News for hackers. Stuff that matters.

A comment on The Shocking Paper Predicting the End of Democracy.

Re:The Shocking Paper Predicting the End of Democracy by malandrew on Monday September 09, 2019 @05:30PM (#20922666)
I'm confused by this article presenting populism as not democratic. If people are freely voting directly, that's democracy (rule by the people). Whether or not their voting decisions are driven by populism doesn't mean it ceases to be democratic. Populism if anything is the pathological case of democracy. Democracy is essentially mob rule and one reason the US was set up as a republic using representative democracy instead of direct democracy.

Furthermore, this article only talks about right-wing populism and completely elides left-wing populism. The two go hand in hand, fueling one another because of reactionary-ism.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:The Shocking Paper Predicting the End of Democracy by blacksmith_tb on Monday September 09, 2019 @07:10PM (#20923511)
It's considered one of the fundamental pitfalls of democracy[1].

1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyranny_of_the_majority

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:The Shocking Paper Predicting the End of Democracy by Fjolsvith on Tuesday September 10, 2019 @09:29AM (#20927898)
Its a good thing that America isn't a democracy. [1]

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:The Shocking Paper Predicting the End of Democracy by blacksmith_tb on Tuesday September 10, 2019 @12:36PM (#20930057)
It may or may not be a good thing, but your quip certainly hints at the kind of structural choices that have gone into the design of the federal government (for example the two houses of congress).
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:The Shocking Paper Predicting the End of Democracy by dredmorbius on Monday September 09, 2019 @07:22PM (#20923599)
Populism is generally predicated on one cohort of the population denying democratic rights to another or other cohorts.

Where it is, imposes, or results in authoritarianism, it's inherently anti-democratic.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:The Shocking Paper Predicting the End of Democracy by Fjolsvith on Tuesday September 10, 2019 @09:30AM (#20927918)
Its good that the Bill of Rights in the US Constitution prevent cohorts from doing this.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:The Shocking Paper Predicting the End of Democracy by dragonwriter on Wednesday September 11, 2019 @10:37AM (#20940648)
Like other laws, it doesn't prevent anything. At best, it provides people who are inclined to prevent it a framework which helps avoid getting so bogged down in unending debates about where to draw lines about the boundaries as to never be able to take coordinated action.

At worst it demobilizes action when people get the mistaken idea that the existence of a law is sufficient to guarantee correct behavior without vigilance.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:The Shocking Paper Predicting the End of Democracy by dredmorbius on Tuesday September 10, 2019 @02:07PM (#20931263)
History suggests a poor record of compliance.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:The Shocking Paper Predicting the End of Democracy by Fjolsvith on Wednesday September 11, 2019 @09:50AM (#20940171)
That's only with the people who don't uphold the Constitution.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:The Shocking Paper Predicting the End of Democracy by dragonwriter on Wednesday September 11, 2019 @10:38AM (#20940659)
Unfortunately, tyrants—inclulding demagogic ones—rarely uphold laws that interfere with their tyranny.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:The Shocking Paper Predicting the End of Democracy by mar77i on Monday September 09, 2019 @06:42PM (#20923297)
> I'm confused by this article presenting populism as not democratic.

Don't worry, the article and/or the underlying scripture appear to be confused about that, too.

[ Parent | on HN ]