I’ve read Jill Lepore’s work before and know her as a meticulous researcher and an articulate writer. Her essay will take 5 minutes or less to read and is well-worth your time to do so.
“It’s a paradox of democracy that the best way to defend it is to attack it, to ask more of it, by way of criticism, protest, and dissent.”
The Last Time Democracy Almost Died, by Jill Lepore — Rise Up Times
Tao Talk 
Indeed, very articulate.
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It’s true we’ve lived through bad political times before, but the earth itself was in better shape, The type of government we have will be neaningless unless we stop destroying the environment. But of course it’s all interconnected. (K)
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Excellent observations, Kerfe. The earth is getting run down 😦
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Interesting column. It’s a depressing topic that is on my mind a lot in last few years. to paraphrase some great thinker “democracy is a terrible system unless you compare it to every other alternative.” Democracy’s not going to work well here for some time because people are by and large too selfish and too – I’m gonna say it – dumb. They get taken in by huge, easily refuted lies and won’t do anything that isn’t in their own, immediate best interest. An example, the Freakonomics guys suggest a $1 added gas tax. Put the money to infrastructure and public transit and the likes. It would get people buying smaller cars (good for environment), thinking about driving less (good for environment and fewer accidents, good for healthcare) and lessen traffic jams (good for economy) while raising money for needed projects. But do you imagine ANY politician could get elected suggesting that? the problem is, just as the masses are selfish , so too would be almost any monarch or dictator. At least as it stands we can vote out the terrible ones .
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Very thoughtful comment, Dave. Paternalism is a double-edged sword. We need parents with integrity and a genuine caring for the well-being of the planet.
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Everyone thinks in the short-term…that is what each generation has done slowly more and more. As Veruca Salt said…”I want it now.” If something like environmental problems gets in the way…the hell with it. We traded the right way for the easy way…with all of the shortcuts.
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Very well said. It’s a disease. Pearl Jam calls it Green Disease.
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I think if people thought about what they are doing… they might not but they don’t think…probably on purpose.
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