Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others
I’m reading an article about Kamala Harris in the October 21st New Yorker. This paragraph caught my eye:
“When Harris talks of the origins of her interest in government, she lingers on a moment from her time in Montreal: a friend from Westmount High, Wanda Kagan, was being physically and sexually abused at home, and Harris’s mother took her in. “A big part of the reason I wanted to be a prosecutor was to protect people like her,” Harris has said. In subtler ways, she was coming to see government as an arena where the powerful encounter the weak, bringing either aid or harm. She observed her mother—a small, watchful immigrant—grow nervous around people in uniform.”
In a democratically elected government, the collectivized power and resources of the state can overcome the power and resources of private wealth to act on behalf of the interests of the majority. Those include the economy and health care, not only protection from crime and civil rights. Government can also do great harm, as in blocking women from reproductive healthcare or the invasion and military occupation of other countries. Hence, the Churchill quote in the title of this post.
From what I can tell, Harris is interested in leading a government that stands up on behalf of the powerless and keeps the nanny state out of the personal lives of citizens. I am, too.
“My country, right or wrong; if right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right.”
Sen. Carl Schurz
“When Harris talks of the origins of her interest in government, she lingers on a moment from her time in Montreal: a friend from Westmount High, Wanda Kagan, was being physically and sexually abused at home, and Harris’s mother took her in. “A big part of the reason I wanted to be a prosecutor was to protect people like her,” Harris has said. In subtler ways, she was coming to see government as an arena where the powerful encounter the weak, bringing either aid or harm. She observed her mother—a small, watchful immigrant—grow nervous around people in uniform.”
In a democratically elected government, the collectivized power and resources of the state can overcome the power and resources of private wealth to act on behalf of the interests of the majority. Those include the economy and health care, not only protection from crime and civil rights. Government can also do great harm, as in blocking women from reproductive healthcare or the invasion and military occupation of other countries. Hence, the Churchill quote in the title of this post.
From what I can tell, Harris is interested in leading a government that stands up on behalf of the powerless and keeps the nanny state out of the personal lives of citizens. I am, too.
“My country, right or wrong; if right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right.”
Sen. Carl Schurz
I respectfully disagree with you here. Harris is for keeping the nanny state out of the personal lives of citizens? I don’t know what you are talking about here.
@TDS,
Harris is in favor of reproductive choice, and is opposed to the forced birth nanny state.
Hope that helps.
Yes, agreed with having some reasonable reproductive choice up to a certain term length. However, how does that woman’s choice differ from a woman’s choice for vaccines? Women were fired for speaking out against or not getting experimental mandates. I am at a loss for why ‘my body my choice’ only applies to certain cases.
@TDS,
Pregnancy is a personal issue affecting only the pregnant person. Infectious disease affects more than the person infected in the case of respiratory infections like COVID. It’s a public health issue. Pregnancy is not. Nobody became pregnant by having been sneezed on or breathed on by a pregnant person.
You know who insisted on inoculation as a condition of government service? George Washington. He required troops in the Continental army to be inoculated against smallpox.
The only people vaccinated for COVID when it was experimental were those in clinical trials. I know. I was one. The results of the trials I volunteered for (30,000 for the Moderna vaccine, 45,000 for the Pfizer vaccine) resulted in the approval of the vaccines. Ergo, they were no longer “experimental.” Hundreds of millions of Americans have had the vaccine. None have gotten pregnant as a result, but many (including me) have had only mild symptoms after COVID infection and no long COVID.
You need to learn more about pregnancy, infectious disease and the COVID vaccines before commenting here.
Joel, this reply is very eye opening. Are you serious or are you just trolling the guy?
@Giles,
Of course I’m serious. Glad your eyes were opened by it.
HOW IS SHE KEEPING THE NANNY STATE IN THE LIVES OF CITIZENS!?
Someone should also mention attempts to impose a state religion which is between the individual and whatever god or gods they believe or don’t believe in. Similarly, attempts to impose sexual preference which is a matter between consenting adults.
Remember, current Republican religious and sexual repression is just the start. When the Taliban took over Afghanistan – thank you very much, Donald Trump – the first thing they did was turn women into chattel. Now, they’re going after men who don’t wear beards and the like. Religious fanatics make Stalinists look like pikers.
@Kaleberg,
Word.