this post was submitted on 15 Nov 2024
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[–] [email protected] 6 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago) (2 children)

Don’t forget they were also terrified of democracy. The Senate is one of the most comically anti-democratic institutions ever concocted. Wyoming has as much power as California. I mean it beggars belief that anyone but a complete imbecile could agree to something like that.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 13 hours ago (2 children)

It's not democratic from a person level, but it is more democratic from a state level. At the time they hadn't quite figured out if they wanted to be a country or a collection of states that sometimes work together.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago) (1 children)

Democracy is a system of government whose power is vested by the people (“demos”). Notice that the Senate does not legislate on behalf of people. Instead, it represents the interests of random land masses (clusters of zip codes). It is as stupid as it sounds and the exact opposite of democracy.

One of the main arguments by Senate proponents during the US founding was that democracy was unacceptable. “Government by the people for the people? What gives these people the right…” etcetera. If you want quotes I’ll dig them up, but that’s the vibe.

“Democracy has never been and never can be so durable as aristocracy or monarchy; but while it lasts, it is more bloody than either. […]

No. In fact, two democracies have never gone to war with each other. Why would they?

Democracy will soon degenerate into an anarchy, such an anarchy that every man will do what is right in his own eyes, and no man's life or property will be secure." - John Adams (1807)

Ah, redistribution of wealth and moral progress, terrifying. In case it’s not obvious from these pathetic quotes, John Adams was a moron.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 hour ago

Guess I should have said, it's not democratic it's Republican. And the question being what should legislature represent. I'm curious how the EU works as a governing body, is there proportional representation? Or does each county get an equal vote. Sorry for my ignorance.

Also yeah John Adams is a bit of a baffoon there.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

The first two political parties were formed around that very debate.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 hours ago

Too bad Jefferson didn't rap.

Just had that fever.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

The founding fathers were correct. A pure democracy is also known as mob rule. Anytime you can get 51% to agree with you, you can do whatever you like.

If 51% vote to take the homes of black people, that's decided and done.

Which is why modern democracies are all some form of representative democracy. Which in theory is supposed to act as a sort of check and balance on the system.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 hours ago

I'm not following your argument, though I am slightly drunk. The disproportionate representation that's the focus of the post means that less than 51% of the populace could wield the levers of power in the Senate. That's minority rule, which is even worse than mob rule.

I get that mob rule is bad, and that we need checks in place to curb the possibility of abuses of power, but I see that as necessitating laws for super majorities and ranked choice or other ways of ensuring less extreme representatives getting into power.