SS Radio #261: All Kinds of Shit Discussed.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Q&A Episode - Late Night with the Devil, Visiting the Past, and More | Starting Strength Radio #261

[Satch12879]

Rip taking half a king pill was not on my bingo card.

[zach_the_jew]

About Rips point re monarchy--

Nick sold it really short. Meaning - he just imagined a monarchy where the modern central govt. is a king. That would probably suck (though it may not be worse than things are today, with a generally closed elite politcal class, the bureaucratic state and media controlling everything)

Monarchy was deeply decentralized - even "authoritarian divine right" which was a very modern concept - think late 17th or 18th century - was more decentralized than modern states, and there were "estates" - meaning groups entrenched in society with various rights that no one could touch without repercussions. A monarchy is good for several reasons - among them because the govt. is no longer identified with the people. In a democracy, people see the government as "the people" - i.e. themselves - doing stuff, so even the rankest totalitarian shit goes over as "us" doing it.
Also what Rip noted, that long term thinking is impossible in a democracy, and politicians will only ever do what gets them votes: pandering. To donors and to stupid voters.

[anticausal]

In a democracy, people see the government as "the people" - i.e. themselves - doing stuff, so even the rankest totalitarian shit goes over as "us" doing it.

This is an excellent point.

[Jared Hunt]

I see two huge selling points for monarchy:
1. You could, theoretically, have a benevolent king. A good man, the product of good breeding, perhaps faithful to some religion that will govern his behavior. No such thing even seems possible in our current "democracy". This system we have is just not going to produce a leadership class that we want.
2. Bad kings can be hung and replaced. In our system, we're just going to keep replacing sociopaths with other sociopaths.

[Al Copersino]

Re our government, here are two items to keep in mind in case anyone mistakenly feels optimistic about the future of the US under our current government and with our current electorate.

Jefferson said (paraphrasing) a democracy will last only until the Peters of society realize they can elect politicians that will rob from the Pauls on their behalf.

Adams said (again paraphrasing) only a virtuous people can sustain a republic.