RE: Why good people have bad politics
Mencken was a bit of an elitist asshole, but i think he had a way with words, which is why i like his quotes, does not mean I fully agree with him.
I do not necessarily think democracy in itself is incompatible with libertarianism, just particular forms of mob-rule democracy. I will probably expand on this in subsequent posts.
It is important to define everything correctly, otherwise you just manipulate words and end up in an orwellian situation. "Freedom is obeying orders"
I do agree a constitution is only as good as the people who uphold it. But due to nature of society it is better than nothing - it can at least delay the authoritarians. Or to quote Lysander Spooner (I like quotes) “But whether the Constitution really be one thing, or another, this much is certain - that it has either authorized such a government as we have had, or has been powerless to prevent it. In either case it is unfit to exist.” This sounds good, but I'd rather have a constitution like the US one then none at all. I mean at least the first and second amendments did some good. In Europe you can be arrested for "hate speech".
I should also note I am a big fan of jury nullification, sadly such a thing does not exist in a not common-law system.
This is why am I advocating for a better informed population as the best safeguard of good government. How possible that is is up for debate
One more thing. I bet some people in Turkey wished they had a constitution right about now. I mean I assume they have but not a good one ...
They do have a constitution but they also have a Padishah who does not give a fig about a piece of paper because, to use his words, he is "a martyr for Allah" and, thus, he feels he has every right to suppress, arrest, brutalize, and kill people because they do not agree with his Islamic madness. Turkish "modern democracy" was always a joke, but what we still call "the West" chose to ignore the facts in favor of "geopolitical reasons" and "security interests." Right now, the Padishah is dancing a dervish's whirling dance around freakin' idiots like Merkel and the Brussels mandarins... because of that early choice...
Hell you get kicked out of uni meeting in the UK for a gesture of consternation in a "safe zone". Fucking disgrace:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04/03/student-accused-of-violating-university-safe-space-by-raising-he/
Wtf:
"This includes “refraining from hand gestures which denote disagreement”, or “in any other way indicating disagreement with a point or points being made”."
Don't belive the Telegraph, it is a rag these days, they are just a bunch of rabble rousers. It was a good newspaper 10 years ago when the new owners turned it into their personal mouthpiece
Safe space is bullshit though:)
Yes, it is but... it keeps bringing up ** true ** news stories no "authoritative" (read politically correct) mouthpiece would touch because they offend "oppressed minorities" not to mention the current darlings of the "progressive" lot viz. "irregular migrants," Muslim "refugees" and refugees, and all of the devout bowing to the Prophet.
Your views are very close, almost identical, to mine. Totally agree with your first 2 sentences of your reply. However, jury nullification exists even in our "degraded common law" system. The instant that jury trials no longer exist in any form (even degraded form), violent rebellion will be the only option left. That said, your clarification makes it clear we're "on the same team."