June 2022 in Review

[james_davis_nicoll]

June 2022 in Review

Comments

[jreynolds197]

For stories set in the USA, (or a !USA with magic, or slightly alternate) would you count it as oligarchy or representative democracy?

Noam Chomsky has been saying since at least the 1980s that the USA is an oligarchy (with democratic trappings). Always has been, always will be.

[mindstalk]

One could argue that representative democracy is equivalent to elective oligarchy: a few people make decisions, but they're subject to elections.

There's also I think "the Iron Law of Oligarchy", a proposal that large groups tend to be run by a de facto oligarchy regardless of their formal structure. Democracies get dominated by loud charismatic people, or by representatives; autocracies by the people surrounding the autocrat.

Though I'd say there's still virtue to having your oligarchs explicit and replaceable, which loops us back to representative democracy.

[james_davis_nicoll]

Despite the flaws, I put the US in the RepDem slot because it was possible to vote Trump out. However, I grant that's a judgment call. Once the USSC destroys federal elections in 4 months, I will count it as an oligarchy.