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

[Stefano Vaj]

On Sun, Jun 28, 2009 at 12:12 PM, Rafal
Smigrodzki<rafal.smigrodzki at gmail.com> wrote:
> It just occurred to me that the common adulation of democracy may be
> in part due to a misperception of effectiveness caused by a selection
> bias. We all know that democracies are nice, rich, don't go to war for
> unjust reasons, uphold human rights, justice and the American way of
> life, at least compared to dictatorships, kleptocracies, and chaotic
> anarchies.

The fact is that I like the idea of popular sovereignty and of
collective self-determination *per se*, not as the method supposedly
delivering the best results in utilitarian terms.

>From a libertarian POV, democracy is at best a tool, since at the end
of the day they would not be too bothered by the establishment of a
single, homogenous society, as long as individuals can still "diverge"
to an extent and take decisions regarding their private life. Or such
outcome might even be required, since only one objectively "free" and
"just" model of society would exist.

To me, it is even more important, and a best bet for transhumanism,
that plural and diverse societies and cultures and legal systems go on
existing and flourishing and competing amongst them.

-- 
Stefano Vaj