Pseudo-Democracy
Z
There are many kinds of anti-democratic government ranging from
civil dictatorships, both oppressive and benevolent to violent
military governments. However, one version of oppression is
preferred by clusters of cronycapitalists or nodes of
cronycapitalism, because of its proven persistence/stability. It
is called "democracy" and although this usage does not match
dictionary definitions or citizens' use of the word, the label
remains. Democracy means self government and in contrast, modern
'democracies' are elaborate schemes of rule by cronycapitalist
networks that maintain an effective illusion of democracy, while
practising various blends of cronycapitalism and herd management.
A more accurate label for modern forms of this type of government
is therefore pseudo-democracy.
Totalitarian dictatorships govern through fear. Pseudo-
democracies govern through patronage networks and mass media
propagated spun illusions of unreality. Neither gives people
freedom from manipulation/exploitation. While it is safer to
display an independent mind under a pseudo-democracy because the
government will usually only use overt physical violence against
you as a last resort, personal and societal costs in terms of
wasted/misused human talent and other resources are the same. The
ruled, under both systems can usually escape their chains in very
rare circumstances and with the help of external forces that
disrupt spirals of human underdevelopment. That's why pseudo-
democracy is the method of government preferred by the most canny
elites.
http://www.geocities.com/cronyblatcher/the_pseudo_democracy.htm
Day Brown
with other rational beings to setup some kind of cooperative? Why isnt
that already being done? If you think people are self controlled enuf to
rule themselves, they should be able to setup their own community where
they do that and organize the entrepreneurial enterprise to provide the
economic support.
IIRC, it was Aristotle in Nicomachean ethics who saw that if you do not
have the power to control yourself, someone else will be found to do
that for you.
Dan
That's what I try to teach the out of control Middle School students.
Few of them believe me (until the truth is demonstrated in real life).
Dan
Day Brown
>> IIRC, it was Aristotle in Nicomachean ethics who saw that if you do
>> not have the power to control yourself, someone else will be found to
>> do that for you.
>
> That's what I try to teach the out of control Middle School students.
> Few of them believe me (until the truth is demonstrated in real life).
Ramachandran, or DNA data like
http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20090605/sc_livescience/boyswithwarriorgenemorelikelytojoingangs
or the primate field studies in Demonic Males, by Wrangham & Peterson...
there is not much teaching can do.
Bouchard's longitudinal studies of identical twins adopted out at birth
and raised by different sets of parents also shows a far more powerful
genetic endowment than it is politically correct to talk about.
The small Arkansas Ozark hill towns still have paddles hung on the back
wall of the office when you go to register your kid. They give you a
form to fill out if you do not want it used on yours, but no bully would
dare let a parent wimp him out like that.
If you get out an atlas to look up these small towns north of I-40, like
Alpena, Bee Branch, Clinton, Deer, Eureka Springs, Flippin, Greer's
Ferry, Heber Springs, and so on thru the alphabet, and then go to
http://normessasweb.uark.edu/schoolperformance/School/School.php
the numbers just jump out at you. ZERO rates of violence. Dropout rates
in the single digits, graduation rates near 90%, some sometimes at 100%,
attendance at 95%, with over 95% of the kids tested. They dont pull out
the autistic, ADD, ADHD, etc cause they dont have any.
This from teachers who get the second lowest pay in the USA. Whats going
on? These are family farm kids, and in that culture, everyone knows
where the woodshed is. It is 99% white, and the towns have more home
grown produce stands than fast food outlets. They dont raise farm kids
on sugar cereals, junk food, and soda. They dont expose them to a host
of urban pollutants in the air and water.
When my son graduated from Leslie High in 96, 20% of the class scored
over 30 on the ACT. all the kids really are above average in these
schools to judge by test results that show them half a year ahead. But-
essential to the system is good order, and that they get with yanking a
misbehaving kid out of class with as many adults as necessary, hauling
his ass to the principal's office where the paddle is applied. the lack
of self control cost is quickly demonstrated.
In the Little Rock TV news last fall was a report from one school that
was bringing the paddle back. Maybe it works better with farm kids. In
Lehrer, we see where pain adjusts the seratonin levels, and that this
permits new neural pathways, ie learning.
Strabo
Yep. That was the case in most of the country prior to the "The Great
Society" programs of the Progressives. Relatively isolated rural and
small towns continue this norm.
