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And The Enlightened Tyrants Shall Lead Us

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posted on May, 20 2010 @ 08:13 AM
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And The Enlightened Tyrants Shall Lead Us

Is freedom getting in the way of progress?


In a recent interview with a Spanish newspaper, famed director Woody Allen reportedly declared himself "pleased" with President Barack Obama's presidency.

"I think he's brilliant. The Republican Party should get out of his way and stop trying to hurt him," Allen explained. Then he waded into thorny terrain by saying, "It would be good ... if he could be a dictator for a few years because he could do a lot of good things quickly."

Allen, who, one hopes, was joking, doesn't speak for anyone but himself (and perhaps Soon Yi Previn-Farrow-Allen) yet makes a good point.

Aside from the occasional genocide, oppression, evil, and torture, etc., it is inarguable that public policy could be implemented more rapidly in an autocracy. Think of how many uninsured Americans we could have helped. Think of the environmental benefits. Democratic institutions are imperfect and chaotic, and man's selfish behavior is constantly gumming up progress.

Just ask widely read liberal New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, who pointed out (twice in recent months) that despotism can be advantageous if "enlightened" tyrants (in this case, environmentalists) would run the show.

"One-party autocracy certainly has its drawbacks," according to Friedman. "But when it is led by a reasonably enlightened group of people, as China is today, it can also have great advantages."


This type of thinking is fightening.

.... more in article....



posted on May, 20 2010 @ 08:27 AM
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In theory it's not a bad idea, but as we can see from the schism in politics on ATS and the world in general - there would be a lot of unhappy people. Inevitably I think we'd just get more violence.

Would be interesting though, shame we can't computer model it. It's not a new idea either, a couple of links that might be of interest.

Lazy Research.

More Lazy Research.



posted on May, 20 2010 @ 08:31 AM
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Originally posted by jokei
It's not a new idea either, a couple of links that might be of interest.


True, it's not new and it is employed elsewhere in the world. But for people in a society that have been granted a freedom-based republic that has worked for 200+ years to desire a dictatorship in order to achieve their political goals quickly is shocking, egocentric and short sighted.

[edit on 20-5-2010 by traditionaldrummer]



posted on May, 20 2010 @ 08:44 AM
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reply to post by traditionaldrummer
 


Totally agree with you - I said In Theory it could work, but people wouldn't accept it.


Originally posted by traditionaldrummer
freedom-based republic that has worked for 200+ years
[edit on 20-5-2010 by traditionaldrummer]


I think there are two key parts here:

Freedom Based - I don't think that actually equates freedom, it seems the more modern society trundles on the more rules we get, surely a free society would be aiming at less rules?

That has worked for 200+ years - well it works, kinda not really to the advantage of the individuals though, much more to the power institutions.

I don't particularly have any faith in any of the major political parties, what ATS seems to forget, no matter who is in power is corrupt, we're here arguing the toss over liberal/conservative/socialist/good/evil... ad nauseum, but we're in the midst of a failing system that is seemingly becoming more capricious to its citizenry.

I'm not taking an anti-stance to your OP, I do quite agree with you.

Edit to add:

A lighthearted attempt to qualify my liberal/conservative agenda. Whoever gets in is shown a never before seen video of the JFK assassination



[edit on 20/5/1010 by jokei]



posted on May, 20 2010 @ 10:49 AM
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George Soros actually wrote an op-ed called The New World Architecture in which he states that the Chinese system will become the new global model and leader. As usual, the blog comments at the end of the article are more interesting and informative than the article itself. If only the comment writers ran the world instead of the authors...

Here's the link:
www.project-syndicate.org...



posted on May, 20 2010 @ 01:01 PM
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Originally posted by mr. toddly
George Soros actually wrote an op-ed called The New World Architecture in which he states that the Chinese system will become the new global model and leader. As usual, the blog comments at the end of the article are more interesting and informative than the article itself. If only the comment writers ran the world instead of the authors...

Here's the link:
www.project-syndicate.org...


Agreed that many of the comments seemed a bit more enlightened than Soro's essay. The essay read somewhat like a communist revolutionary tract. I rarely find modern revolutionaries with what I believe to be good ideas.



posted on May, 20 2010 @ 01:27 PM
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Originally posted by traditionaldrummer

Originally posted by jokei
It's not a new idea either, a couple of links that might be of interest.


True, it's not new and it is employed elsewhere in the world. But for people in a society that have been granted a freedom-based republic that has worked for 200+ years to desire a dictatorship in order to achieve their political goals quickly is shocking, egocentric and short sighted.

[edit on 20-5-2010 by traditionaldrummer]


Add to that narcissistic, unconscionable, elitist, Fabian, amongst other descriptors.

As for anyone saying in theory, what a bunch of ignorance!



posted on May, 20 2010 @ 02:08 PM
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reply to post by traditionaldrummer
 


I think that Thomas Jefferson once said, "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."

It seems that what Woody Allen is trying to say is that the Republican party should accept the fact that they lost the election and that obstructionism is not a party platform.

You know the old saying, "Lead, Follow or Get The Hell Out Of The Way." Well, the Republican party has not been leading or following so they should get the hell out of the way.



posted on May, 20 2010 @ 02:15 PM
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Originally posted by Flatfish
I think that Thomas Jefferson once said, "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."

It seems that what Woody Allen is trying to say is that the Republican party should accept the fact that they lost the election and that obstructionism is not a party platform.

You know the old saying, "Lead, Follow or Get The Hell Out Of The Way." Well, the Republican party has not been leading or following so they should get the hell out of the way.



Well, America is not a democracy and we do not let 51% take away the rights of the other 49%. Parties that win the election are not granted free reign at the expense of the losing party.

People like Allen apparently fail to realize this. American government should work in the interest of all its citizens, not just the ones who won the election. We don't push through legislation without cooperation from both parties - oops, I should say we didn't until Obama got elected.




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