Is Democracy the best governmental system? As a whole, are people smart enough to make such big choices?

Question

What is wrong with Communism, Facism, even Monarchy? Why should democratic nations be so utterly against the development of other forms of government?

Answer 1

Democracy is a terrible form of government.. but it has 1 important benefit. It's safe. You aren't subject to the whims of a single person.

Communism has proven itself to be a utopian pipe dream that will always lead to oppressive and psychopathic governments.

Fascism has only been tried in one country ( Italy in the 30s & 40s ) but would seem to have the same flaws as communism.

Monarchy is potentially the best form of government, but only if you can guarantee a good leader.. which you can't.

Some interesting comments on democracy from some famous Americans:

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!"
-- Benjamin Franklin, leader of the American Revolution

"We are a Republican Government. Real liberty is never found in despotism or in the extremes of Democracy... It has been observed that a pure democracy if it were practicable would be the most perfect government. Experience has proved that no position is more false than this. The ancient democracies in which the people themselves deliberated never possessed one good feature of government. Their very character was tyranny; their figure deformity."
-- Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury to George Washington, author of the Federalist Papers

"Democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide."
-- John Adams, 2nd President of the United States

"A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine."
-- Thomas Jefferson, 3rd President of the United States, author of the Bill of Rights

"Democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their death.
-- James Madison, 4th President of the United States, Father of the Constitution

"The experience of all former ages had shown that of all human governments, democracy was the most unstable, fluctuating and short-lived."
-- John Quincy Adams, 6th President of the United States

Answer 2

I enjoy democracy because it allows for a balance of power and lets people of different ideas and beliefs speak freely and get represented. Democracies allow the best ideas to come up, because so many different persons' imput is generated. However, democracy often will not yield the implementation of the best ideas, because there is usually opposition to the best ideas. Fascist governments and dicatorships can implement things much faster, and therefore they are more efficient, but at the sacrifice of freedom of speech and press. Even in democracies, the press can be cunniving and lie to the public, but it is more rare and less severe than in other governmental forms, especially where press and government are closely tied. I think democracy can only work well in places where there are educated masses with an already decent standard of living. In many third world countries this isn't the case, and I believe that they require periods of communism, which increases education and literacy tremondously, then facism, which increases industry and economy rapidly, and then democracy. Therefore I think Western democratic nations with a high standard of living should not force democracy in regions where it is doomed to fail (like Iraq). But Westerners should support existing democracies.

Answer 3

Communism as a government is LITERALLY IMPOSSIBLE. IF you find a vaccine to live for ever but only have 20 million but you have 30 million people according to your own law everyoen is equall so no one should get it. Or lets say you only have enough food for half the people? You would have to make all of them starve. This would probably start mass riots or peole would realize the flaws. Facism isnt a government is it? Monarchy( in the midieval ages) has no strong central gov. In fact Kings were mostly weak in the mideival ages. And feudal lords ruled over all the land basically. Thus creating a time of war and war only.
The weakness of Democracy is that you need most of the population to be EDUCATED. YOu cant have a democracy if the citizens of the country are ignorant. And *cough cough to a few gov officilas* you can exactly force a type of governemtn on anybody.

Answer 4

There is no "best" governmental system. It simply cannot be qualified. Democracy is the best system of government for America, but America is truly a unique country. The Founders were very concerned about people having decision making power, that is why we elect our representatives to make laws for us. As for voting in competent law makers and leaders, it is most often the case that political elites dictate enough that competent leaders are chosen. Of course, this is not a fool proof system so there are checks and balances.

As for Democratic nations being against other forms of government: It is a fact that Democracies do not fight with other Democracies. That being true democracies view dictatorships, absolute monarchies, etc as a threat to world stability.

Communism is an economic system.

Answer 5

Democratic nations are against it because in democracy, the people decide, and the people want to keep their ability to influence their government. They don't like to feel that they are at the mercy of their government.

What's wrong with Communism
It is based on an inherently flawed view of what drives the economy and the nature of humankind. A central, planning government is never able to properly meet the needs of the people, supply and demand is the best way.

Fascism
The ruler has power because he is able to silence others and use brute force. Not because he is capable of helping the people. And judging from the way fascists are willing to use brute force, they generally do not care about the people.

Monarchy
This government system is not inherently flawed, but in a system of hereditary rule where the rulers are chosen not based on their skills, but by their blood, you are just as likely to have a terribly incompetent ruler as you are to have a good one.

All of those forms of government have been tried before, and democracy turned out best meet the needs of the people. No, the people will not always make good choices, but as Winston Churchill once said "It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government. Except for all others that have been tried".

Answer 6

Because all the rest have failed miserably and the government's answer to solving it is always to do something like kill all the jews or take all freedoms away to live like pigs while the leaders use such reasoning as "so let them eat cake".

Answer 7

Democracy is the worst- ecxept for every other system that has ever been tried.

Answer 8

I really like democracy, but as a whole, people are not intelligent enough to choose who should run their country.

Answer 9

Try living in them for a few years to try them out...

Answer 10

Spock rasps, "It is logical. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."
That is why.