Comment on I hate how much culture is controled by shitty people
unfreeradical@lemmy.world 1 year ago
I think when one group holds concentrated power, the effects for everyone else are usually shitty.
The issue may be more related to power itself, rather than to those who hold it.
Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world 1 year ago
True, except a system that explicitly rewards negative character traits such as greed, ruthlessness, and selfish opportunism will inevitably lead to inherently shitty people gaining and retaining power.
unfreeradical@lemmy.world 1 year ago
How would you explain, as an example, a system in which certain individuals would acquire and would hold power without exhibiting the negative traits you mention?
Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world 1 year ago
That’s a disingenuous way to frame it.
Under almost any system, those traits are somewhat advantageous when it comes to power, but few if any countries reward them as thoroughly or do as little to rein them in as the US.
Very few if any other democracies have systems written by and for the already rich and powerful to anywhere near the degree of the US.
None other that I have heard of explicitly allows bribery by law (as long as you’re not stupid enough to say “I’m bribing you right now to do this specific thing”), even going so far as considering it a necessity to gain and retain public office.
CERTAINLY not while loudly pretending to be one of the least corrupt and most democratic countries in the world. Even going so far as to claim absolute social mobility when there’s almost none for those at the bottom.
unfreeradical@lemmy.world 1 year ago
No. The issue is that you are engaged in a contradiction.
You have agreed that problems for groups that are disempowered is a consequence of one small group holding power.
Yet, you have also tacitly defended, as the form of system you most prefer, a system in which one small group holds power.
I agree.
For such reasons, as well as others, I would defend the assertion that problems for groups that are disempowered is a consequence of one small group holding power.
I have no idea how any of it is related to resolving the issues identified as consequent of one small group holding power.