this post was submitted on 07 Oct 2023
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Lol, lmao even.
Why?
Compatible means able to exist without conflict.
Well consider the fact that there is currently no conflict and no evidence that one is going to start. The Roman republic went on for 700 years with both a republican democracy and what most historians describe as a highly unequal and oligarchical distribution of power and wealth. Perhaps it fell eventually due to class struggles between the working class and the aristocracy but if it was truly incompatible, then fine it existed in a state of “incompatibility” for literal centuries and there’s no reason to believe the USA and other capitalist countries will be any different. And no reason to believe something better will come along after.
So if democracy and financial oligarchy are incompatible, why does it matter? And btw there’s probably a ton of “incompatible” things that depend on the eye of the beholder. We had racist laws enacted by statute, foreign wars, internment camps, espionage, immoral scientific experiments done by the government all could be described as incompatible with democracy. The reality is that democracy is rule by majority (nothing more, nothing less). Whatever the ethos or the common morality is will be compatible with democracy. Anything done by the elected leaders of the 51% is compatible with democracy.
Don’t get me wrong democracy is better than any other option but we need Democracy+ to really guarantee a just and equal society.
How can you possibly say there's no conflict??
How would you describe this conflict? A bunch of lemmings shit-posting and getting fired up behind their keyboard?
We’ve had riots, insurrection and mass civil disobedience on countless issues in the last few years. When is the last time there was even a local protest against wealth inequality? It’s not really a hot button issue outside of online communities like Reddit and Lemmy.
BLM?
Jan 6?
Occupy?
Antifa?
There are constantly protests for various issues, and an armed attempted coup happened... however misguided and fascistic that event was, it was, like all others, a manifestation of the class cobflict that is going on every day.
It doesn't have to be a literal communist uprising to count as conflict. Though I admit that is by far my favourite option.
My point, there is palpable class conflict ongoing at this very moment, as people struggle more and more, and the rich get richer and more powerful.
The problem is that most people are sadly not given the knowledge of how class works, and are fed misinformation about the causes of their problems. At best, this leads to a hyperfocus on individual issues (which do need to be addressed, don't mistake me) and at worst, leads to fascism.
Sounds like you would support a dictatorship of the Prolitariat! Communism is pretty much Democracy+ when you think about it with at least a modicum of intellectual honesty.
I appreciate this civil discussion. That is all.
I’m not even trying to go down the capitalism vs socialism debate route. All I’m saying is democracy isn’t like this perfect system that is only compatible with the most perfect and utopic principles.
Hitler was elected by a democracy in case you forgot.
Didn't he lose but end up being appointed? Lol