(no subject)

[birthrightgreen]

*wry smile*

I'm looking through the old prompts and would like to answer some of them, however, not all make sense.

This one, for instance:

"What's better: democracy or monarchy?"

What is democracy?

Comments

[shaman-x.livejournal.com]

It's a form of government in which decisions are made with the direction of the majority of its citizenry through a fair elective process.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

...The people decide how things are to be done?

[shaman-x.livejournal.com]

Theoretically, yeah. How accurate that actually is depends on the form democracy takes. And all government is open to corruption, of course.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

That doesn't sound like a good idea at all. Very dangerous.

[shaman-x.livejournal.com]

Oh?

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

People aren't taught to rule. They need to be led. Everyone is selfish and wants different things.

There's no way they could be trusted to make the kinds of decisions a Queen makes.

[shaman-x.livejournal.com]

True. ...most democratic systems work on elective representation. You elect people to argue your interests, the elected argue, the majority rules, laws are passed. People agree or don't, and maybe different people are elected and different laws pass. And sometimes you get tyranny by majority and sometimes they argue and the bang out good compromise, knock the edges off and you actually get a pretty good self-regulating system out at the end.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

But if the people are the ultimate authority...it sounds like madness. Chaos.

[shaman-x.livejournal.com]

Like all systems of government, it's inherently flawed. You can argue with nature as much as you like but it does little good if the majority wish to attend to its whims. But I like democracy. It's self-limiting. And I find even the most benevolent of rulers is merely one bad day away from being a psychotic tyrant.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

Not Jaenelle. Not the Coven.

But yeah, I've seen enough bad leaders to know how different they are. But the people...I just don't see them as being able to lead themselves.

[shaman-x.livejournal.com]

Everyone says that, right up until it happens.

And, anyway, they don't lead themselves, they elect people to lead them.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

*slight shrug*

You don't know them.

Well, how do they know they're electing someone capable? And how can that person truly lead....I mean, what if he does something they don't like.

[shaman-x.livejournal.com]

They don't re-elect him.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

But what do they do until that time comes?

[shaman-x.livejournal.com]

Protest. Lobby for changes. Well, no, mostly they do nothing but stand around and whine because people are stupid and lazy, but, you know, theoretically.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

It sounds very haphazard.

[shaman-x.livejournal.com]

Highly organised chaos.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

I'm not convinced of the wisdom of this form of government at all.

[shaman-x.livejournal.com]

Self perpetuating, self limiting, self regulating, not more or less inherently corruptible than any system, and it, generally speaking, works. Don't know 'bout wisdom, but it works.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

...All right. If you say so.

[shaman-x.livejournal.com]

Every now and then, people do surprise you.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

*slightly wry*

I'm still waiting for that from most of them.

[shaman-x.livejournal.com]

*wide smile* One person in the right place and time can be a pivot on which the whole universe moves. Even in a democracy.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

*chuckles*

That I believe.

[fannyfae]

It is the false pretense that mankind does not need to be ruled and that the voice of the mob has more wisdom than that of a wise and benevolent ruler.

Of course in such a system, I have seen equal amounts of cow-towing and toadying on order that the few may possess power over the masses. In short, dear Sister, it is a grand joke.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

That was what I was starting to suspect from Mike's explanation.

As if the people have any idea what's good for them...

[fannyfae]

*nefarious laugh* They;d like to imagine that they do. ;)

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

*snorts*

Please. They're far too concerned with their own desires to ever do anything to keep the land safe and care for it as Queens do.

[fannyfae]

Aye, that they are. They usually cannot be inconvenienced with anything beyond the very small and petty scope of their own self-interests. I doubt that few understand that to rule, also means to serve. When our people and the land are entrusted to our care, if it suffers, so do they, and ultimately so do we. In these "democracies", rarely if ever do the people themselves, who fancy themselve to be the masters of their own destiny, take responsibility for anything that goes wrong. Again, the blame is foisted upon their leaders.

You are right, it's madness.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

Clearly. What gave anyone the fool idea to let them try?

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

...Tea?

[fannyfae]

Yes, there were all sorts of contortions over the tea from what I've heard. The Crown sent it, and I don't know if the Colonists didn't like that particular batch of tea or what, but they thew it into the harbour dressed like the Indigenous people so that they would not be blamed for being such bad party guests.

The Crown was understandbaly mortified, and they sent a bill for the destroyed tea, then that produced all sorts of hair pulling, jumping about, screaming about independence, and democracy. The Colonists met in hot, airless rooms and scribbled their demands on a few bits of parchament - but then they still didn't pay for the tea. So naturally the Crown sent bill collectors, it is money owed after all. For heavensake! The colony was established by the Crown, it was financed largely by the Crown's interests and those of the people in England!

What a bloody bunch of deadbeats! Anyway, after several long years of war, the Crown decided that it was much better to cut bait and just let the renegade deadbeats who didn't want to pay for their tea bill go. There is only so much in the way of resources that a responsible monarch can squander for such a small matter.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

*very intent and serious*

But wasn't it dangerous to leave such malcontents running around loose? I mean, they were starting insurrections...none of the Queens I know would tolerate such things. Of course, I'm not quite sure that Jaenelle would have sent a bill. But most of them would. People get twitchy very easily.

OOC

[fannyfae]

Btw, this is Fanny's own version of it. She told this story to her husband, _rigo and I do believe it caused howls of laughter from Ringo and his best friend, curly_bill. Fanny didn't really understand what was so amusing about her version. To her it made complete sense. ;)

Re: OOC

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

*giggles* It's very funny and it's not like Surreal would know the difference, so she's likely to take it very seriously.

[fannyfae]

Truthfully? I think that the argment and resultant war was over something so petty as the taxation of tea. (Of all things!)