tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857209725686366909.post4642993908662591909..comments2024-03-20T04:10:00.751-04:00Comments on They Call Me "Mr. Sinister": MMP And The Philospher King RightUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857209725686366909.post-21664778989625563292008-05-31T16:25:00.000-04:002008-05-31T16:25:00.000-04:00You incorrectly deduce that I prefer either a stro...You incorrectly deduce that I prefer either a strong ruler (Chretien was such a ruler and left behind the legacy of a thug)or a minority group of politically correct rulers (???).<BR/>What I prefer is to see a populus which is not so easily distracted from truth and conned with their own money. The inference from the Plato quote, is, quite simply, that our voters need to act more like wisemen when their own future and livelyhood is at stake. (Can it be our withering educational quality?)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857209725686366909.post-13979538734987518572007-09-27T11:46:00.000-04:002007-09-27T11:46:00.000-04:00Even Plato didn't think there should be just any e...Even Plato didn't think there should be just <I>any</I> elite group running a state. His guardians were supposed to be ideally suited to rule by nature, and specially trained from childhood in the arts and knowledge required to rule successfully.<BR/><BR/>At least, that's what we get in <I>Republic</I>. In <I>Laws</I>, the theory of the "second-best state", we get a different story. According to <I>Laws</I>, democratic votes should be taken for all leadership positions, but (1) the elections would not be general (only those who had the appropriate knowledge of what the post required were allowed to vote) and (2) some voters had plural votes (basically those with more relevant knowledge).<BR/><BR/>Plato also assumed that the point of selecting leaders was to select the best leaders. If we abandon that instrumental justification, then his attack on democracy is irrelevant.<BR/><BR/>So, people who oppose MMP in favour of FPTP because they want an elite group of rulers are being basically dishonest. We don't have an <I>elite</I> group, who are best suited to rule; instead, we have a <I>select</I> group, who use wealth and influence rather than actual ability.<BR/><BR/>Furthermore, Plato's system wasn't even used in his own time. When he was living in Athens, the city-state was democratic in a much broader sense than our states. Legislators were chosen by lot, not by election; and the legislature would put laws to a vote by a general assembly. Much more like a participatory or direct democracy than a representative one. But, then again, representative democracy has efficiency gains that can't be ignored.ADHRhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00854569640217600183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857209725686366909.post-80442108461241158222007-09-27T10:58:00.000-04:002007-09-27T10:58:00.000-04:00Hmm, a desire to have government run by strong lea...Hmm, a desire to have government run by strong leaders or a clique of a minority eh? Not trusting the people to make their own decisions and choices?<BR/><BR/>Gosh, there's a word for that. What is it again? Its right on the tip of my tongue...Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06941875334878452635noreply@blogger.com