Do you want revolution? What reasons?

@Exploder: Which would lead to Red Army Faction part 3. .

Which would lead to a political Lensman Arms Race of epic proportions, ending with either a successful revolution, or a brutal totalitarian government.

It would probably end with a successful revolution, assuming the revolutionaries are ruthless enough.

edited 8th Mar '11 6:59:31 AM by SavageHeathen

I am now of the opinion that there is no guarantee that a revolution that overthrows a corrupted regime wouldn't end up worse than its predecessor.

Especially as people of the old regime are often smart enough to accommodate to the new environment.

Because LOL ADAPTATION.

Seriously though, the French revolution of 1789 is a prime example of how a revolution could very well start well but not end well.

edited 8th Mar '11 8:23:15 AM by ArgeusthePaladin

Nah, they just were "ruthless enough".

To set facts straights:

1) Revolutions are messy and chaotic. It's all about destroying the old (bad?) order and (try to) reinstate a new one. Lives will be lost, infrastructures busted and the country turned upside down.

2) Not everyone will benefit from a revolution. Sure the people may get some concessions from the revolutionary government, but at the core the new government is just that - a ruling class with its own priorities and agendas which may or may not coincide with the people's wants, needs and interests.

3) Revolutions are also seen by foreign powers as a chance to jump in for their own interest, which can make things really turn for the worse.

edited 8th Mar '11 8:38:59 AM by ArgeusthePaladin

All the things you've listed are much better than tolerating a single gram of authoritarianism.

How do you define authoritarianism? Is it just being forced to do something you don't want to? Is it having laws you don't like? Having leaders you don't like?

Violence has its place, but it is much better to achieve changes non-violently, especially when democratic governments allow for peaceful changes in leadership and laws.

@ Savage:

And I must ask you, why is authoritarianism so frowned upon if everyone is happy?

If the people are fed, watered, housed and educated, the state is stable, everyone has $$$ to spend, and only the very bare minimum are dissatisfied with the state, a revolution will not do anyone any better EXCEPT those dissidents. It will take many, many years to rebuild what living standard this authoritarian government had granted you, and then some.

Are you willing to topple the foundation of a state and jeopardize an entire country just because the government is only somewhat undemocratic (read: 80% of non-OECD countries)?

IMHO. the only time when revolution is acceptable is in the case of a Failed State - one that fails to grant basic civil service to its people.

edited 8th Mar '11 4:27:59 PM by ArgeusthePaladin

We can go two ways from where we, as a world, stand now: either we rise up change the way our nations are ruled to a way more beneficial to both ourselves and the world around us; or we sit back and watch as our societies slide into chaos and dissolution while grotty little one-dimensional charicatures of human beings squabble over who owns what.

You know it's going to be the latter, because we just can't be arsed to do the former.

either we rise up change the way our nations are ruled to a way more beneficial to both ourselves and the world around us;

Except that our changes are not necessarily beneficial to both ourselves and the world. Most likely it will be beneficial to the bare minimum elitists and with only some not-quite-benefits to us plebs.

or we sit back and watch as our societies slide into chaos and dissolution while grotty little one-dimensional charicatures of human beings squabble over who owns what.

Except that the world is fine as is. That scenario is not going to happen for a while.

I don't want revolution. I don't even want violent or abrupt change.

Now, some countries do need revolution. I'm all for the protestors in dictatorships across the world.

But here in the West? No. I really, really, like living a peaceful, ordinary life. If I don't like something, I complain about it in the avenues made open to me by the fact that I live in a democracy.

It's so very easy to have an issue, and want to change the world. It's so much harder to actually do it, let alone do a good job.

for the American posters I just want to clarify america is not a democracy it is a federal constitutional republic. Democracy is mob rule where in the minorities only have the rights that the majority want them to have. a republic is is rule of the people, all of the people, it does not entail the majority ruling over the minority.

Yeah, you got me there. I was oversimplifying, I suppose. It's just not as catchy any other way.

Democracy is not mob rule. In a pure democracy, everyone participates in the government.

..Actually, our current republic is a lot closer to your 'mob rule', with a narrow majority of the armchair electorate basing their votes based on totally misinformed views, which then affect everyone.

There is nothing wrong with pursuing an ever-expanding democracy.

edited 8th Mar '11 8:35:19 PM by johnnyfog

no seriously look up each word in a dictionary and checko ut the etymology. Problem is we've become a republic innameonly. We've drifted in to a Nationalist democracy.