What Kind of Government?
 

A podcast on Radiolab called Tweak the Vote disturbed me.

First the talked about people dissatisfaction with their government talking about a three question poll.

1 - How do you feel about a strong ruler who doesn't have to bother with parliament/congress?
In 1995 24% of Americans said very good or fairly good.
Recently that jumped from 24% to 32%.
In Germany 1 in 6 jumped to 1 in 3. (they should know better)
France and UK jumped from 1 in 4 to 1 in 2.

2 - How important is it to live in a democracy on a scale of one to ten?
Of Americans born in the 1930’s and 40’s, 66% rated it really essential.
Americans born since 1980 it's less than 33%.

3 - Do you think that army rule is a good system of government?
20 years ago 1 in 16 Americans said that’s a good system.
The most recent poll a couple of years ago, it was 1 in 6.
Among young and affluent Americans it's gone up from 6% to 35%.

That kind of shocks me, but thinking about it, I suppose I’d choose a Dictatorship with safety, food, and shelter, over a Lord of the Flies democracy. There are no guarantees with either.

Then they discuss Ranked Choice Voting, which Maine and Minnesota have partially implemented.
They claim this system instantly cuts down on the viciousness of negative campaigning.
I don't see it cutting the influence of money but it's a start.

It is disturbing. Both parties seem filled with party over country people so I sort of understand the impulse. My gut says we have to overcome our own reluctance to engage with our government. In myself that lack of engagement is the result of a lifetime simmering in backward looking ideologies which don't respect the need for good governance and a social contract. That baseline ideology severed rural America from the workings of government but somehow doubled down on flag waving nationalism. So you get a deep respect for a military which defends a system you oppose. People can be pretty fucking crazy.

People probably assume that the dictator will have their political perspective

I guess "army rule" means military rule.
I can't think of one thing the US military has done right in seventy years.
Sort of like Trump in his two.

Something else to divide people and argue about.

No it's not.

:p:

Yes it i---ooooh I see what you did there.:D