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Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 8:46amSanction this postReply
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Thanks for the article, Tibor. The failure of democracy to establish any kind of peace in the 20th century maybe the most forgotten detail of it. Have you read Hans Hermann Hoppe's book Democracy the God that Failed?

Here are some other good comments from Hoppe at http://www.mises.org/story/2214

"A 'tragedy of the commons' was created. Everyone, not just the king, was now entitled to try to grab everyone else's private property....

Here are some of the consequences: during the monarchical age before World War I, government expenditure as a percent of GNP was rarely higher than 5%. Since then it has typically risen to around 50%."

Chris




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Thursday, July 27, 2006 - 11:23amSanction this postReply
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Your central point that democracy functions reasonably well within a context of voluntarism is a good one. Democracy is one acceptable means of appointing public officials, provided always that client-citizens retain the right to withdraw from association with the government.

However, if exit rights were recognized and respected, I wonder if other methods of governance would evolve that could be more functional than democracy. For under democracy, every citizen-client has the opportunity to vote on matters about which he might know little, and care less. As long as the fire department to which he pays contractual annual insurance fees does its job well, does the average hard-working Joe really care whom the department hires as fire chief? If the Pinkerton Association that Joe's insurance company denotes as security provider keeps his neighborhood safe and quiet, does Joe want to get involved in Pinkerton's office politics?

But this is beside the point you made, which is important: the decisions reached by majorities are often dangerous and unjust in a coercive social context. 




Post 2

Thursday, July 27, 2006 - 12:57pmSanction this postReply
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The other problem is that democracies do not result in majority rule, but rule by well-organized minorities.

Here's an example. Congress passes a law dictating that every American should give $1 to Homer Simpson. The cost is small to every citizen, and it is unlikely that these citizens will get that upset about it. But Homer is going to make sure that his subsidy stays, and he has the money to lobby for it.

Chris




Post 3

Friday, October 19, 2007 - 11:15amSanction this postReply
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Mr.Machan, Another wonderful article ! : )



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Post 4

Friday, October 19, 2007 - 7:06pmSanction this postReply
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There is no point in even using the word Democracy since it is associated with might over right. A Constitutional Republic (based on the objective morality of individual rights) is a much better definition.



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