Episode 001 | Politely Up Yours - Democracy Is a Disaster

Dave Rael and Joe Macaluso dive into the nature of democracy, government, power, and corruption

Chapters:

• - Welcome and Hello
• - Inflammatory statement and opening to the discussion: Democracy is a disaster
• - Incentives, alignment, intent, and reality
• - Distinguishing levels of government
• - Legalization of marijuana and the criminality of possession
• - Citizens United, Bernie Sanders, and the power to overturn
• - The nature of democracy
• - “A democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch.” - Gary Strand
• - The purpose and nature of government
• - Rational and legitimate fears
• - The concentration of force as response to the fear of force
• - Intent of the US Constitution
• - How government finances itself and use of force
• - Dave compares government to Mafia
• - Pragmatic concerns in public vs. private sector
• - Government making things more effective and efficient - reality or fiction?
• - The myth of the free market and "money in politics" vs. "politics in money"
• - Decision makers vs. freedom, vigilante justice, and anarchy
• - The Star Wars story of the rise and reign of Palpatine as illustrative of reality
• - Elections as popularity contests
• - Evolution of societal structure
• - The utility or futility of trying to use the system to make improvements

Resources:

• Decmoracy According to Wikipedia
• Bernie Sanders on Money In Politics and Overturning Citizens United
• Gary Strand on Democracy, Wolves, and Lamb
• Government According to Wikipedia
• Government as Monopoly on Violence
• The Federalist No. 51 - James Madison - "If men were angels ..."
• United States Contitution
• The Laws of Thermodynaics
• Local Maximum