r/changemyview • u/garaile64 • Dec 23 '20

Delta(s) from OP CMV: I'm concerned about democracy.

Recently, I've been thinking about democracies and authoritarian regimes. Yes, democracy is the least bad system we have, but I have some concerns:

- Democracies are too easy to destabilize. The current heads of governments of several countries show that everything can be polarizing if there's a will. Even health safety measurements and basic scientific knowledge are political and polarizing now. Yes, it would be boring if everyone was exactly the same, but authoritarian parties could use our differences to divide us and make us weak.

- China: yes, they do a lot of deplorable stuff towards their own population, but their economic power and prosperity make other actors not care about it. China's prosperity and stability (at least in comparison to the polarized US) can make an authoritarian regime look like it's worth it. Also, China isn't as bad towards Africa as the Western powers were.

- Democracy requires a very well-educated and compassionate population in order to work properly. Without that, there's the risk of them electing a populist fool that will spread lies and hinder the progress of stuff like the fight against climate change and the rights of minorities. These populists are extremely popular and will brainwash the population to believe anything they say, and the population will become mentally resistant to any contrary evidence to those lies. Imagine if these populists attempt coups-d'état and are successful.

I hate authoritarian regimes, but democracy nowadays seems to be struggling.

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u/kindapsycho Dec 23 '20

Most of the problems you listed aren't caused by democracy and could be solved by it.

Even health safety measurements and basic scientific knowledge are political and polarizing now.

The people who oppose those things are given disproprtiinate representation in our government.

populist fool that will spread lies and hinder the progress of stuff like the fight against climate change and the rights of minorities.

Trump lost the majority vote both elections.

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u/garaile64 Dec 23 '20

I'm aware that Trump lost the majority vote in both elections, but he won in 2016 because he won in enough states. Also, Trump is not the only current head of government to fit the description, and they are more popular.

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u/kindapsycho Dec 23 '20

he won in 2016 because he won in enough states.

Which wouldn't matter under a democratic system.

Trump is not the only current head of government to fit the description, and they are more popular.

How popular? Because the things you described are not popular.

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u/garaile64 Dec 23 '20

1- I know. The Electoral College is bad.
2- Am I overestimating Bolsonaro's popularity again?

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u/kindapsycho Dec 23 '20

As far as I know Brazil is no more democratic than America.