(July 23, 2025 at 7:32 pm)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote:(July 23, 2025 at 7:04 pm)Rizen Wrote: I already said this but, realistically, get rid of the electoral college. Republicans have been playing it for years. I realize Trump won the popular vote in 2024 but it's more often than not favored Republicans. Every vote should count equally. Limit supreme court terms. This has been an outrageous clusterfuck. Both these systems are terrible and outdated.
I'm serious about what I said about education. College educated people lean strongly democratic. Democrats are an objectively better party. It's become a bigger divide than ever. That's why this culture of anti-intellectualism pisses me off so much! People shouldn't have to decide between a college education and massive debt. College educations should be available to everyone. If you take nothing else away from this post take this. Republicans realize this. Republicans are actively trying to keep people uneducated. Republicans are actively forcing Christianity in schools. Above all else people need to be taught the scientific method. People need to learn critical thinking. We really are back in the fucking dark ages. To quote Isaac Asimov:
“Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'”
We're at the point where Trump can say any damn thing he wants and people believe it. This is why Republicans have an advantage. Democrats are always arguing an inconvenient truth against Republican's fear mongering.
So when I say "democracy doesn't work" I really mean "as is". We need not only fundamental changes in the core mechanics of the government but also the mindset of society.
And fuck anyone who doesn't take this seriously! Have people not been keeping up with the supreme court? They gave Trump a get out of jail free card for anything as long as he's president! We have a man who forcefully tried to overthrow the results of an election now in control of the government with Republicans controlling the house and senate! We have a convicted rapist and felon for president. We're in an extremely sick society. What about the environment? What about the Ukraine? Hell, what about Democracy here? When Trump tells Christian voters "you won't have to vote anymore" if he's elected, and he was, that should concern you. How dare you call me a snowflake for being informed! How dare you call me a snowflake for actively making the world a better place. The bottom line is you just can't make people care.
But if you get rid of the electoral college, you’ll STILL have a democracy, which you’ve said doesn’t work.
I’m not asking how you would fix or modify democracy, but for you to name a form of government with which you would replace democracy.
If you meant to say ‘democracy doesn’t work as is’, why didn’t you?
Boru
My answer was solid gold; what do you want from me? Fine. I don't find this realistic but how about a series of councils of learned citizens elected by their peers? A council for agriculture, infrastructure, engineering, etc. They'd all be elected to each council by academics in their fields and the councils would control their specialized areas. Of course you'd have to have some sort of budgeting council perhaps elected from previous members of each of the main councils and one for diplomacy as well. There would have to be a judicial system of checks and balances where the councils could vote to impeach members of the governing councils. Yes it would be imperfect but wouldn't this be better than the circus of nepotism and popularity stunts that defines our current democracy? This is how an advanced society of aliens works in a book I've written.
