner of the garage next to the rest of the junk waiting to be taken
> to the dump.  Occasionally I look at it and wonder if I should throw
> it out, fix it, or turn it in for a new model.  As I now live 6 mo in
> Canada and 6 mo in Baja, I guess you could say I've chosen the last.
>
>                                 < slight snippage>
>
>>...I am a  free man, and I do not despoil my dignity by having
>>  designs on the liberty of others.
>
> Here, here!  Added to my sig file.  A bit pissy, but ain't that the point!
>
>                                        <snip>
>
>> From my point of view, democracy is a crappy tool, to be used only
>> until enough people grow up and are capable of making a better
>> society.
>
> Another one for the sig file.
>
> Best, Jeff Davis
>
>          "I am a  free man, and I do not despoil my dignity
>                   by having designs on the liberty of others."
>                                          Rafal Smigrodski
>



-- 
Rafal Smigrodzki, MD-PhD
Chief Clinical Officer,
Gencia Corporation
706 B Forest St.

Charlottesville, VA 22903

tel: (434) 295-4800

fax: (434) 295-4951



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