Majoritarianism in Egypt, RPG Updates, Social Life

[tcpip]

Earlier this week wrote an article on Egypt's coup for the Isocracy Network, which received "highly commended" status on talk-politics. The feature is not, of course, Egypt (although the protests, both for and against Morsi and the military responses are worth an article in their own), but more on the notion of a "tyranny of the majority", a problem in majoritarian democracy which goes beyond its legitimate role of the res publica and fails to protect the private lives and rights of the minority. This destructive form of democracy, which forgets that it is the admixture of ideas and proportional rule that gives democracy strength, is evident in both the smallest of organisations to entire countries, and the problems remain the same. It is really a subset of the issue raised in the article Leftwing Fascism: A Senile Disorder: democracy without liberty will lead to a tyranny of the majority, socialism without democracy will lead to fascism.

On a completely different topic, still gradually (about ten items a day) putting items up on my Quicksales store. Key items this week include a bunch of AD&D modules and some RuneQuest rarities. Continuing recent reviews on RPG.net, the AD&D Second Edition Monstrous Manual has been posted. Ran another enjoyable session of Pendragon on Thursday night, involving a tournament in Paris, when a romance is establishing between one of the PCs and the superlative NPCs knight Jean-Luc de Picardie (see what I did there?). This is addition to the romance between another the PCs and the Lady Ahvielle of the Heartblade (from Blood and Lust campaign pack). It is the romance phase after all; although the third PC has to deal with a murder case (of Sir Pellinore) now involving demonic spirits.

Have hosted some pleasant tours and visits of the Willsmere Estate in recent weeks including Tojo (yesterday) and Julie A (a fortnight ago). The latter is particularly interesting as we've been on the periphery of each others friendship circles for more than two decades and through multiple groups and cities as well. Through our mutual association with caseopaya the need to spend additional time together was altogether unavoidable! Friendship networks are perhaps sometimes like good books. It sits on the shelf for years and you think 'I must get around to reading that', and when you finally do, it becomes 'Why I didn't I read that years ago?'.

Comments

[heron61.livejournal.com]

Excellent article on Egypt, as a side note, the quote "In each of the corrupted and degenerated cases, governance was action in the interest of sectional interests rather than the entire community as a whole." I was reminded far too much of the GOP in the US (especially, but not exclusively most Republicans in Congress). It got me wondering how much worse the situation in the US will get before something fairly drastic occurs.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

It's always rather a matter of where they are on the continuum. It a very rare day in contemporary democracies that political parties put aside their differences for the public good.

[heron61.livejournal.com]

Which you are certainly correct, the situation in the US Congress is considerably worse than any possible definition of usual - it's really quite extreme, and worryingly so.

[heron61.livejournal.com]

I liked your article on Left Wing Fascism, but I think you missed a crucial point about fascism - it always demands a hated and feared Other - Jews, The West, The US, Muslims... In a few cases the fear is justified, but often it's mostly or entirely manufactured, but in all cases the justification for the various "protective measures" and restricted freedoms is the constant threat by this Other. The post 9/11 reaction in the US produced some stirrings of fascism based on unity in the face of a threatening Other, with all the vile and entirely expected reactions. I can't think of a single case of fascism w/o a hated and feared other, and I think it's necessary for that system to attract a sufficient number of supporters.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

it always demands a hated and feared Other..

Yes, that is certainly a point Hannah Arendt makes in The Origins of Totalitarianism, whether it was via race (Nazi Germany) or class (Stalinist Soviet Union). Another point Arendt makes is that despite the outwardly organised nature of such regimes they are actually in a state of perpetual chaos. Ultimately their political targets become utterly arbitrary.

[abomvubuso.livejournal.com]

Dude, you rock. You come by and drop a post, and it instantly goes into the hall of fame. Imagine if you posted regularly on a weekly basis! (wink)(nudge)(wink) ;)

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Although the article did only take me a few hours to put together (and the spelling mistakes in the original are testament to that), it was an issue I had been mulling over for some time.

Although I do take your point that I should be posting more articles, rather than just comments, to talk-politics.