Dan, take note.
Day Brown
>> If you get out an atlas to look up these small towns north of I-40,
>> like Alpena, Bee Branch, Clinton, Deer, Eureka Springs, Flippin,
>> Greer's Ferry, Heber Springs, and so on thru the alphabet, and then go to
>> http://normessasweb.uark.edu/schoolperformance/School/School.php
>> the numbers just jump out at you. ZERO rates of violence. Dropout
>> rates in the single digits, graduation rates near 90%, some sometimes
>> at 100%, attendance at 95%, with over 95% of the kids tested. They
>> dont pull out the autistic, ADD, ADHD, etc cause they dont have any.
>>
>> This from teachers who get the second lowest pay in the USA. Whats
>> going on? These are family farm kids, and in that culture, everyone
>> knows where the woodshed is. It is 99% white, and the towns have more
>> home grown produce stands than fast food outlets. They dont raise farm
>> kids on sugar cereals, junk food, and soda. They dont expose them to a
>> host of urban pollutants in the air and water.
>>
> Yep. That was the case in most of the country prior to the "The Great
> Society" programs of the Progressives. Relatively isolated rural and
> small towns continue this norm.
>
> Dan, take note.
Jared Diamond, in "Collapse" inadvertently explains part of it noting
that when hard red winter wheat was first tested for protein in the
1950's, it had 26%. A look back into the 19th century can show farmers
raving about the grain. The high protein produced very elastic bread, so
the flour quickly became upscale all over the world and built General
Mills and Gold Medal into economic power houses.
But about 5 years ago, I noted the protein on the bags at the feed mill
were at 19%, something Diamond also picks up on, and nowadays, they dont
even tell you anymore what the protein level on a sack of wheat is. It
was not on Diamond's radar, but neurological studies have shown how
important this protein is for maximal mental development. Which we dont
see in the sugar cereals kids have been raised on since the 60's.
In fact, the Boomers were the last generation of kids to be raised on
food that was grown on family farms rather than agribusiness, using what
we now call 'organic' methods. This has something to do with the social
flowering- the music, video, and technology (moon shot) that emerged as
the Boomers began productive adult careers, and why its been downhill
ever since.
I remember back in the 1950's, when rock & roll began, how the girls
would swoon in front of the stage at the musician. And now, 50 years
later, they are old farts, still on stage, and today's girls are still
swooning. Never, in 5000 years of history, have we ever seen young women
carried away by the sight and sound of old men.
I'm nearly 70, and still remember a young woman last month say something
about how attractive she thot I was. What's with that? One clue is in
another young woman telling me that young men are just "button pushers".
I gather referring to video game remotes.
You think these people can run a functional democracy?
Strabo
For readers, red winter wheat is an excellent choice to buy in
bulk and grind as you need it. Protein levels are high and it stores
well.
>
> I remember back in the 1950's, when rock & roll began, how the girls
> would swoon in front of the stage at the musician. And now, 50 years
> later, they are old farts, still on stage, and today's girls are still
> swooning. Never, in 5000 years of history, have we ever seen young women
> carried away by the sight and sound of old men.
>
What did Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and Hitler have in common?
Girls! Lots of adoring, screaming adolescents made them famous
and went on to raise their children as supplicants to celebrity
worship.
>
> I'm nearly 70, and still remember a young woman last month say something
> about how attractive she thot I was. What's with that? One clue is in
> another young woman telling me that young men are just "button pushers".
> I gather referring to video game remotes.
>
> You think these people can run a functional democracy?
>
Too difficult. That's why they scream for Socialism.
Day Brown
> For readers, red winter wheat is an excellent choice to buy in
> bulk and grind as you need it. Protein levels are high and it stores
> well.
hand, winnowing by hand, and then grinding- which without a grinder is
nearly impossible. But- doable on long winter days inside when there
isnt much else that needs doing.
> What did Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and Hitler have in common?
> Girls! Lots of adoring, screaming adolescents made them famous
> and went on to raise their children as supplicants to celebrity
> worship.
I forget who wrote it, but there's a line about ancient Greek girls
going gaga over stringed instrument players.
>> You think these people can run a functional democracy?
> Too difficult. That's why they scream for Socialism.
So- how many do we have left to survive to build something that works?