Bill McKibben confused about democracy; 42% is NOT a majority, Bill — even in your ideal of mob-ocracy

4 thoughts on “Bill McKibben confused about democracy; 42% is NOT a majority, Bill — even in your ideal of mob-ocracy”

1. So true Doug,

   It’s now possible with some effort to become fully versed on almost any subject. Paradoxically, people seem to have fallen back on picking sides and letting them tell us how to think. After all, it’s a lot of work and responsibility to make educated decisions by sifting through the data and research. Much easier to make your decisions by picking a team and letting them give you your talking points. But then, that makes everything become Us vs Them.

   I know a guy who always says, “Never before in history have we had access to so much information, yet know so little.”

2. Yeah, in Canada, or should I say in Quebec, 50% OF THOSE WHO VOTE IN A REFERENDUM plus 1 is still felt to be a majority AND a legal mandate to sever the province from the confederation.

   It is Animal Farm that has it “All Animals are Equal but Some are More Equal than Others”?

   We seem unable despite education, history and studied psychology, to get beyond the Us vs Them condition, in which Us have rights and Them have nothing.

3. It’s kind of like how liberals abuse polls and elections results. If a poll says 52% of the respondants support a liberal issue and 45% are opposed, it’s a mandate. Screw the opposition. We have the ball, and we’re going to run with it. The people have spoken.

   But if 55% of the respondents are in favor of a non-liberal position, then WE MUST NOT IGNORE the 41% who were against it. Democracy is not the tyranny of the majority (unless that’s what a liberal wants). Then it’s all about compromise, reaching across the aisle, aiming for the middle.

   Look at how the White House and the MSM treat the 2012 election in the US. 51% of the electorate constitute a mandate. The opinions of the 48% who did not vote for der Obamer either do not exist, are evil, or just plain wrong.

   Of course in this case, it’s just obvious bias and stupidity for thinking that he could pretend it wasn’t bias and get away with it.

4. I remember in 5th grade some kids just never could figure out percentages. Now I know what happened to them afterwards – Journalism School.