democracy – sillysocksonfriday

Democracy: dream/nightmare/illusion?

“If the president can start a conflict with an enemy as formidable as that on his own say-so, and the people’s representatives are so powerless to stop him that it doesn’t matter which party controls Congress, the age of America as a republic is truly over.”

… civically abhorrent yet morally just, ..

Nick Catoggio: Boiling Frogs 2 March 2026

I feel somewhat foolish. I forget that man has a powerful intellectual capacity …. which is subordinate to his emotions.

I think we all forget that quite often, when we think seriously.

This thought coalesced since the recent deaths of my brother and sister in law. Both in their 80’s and both long suffering from incapacitating and painful diseases. Death was a release for them, relief for loved ones – almost joy?

Why do we still have bouts of grief and almost guilt because of the relief?

It’s because our minds are not logical, objectively oriented or disciplined. We do not act upon our intellect but upon what emotions allow and sometimes compel us to.

We can behave and think and speak logically but that is a rigid controlled process which we do not maintain.

That is why democracy is a dream.

We know we should vote for the party that will serve us the best, says the right things and espouses our moral high ground. However sentiment and tradition drive our choices.

But wait, maybe Claude is the answer…!

Claude will allow us to build an avatar of ourselves.

My avatar, Mal II, will only think logically and consistently and cleverly. He/She/It will not be swayed by emotion, act on impulse, overreact or fail to act. Duty and mission will be observed continuously.

There won’t be mistakes …. will there…?

So we will vote for a candidate avatar, MP II, who will vote according to his/her/its promises and policies, with no knee jerk reaction to populist outcry, but rational. reasoned responses consistent with principles and policies.

Eventually everything will be as predicted and required, we will never make mistakes and tragedies will be coped with intellectually.

There will be no yin/yang, sturm und drang, joy and despair. Just straight roads, efficient systems, sufficient food, commonly accepted muzak and bland literature.

Brandolini’s Law: “The amount of energy needed to refute bulls—t is an order of magnitude bigger than that needed to produce it.”

Kevin Williamson The Dispatch

Social Justice

I started to write about the political emphasis placed on child care and aged care. Both aimed at liberating mothers and fathers from caring for their families, so they could work.

The political left crusades to enable every adult to enter the workforce. They do this by making more and more money available to voters – isn’t that kind?

How do you get mothers back to work? Pay to have their children and their aged parents cared for by others.

Never mind the destruction of the family as a nurturing place for young and old.

But it is more than that. Exploiting apparent inequalities as a political practice is effective in getting sympathy votes. How can it be wrong?

The moral high ground of the Social Justice Warrior is: Emancipation is an ongoing process. It is a moral duty to address remaining inequalities. We must create a more just and equitable society for all.

The political opportunity of exploiting the moral of disadvantage is a battle based on sentiment, not intellect.

That fallacy is the cudgel used – it’s not equal, that’s not fair! Everyone must have equal rights…

The Left has become the champion of the voteless people. Championing equality for the poor, people of colour, women, homosexuals, the aged and the disabled engenders lifelong electoral support. So virtuous!

It’s the gift that keeps on giving, because things will never be equal for everybody…

Of course this is only possible in democracies. If you step out of line in China, Russia, Korea, Iran, Zimbabwe, Venezuela or most Middle Eastern countries, there is a high probability that you will disappear or die.

The opponents of democracies: totalitarian, Islamist, kleptocratic regimes actively support and agitate for “Social Justice” in western democracies.

It is a great way to maintain ongoing disruption and antipathy in societies.

This didn’t go where I was thinking of going… but it still says something about what I think…

Purge

At a time when most Western democracies are burdened by disillusion, poor economic and social outcomes and leadership that lacks either conviction or courage, Trump arrives as a giant on the stage of history

In his campaign Trump has promised “… savage public-sector cuts, a reduction in federal bureaucratic numbers, a purging of regulation, cutting taxes…extending tariffs… dismantling environmental obstacles to development, a domestic war on ..identity politics, boosting defence spending..”

If Trump succeeds …

“the governance model for Western democracy will be shaken to its foundations “

Paul Allan Western Australian 16 Nov 2024

A purge will not be before time, I say. And this should pave the way for all Western democracies to see the writing on the wall and change.

For decades governments have swung back and forth from Democrat/Labor to Conservative/Republican. Each victory led to a replacement of supporters and sponsors. The public service bureaucracy grew because each policy promise required an executive department.

Stalin used the Secret Police in his ‘Great Purge’ in Russia from 1936 to 1938. – his methods were a bit drastic -up to 1 million people were killed.

Politicians, intelligentsia, critics, government officials and the army were targeted.

President Harry S. Truman signed an executive order in 1947 to screen federal employees for possible association with organizations deemed “totalitarian, fascist, communist, or subversive

Primary targets were government employees, prominent figures in the entertainment industry, academics, left-wing politicians, and labor union activists. McCarthy was his hit-man. Public servants were screened…

So now we will see another purge in a democracy, not a totalitarian state ! Interestingly, the same as it was before, it will be the same types and classes of people who will be purged: the bureaucrats, intellectuals and professionals….

Trump has appointed Elon Musk who said he’d cut $2 Trillion from federal bureaucracies . That’s about one third of all employees! Tell me that won’t cause a riot!

He did it to Twitter / X seemingly without crippling industrial action. Maybe he can do it on a much bigger scale.

“Progressives are no longer the party of the working class or the non- college educated…

… the incompatibility of identity politics with the liberal principle of equality … citizens’ trust in mainstream institutions has been absolutely shattered..corporations and the military, universities and the courts .. trust is gone

When people look (at these institutions) they see progressive values shoved in their faces. It’s not the democracy they voted for.”

Politicians don’t purge, because those purged are voters.

Now it seems that this has changed, Trump doesn’t want re-election after this term. He is backed by the working class and opposed by the elites. He wants to change what the elites have done and he doesn’t care about the political risk.

Here in Australia it was reported recently that:

An estimated 70% of jobs growth since 2022 has been government funded….The 2024-25 budget showed the number of public servants had grown by about 25% since the COVID-19 pandemic

Dan Power, The Mandarin, 18 October 2024

Now we see how politics works! Vote for me an I’ll give you a job!

I hope the Coalition ask Elon Musk for some tips before the next election!