Entertainment democracy is bound to failure

[myata]

because it replaces the question of effectiveness and efficiency of the governance of public matters: what is rational; important and necessary for the society, today with: what do we/ would you like it to be? What do you like?

In everyday life we know very well that what we would like to happen in our reality would not necessarily, and often by far, be the reality.

In the entertainment, the dreamscape the difference is erased, smoothly, in a blink. The wish can become and becomes, the reality. Just believe!

A natural human trait to imagine a better reality exploited for buck in any number of ways, becomes the American obsession with the dream where everything has to be entertainment and does not need to have connections, and eventually, any connection to the reality.

This is fine in the theater. But imaginary realities cannot produce good, effective decisions and policies in the real world. So this is a path to inevitable demise of the dream-based, entertainment democracy.

No, one cannot force the need to be reasonable and intelligent in making certain decisions. No, it's not possible to lock out the wish to dream. But what could be the solutions?

Edited May 15, 2024 by myata

[Michael Hardner]

Tell people that they're mollycoddled.

 

Take away their power to vote.

 

Destroy democracy.

 

🤔

[myata]

7 minutes ago, Michael Hardner said:

Destroy democracy.

Or it'll destroy itself? Only two options?

[Michael Hardner]

1 hour ago, myata said:

Or it'll destroy itself? Only two options?

Well we built a structure on shifting ground 

  It has to come down either way.

[Michael Hardner]

Initial Western democracy assumed a public and a free press to cover important issues, that were comprised a limited scope of activities by a small government. 

 

The public mentioned was comprised of white Christian landowners. 

 

The scope of participants, the scope of government, and the ability for a Free press to cover the issues have all distorted to the point of unrecognition from 1776. 

 

 

 

[myata]

On 5/15/2024 at 3:12 PM, Michael Hardner said:

The scope of participants, the scope of government, and the ability for a Free press to cover the issues have all distorted to the point of unrecognition from 1776. 

Indeed. That goes to the capacity to see, recognize change and adapt to the challenges. Western democracies may have become the victims of their own success. While the model created unparalleled prosperity and wealth, it also suppressed, through laziness and indifference the ability to change and the will to undergo it when needed. Anything can be ordered through this magical machine called "elections". Nothing bad can happen no matter what we do (or don't). That idea has never worked, in the evolution.

[Michael Hardner]

33 minutes ago, myata said:

Indeed. That goes to the capacity to see, recognize change and adapt to the challenges. Western democracies may have become the victims of their own success. While the model created unparalleled prosperity and wealth, it also suppressed, through laziness and indifference the ability to change and the will to undergo it when needed. Anything can be ordered through this magical machine called "elections". Nothing bad can happen no matter what we do (or don't). That idea has never worked, in the evolution.

You nailed it 👍🏻

[Matthew]

On 5/15/2024 at 10:24 AM, myata said:

because it replaces the question of effectiveness and efficiency of the governance of public matters: what is rational; important and necessary for the society, today with: what do we/ would you like it to be? What do you like?

It's true that political hobbyism and so many other features of our contemporary political culture subvert people's ability to care about actual societal needs. Although, on the other hand it's easy to idealize democracy and falsely imagine earlier generations as being less self-centered. They usually had their own crippling problems.