Flame — HabitableZone

Flame » in reply to The contagion is spreading

Democracy is a side effect...
Lee — (archived)

but not of capitalism. I would argue that democracy, capitalism, small government, low taxes all are the result of a certain set of cultural attitudes. What do all of those ideas have in common? At their core they are the result of a worldview where people are thought of thought of as masters of their own destiny. That people are capable of running their own affairs with little supervision from a higher authority. That left to their own devices, people tend to organize themselves in such a way that a basic order is created. An order that is built on social norms and common customs. In such a setting, there is little need for an Uber Moderator. This world view is commonly referred to as Rugged Individualism.

Of course for such a system to function, it must be in a society were there are common customs and shared social norms. When it gets to the point were people don't know it's not proper to wear their pants around their knees in public, then the notion of self government is becoming a pipe dream. To paraphrase Thucydides, "Self-control is the chief element in self-respect, and without those how can a people govern themselves?"

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