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szandy  +  630074 Sun, 04 Jan 09 11:54 AM
AlpheccaStars
“Here are the different types of governments, by definition:

I suppose the question is:

If you had a choice to live under one of these different types of government, assuming you are not a privileged member of the governing class (king, queen, theologian, dictator, or oligarch), which would you prefer?



It still depends-------- which regime is best for the most citizens' welfare and interest under the condition no threat to other nations'  development. But I suppose your potential judgement is the democracy system is more civilized or superior among them.
Democracy is a good thing, no one can deny it, but it is also a luxure one. If the price is the lose of personal safety ,or the right to live or develop, the price is too high. Maybe you think these are not incompatible. In some development phase, people can't attain real democracy. Democracy is not a reason but a result. See our present world please, advanced democracy only exist in wealthy country. They are wealthy not due to their democracy but they can afford it.
Joined on Thu, Nov 6 2008
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sailboat  +  630231 Sun, 04 Jan 09 03:06 PM
People ususlly chase after what they do not get, but seldom cherish what they have had. Democracy is such a wonderful thing we dream of. There is no perfect thing in the world. And there would be defect in any social system. Maybe democracy will be replaced by another superior social system in future. At least it is the most nice one now.
Joined on Tue, Dec 23 2008
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AlpheccaStars  +  630266 Sun, 04 Jan 09 03:48 PM
 Szandy:

You have some good observations. The leaders in many countries profess to have a democratic form of government, but in practice, under closer scrutiny, it is corrupted. The corruption can take on many forms, for example, having only one political party with exclusive membership and only one person standing for an elected office, and "selling" of political offices. What results is one person (or small group) remaining in power for decades, being for all practical purposes, a dictatorship or oligarchy. That is why the United Nations puts a lot of emphasis on monitoring "free and fair" elections. It does not always work, either!

Democracy in its true form, cannot survive in the presence of corruption or the lack of social "freedoms" (freedom of speech, press, assembly, etc.), an educated population and a universal franchise. The US has over the last 100 years has actually become more democratic - with the women's suffarage granted in 1921 and the courts' declaring unconsitiutional certain local laws and practices which in effect closed the elections to the minority voters. Democracy works best with an organisational system balancing powers between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. According to George Owell, that absolute power corrupts absolutely. If too much power (economic, legal, legislative, executive) is combined into one office, corruption is inevitable.  Just read "Animal Farm"....

 

By the way, there seems to be a confusion between systems of government and economic systems. Communism and capitalism are economic systems.

Definitions:

Capitalism: An economic system in which the means of production and distribution are privately or corporately owned and development is proportionate to the accumulation and reinvestment of profits gained in a free market.

Communism: An economic system characterized by the collective ownership of property and by the organization of labor for the common advantage of all members.

Socialism: An economic system in which the production and distribution of goods are controlled substantially by the government rather than by private enterprise, and in which cooperation rather than competition guides economic activity. In practice, there are many varieties of socialism. Some socialists tolerate capitalism, as long as the government maintains the dominant influence over the economy; others insist on an abolition of private enterprise. All communists are socialists, but not all socialists are communists.

 

In theory, you can have a number of combinations - a communist democracy, a communist oligarchy, a capitalist democracy, etc. Political parties name themselves after the economic system they advocate - so in a democracy (or constitutional monarchy), there are communist political parties, and socialistic political parties, etc.

In the former Soviet Union, there were elections, and a "representative" parliament, etc. so you could assert that they had a democratic system of government that endorsed and pursued a communist / socialist economic system. After many decades, the economic system proved to be unsustainable, and led to economic collapse and breakup of the union in 1990.

In China, for years there was a dictatorship / oligarchy which endorsed a communist / socialist economic system. In recent years, the Chinese leadership has changed its economic policies and become more capitalist. Pundits claim that the Chinese were forced to change because the economic system became untenable.



 

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The pen is mightier than the sword. Edward Bulwer-Lytton (1803-1873)
Peaceblinkfriend  +  630280 Sun, 04 Jan 09 04:01 PM

Osee

Finally I find an example of totally brainwashed person who does rude judgements and askes silly and rude questions.

Let me in turn ask you a question according to your logic: If you think communist is worse than democracy. Then why so many Americans or Britishes or Canadians are living in China?

Do you think the only reason for people living outside of their own countries is that they do not like their own countries or has anything to do with democracy or communist?

Aren't you both a hypocrite and a brainwashed asking silly and rude questions?

Sorry but it is really offensive and revolting of your way debating like this.





Hi Osee

Sorry, I didn't mean to insult you in any way. I was just entirely taken aback by your belief that democracy is among the worst things humans can expect. I called you a hypocrite because of the fact that whilst you are enjoying the rights and privileges of a democratic country; you say you believe democracy is among our worst nightmares. I thought that was humiliating and cowardly because there are countless people willing to risk their lives just to set foot in a democratic nation. Since you mentioned China, then you must know that those 1.3 billion people don't even have a chance to choose whether they want to live in a democracy or not.

I suppose we just have very different pursuits.
 
I have to say I don't think it was fair to call me a hypocrite because I don't pretend to believe in something that is opposite to what I do. And I am also, thankfully, not brainwashed.Smile



PBF

Joined on Wed, May 9 2007
Senior Member 2,130
Success - it is not the position where you are standing, but which direction you are going.
Peaceblinkfriend  +  631449 Mon, 05 Jan 09 04:19 PM
Hi Osee

Now that I have had time to think about it, I must say I had lost my cool and was being unpleasantly critical in my second post. Sorry.



PBF
Super-Dave  +  640531 Tue, 13 Jan 09 12:38 AM

Osee

Capitalism over all can generate more wealth for a society than any other system. 

As for democracy, I believe all governments are corrupt and evil, wheter it is a democracy or theocracy or monarchy or communism.

No matter how good and pure an intent of starting a government in any country, the greed of Man creeps in and eventually corupts the government no matter what form it might be.

So basically all Governments suck and are evil.  Some governments might be less evil and more fair to the people than others.


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ecopsy  +  642270 Wed, 14 Jan 09 11:52 AM
As far as I know, Osse always tends to call people "brain-washed", which i consider is very rude. Why don't you just deny one or two things other people say which you find improper rather than deny all his opinions by calling him "brainwashed". I would say So rude, completely unacceptable although I'm starting to expecting insults on me from you, because it's just you way.
second, PBF is far too polite in my opinion. Just stick to what you think, you have the right to make people suffer if they did it first.
Joined on Tue, Sep 30 2008
Full Member 105
AlpheccaStars  +  642472 Wed, 14 Jan 09 03:49 PM
 Ecopsy:

One of the characteristics of a person who has been brainwashed is that they give the same answer regardless of any evidence to the contrary.  They cannot see or even tolerate other views or opinions. That is too painful for them. So I would feel sorry for someone who, when confronted with diverse opinions, always replies that the other is "brainwashed", because they are both admitting and denying their own affliction at the same time.

 

olga55  +  646566 Sun, 18 Jan 09 02:50 AM
"Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time." (from a House of Commons speech on Nov. 11, 1947) "

                                                                                                                                              Winston Churchill

The best form of government is absolute monarchy but only when a monarch is smart and professional to run the country. The only thing is where to find such a monarch, that’s why people invented democracy.

 

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