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Why democracy
In Two cheers for democracy, Powerline's John Hinderaker says: It's easy to think of arguments against the administration's long-term strategy of reducing terrorism by promoting legitimate governance and economic development in the Muslim world. But I keep coming back to the fact that no one, as far as I can tell, has proposed an alternative strategy. And I do think that history supports the proposition that transparent, reasonably honest and more or less democratic regimes are unlikely to promote pathologies like terrorism.
The best argument for democracy has been to argue that it is better than every other alternative. That's not good enough. If democracy is worthwhile, it is worthwhile for a reason and that reason should be easily accessible to all. Furthermore, the battle against terrorism takes place mostly in the mind and on both sides of the battle lines.- On this side, people need the courage that comes from understanding why what they are fighting for is important.
- On the other side, people need to become convinced that there is a compelling positive alternative for them.
Democracy captures the fundamental characteristic that separates mankind from the rest of the animals -- the ability to plan for a better future and to work to change behavior in order to achieve it. Democracy codifies humility -- the understanding that we are not perfect. Humility, in turn, engages a process that encourages continuous improvement. Democracy recognizes that any one voice can suggest a better way of doing things and, accordingly, everyone should have the opportunity to convince others.
Humility, the cornerstone of civilization, is born from individual experience -- independent of background, race, religion, education, training, or culture. Everyone can recall from personal experience an instance when they thought they were correct and later on discovered painfully that they were mistaken. Individual evidence is unambiguous that one's mental map of reality did not match reality itself, even though they thought it did. Humility is born of the realization that what we believe may not be so.
Humility is why mankind developed tools for thought. The first three of the classically-taught seven liberal arts were designed to hone the skills to root out mental mistakes:
- Grammar helped organize thoughts clearly.
- Logic helped test those thoughts for consistency.
- Rhetoric helped explain those thoughts to others and dissect what others explained to us.
It follows that other people are important to us, not the least to help us shine light on the integrity and good sense of the thoughts and conclusions that help make up our own individual map of reality. The value we place on others, who live their lives as acutely as we live our own, depends on their willingness to return the favor -- to reciprocate. Reciprocity is part of the process of democracy represented by cycles of free speech and votes that follow. Most successful cultures value reciprocity and it is represented most effectively by Confucius when he said, "Don't do to someone else what you don't want done to you."
 | A carpet is constructed of long threads called warp threads, braced with cross-threads called the weft. Around intersections of the warp and weft, pile threads -- each possibly of different color, texture, material, or length -- are knotted. If a carpet were stripped of its warp and weft threads, just a clump of individual pile threads would be left. Humility is like the warp threads of a carpet -- lending stability, strength and durability. The weft threads represent reciprocity -- the consideration that others live their lives as acutely as you do and earn respect accordingly if they reciprocate. The pile knots of a carpet represent the individuals held together in society by shared basic principles.
Humility and reciprocity are the common threads that draw together individuals into society. They are also the test of whether successful society exists. Finally, they the direction to expand civilization. |
No other form of government represents humility and reciprocity so well as democracy. Individuals who band together under it encourage a protective umbrella of peaceful problem resolution for those who, by their actions, accept it, while, at the same time, clearly identifing for careful watching those who do not.
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