Justice as fairness: we can do better than we are

[Kat]

Originally Posted by SecretAgentMa'am

Not even a little bit. It sounds nice to refer to this sort of governance as "direct democracy". "Mob rule" just sounds so icky, you know? But that's what it is....

Never mind that this is a common misrepresentation of anarchic theory, which primarily involves elimination of the State, with a shift to essentially communal living -- how is "mob rule" any different from "democracy"?

Originally Posted by SecretAgentMa'am

In this sort of system, if the majority decides they don't want queer people getting married, well, tough shit, queer people! The majority has spoken! In fact, the majority has just voted that it's totally legal to kill queer people. I hope you're good at hiding!

But you've just described democracy in the U.S. right now! If a simple majority wants to ban gay marriage, it's banned (which is exactly what happened in Oregon seven years ago when a few counties legalized it for about 6 weeks.) Ditto any "freedom" that we may currently believe is a given, but probably won't be much longer (abortion, anyone...?) If enough ignorant fools vote for or against something in this country, it becomes law. That is the very definition of mob rule...

Originally Posted by SecretAgentMa'am

I'm endlessly amazed whenever a person who is any sort of minority is in favor of this sort of system. I know several people who are, and every one of them is a straight, white, man.

Well, I have long been what I like to call an "anarchic realist" -- I believe in anarchy as an ideal that can never possibly attained if human beings are involved.

Chipmunks, on the other hand...