For this reason, elected authoritarians who wish to consolidate control typically win not by flashy displays of might, but by convincing a critical mass of people that they’re just a normal politician — no threat to democracy at all.

That means the survival of democracy depends, to an extent not fully appreciated, on perceptions and narratives. In three recent countries where a democracy survived an incumbent government bent on destroying it — Brazil, South Korea, and Poland — the belief among elites, the public, and the opposition that democracy was at stake played a critical role in motivating pushback.

  • Devolution@lemmy.world
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    16 hours ago

    So basically stupid people cause democracies to fail and the solution is basically to kill stupid people???

      • Devolution@lemmy.world
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        16 hours ago

        Ha that’s never going to happen. In think my option is more realistic. You can’t educate stupid. Especially willfully stupid.

        • OwOarchist@pawb.social
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          15 hours ago

          You can’t educate stupid.

          Well, you can, actually. You’ve just got to start early.

        • 🌞 Alexander Daychilde 🌞@lemmy.world
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          14 hours ago

          First of all, relevant username. Second of all… to quote a litle youtube vid I love[1], “You are not wrong. But also, you are very wrong.”

          Education is one of the critical tools to fix this, although that will take 2-3 gererations of hard work and full control of the process, so probably even longer.

          Education, however, is not the short-term tool, it is one of the long-term tools. But it is one of the tools. More of a preventative of it taking root again after we root it out.


          1. see 45 seconds in: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iQRlUWPj4A ↩︎

          • Devolution@lemmy.world
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            13 hours ago

            Education only works for the willing. Also, that’s why republicans are so hell bent on removing public education.

            Edit: Fix your link.

            • Grass@sh.itjust.works
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              8 hours ago

              also works for the people that never fight the system regardless of what the system’s goals are

            • 🌞 Alexander Daychilde 🌞@lemmy.world
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              11 hours ago

              Edit: Fix your link.

              Link continues to work here. Title is “Can They Name 5 Countries in Africa” by @MaximBady. No clue if that’s the original or a repost, just the copy of the video I found when I went looking. Sorry it’s not working for you.

              But also, quite agreed on your first para