[hamdani yusuf (OP)]

Democracy is about how to make decisions on future legislation: there is no "correct answer" that can be known, any more than there is a correct answer to "tea or coffee?"

There are correct as well as incorrect answers. If people regret what they voted for, they have realized that they had made incorrect decisions.

[alancalverd]

No. It questions the assumption made in setting up democratic systems.

Your explicit assumption is the "wisdom of crowds". A politician's implicit assumption is "the short term self-interest and gullibility of the electorate".  The voting process is irrelevant. 

[alancalverd]

If people regret what they voted for, they have realized that they had made incorrect decisions.

Nobody ever admits to having voted for the wrong person or policy. Everyone accepts that society  is in a state of perpetual evolution so yesterday's solution (expansion of the EU to create new markets for German industry) becomes today's problem (unrestricted migrant labor depresses UK wages).

The problem with democracy is that it takes too long to respond to any challenge. If the EU had been a dictatorship, would Putin's criminals still be destroying Ukraine?

[hamdani yusuf (OP)]

No. It questions the assumption made in setting up democratic systems.

Your explicit assumption is the "wisdom of crowds". A politician's implicit assumption is "the short term self-interest and gullibility of the electorate".  The voting process is irrelevant. 

Wisdom of crowd is not my assumption. It's the assumption that democratic systems are relying upon.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vox_populi

[hamdani yusuf (OP)]

The problem with democracy is that it takes too long to respond to any challenge. If the EU had been a dictatorship, would Putin's criminals still be destroying Ukraine?

Every system has their own strength and weakness. The devil is in the details. When the goals have been set, then it becomes the matter of how accurate and precise their model of the world that they use to make decisions that will determine the results.

[alancalverd]

The goal of many democracies has unfortunately become preservation of the elected representatives and the system that elected them, regardless of the consequences.

[hamdani yusuf (OP)]

The goal of many democracies has unfortunately become preservation of the elected representatives and the system that elected them, regardless of the consequences.

In those cases, they're chasing short term goals while ignoring the longer term goals.
If our goal is irrelevant to future conscious entities, then it will be meaningless when that future has come.

[alancalverd]

In those cases, they're chasing short term goals while ignoring the longer term goals.

Politics in a nutshell.

Problem is that when politicians pursue longterm goals, either lots of people die (American Civil War, Napoleon's march on Moscow.....) or the taxpayer ends up supporting an unlimited vanity project like HS2 or fusion power.

Public ownership of essential infrastucture looks like a sensible goal, but when politicians turn it into a command economy, like setting goals for the National Health Service instead of just letting doctors treat patients, it all goes
tits-up, whether the scum in charge are Tory donors or Stalin.

[hamdani yusuf (OP)]

Problem is that when politicians pursue longterm goals, either lots of people die (American Civil War, Napoleon's march on Moscow.....) or the taxpayer ends up supporting an unlimited vanity project like HS2 or fusion power.

Pursuing longer term goals effectively and efficiently requires more accurate and precise model of the universe, and more computing power, because of chaos theory, among other things. When the requirements aren't met, it would be more practical and better in general to pursue shorter term goals.
When we were babies, it was better to follow instincts which are short term goals, than defying them to pursue longer term goals that we didn't understand.

[hamdani yusuf (OP)]

BOMBSHELL: US Military Contractor Says The Quiet Part Out Loud
Everyone has their own blind spots. That's why we need some access to see the world and ourselves from the other sides.

[alancalverd]

Funny how nobody calls the destruction of Hamburg, Cologne, Dresden, Stuttgart, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, London, Coventry, Guernica, Almeria, Glasgow, Hanoi, Mariupol....."genocide". Fact is that if a population supports a terrorist cause, or if terrorists are allowed to hide in civilian facilities, or if terrorists invade a country, civilians will die.  That is modern warfare, and has been for the last 100 years.  Why is it now fashionable to debase the language and ignore facts? (clue - in Gaza, the uniformed soldiers are Jews.)

[hamdani yusuf (OP)]

Funny how nobody calls the destruction of Hamburg, Cologne, Dresden, Stuttgart, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, London, Coventry, Guernica, Almeria, Glasgow, Hanoi, Mariupol....."genocide".

Perhaps someone had, especially in the past, when the killings were happening, so there was a chance to stop them. But they might stop when calling them genocides would bring less benefits and more damage instead.

[alancalverd]

Genocide is the intentional and selective act of killing people because of who they are. Not to be confused with collateral civilian casualties in the pursuit of evildoers.

The stated objective of Hamas is genocide. The stated objective of the IDF is to rid the world of Hamas.

Sadly, the scum who call themselves Hamas have hidden themselves among civilians and do not wear uniforms, so the civilians either suffer from being in the way of the IDF, or get beaten up by Hamas for betraying them. That's the reality of modern warfare, and the Joy of Faith.   

[hamdani yusuf (OP)]

The stated objective of Hamas is genocide. The stated objective of the IDF is to rid the world of Hamas.

Putin never said that he will kill his enemies. But several of them died nonetheless.
BTW, Israeli government officials have expressed their genocidal intention as well.

[alancalverd]

Israeli government officials have expressed their genocidal intention as well.

Citation needed. And please distinguish between agreed government policy and a translator's interpretation of an individual's off-the-record comment.

Is Putin directly involved in Gaza? I thought he was more interested in owning the US president and attacking the Jew-run state of Ukraine.

[hamdani yusuf (OP)]

Israeli government officials have expressed their genocidal intention as well.

Citation needed. And please distinguish between agreed government policy and a translator's interpretation of an individual's off-the-record comment.

Is Putin directly involved in Gaza? I thought he was more interested in owning the US president and attacking the Jew-run state of Ukraine.

The moral of the story is that action speaks louder than words.

[alancalverd]

And there is no evidence that the IDF is killing people because of what they are. Nor have you provided any evidence of genocidal intention.

Not that lack of evidence has ever been an impediment to antisemitism. Whilst Catholics have to acquire guilt through study, we are given it for free. 

[hamdani yusuf (OP)]

And there is no evidence that the IDF is killing people because of what they are. Nor have you provided any evidence of genocidal intention.

They killed their own citizens held hostage waving white flag.

South Africa has.

[alancalverd]

South Africa has provided an accusation, not evidence. Death from friendly fire is nothing new, and certainly not evidence of genocidal intent.

[hamdani yusuf (OP)]

South Africa has provided an accusation, not evidence.

Many countries disagree with your conclusion

Death from friendly fire is nothing new

It's friendly fire if both sides were armed. In this case, it shows intentional targeting of civilians.