One of the only useful real life things more than two decades on internet forums and social media taught me is I don’t owe anybody’s opinions respect and nobody owes it to me. I’ve found concern for politeness and “civility” are often as big a barrier to mutual understanding as outright hostility

so first thing is nothing you listed there has any impact on weather an election is free.

second thing is “fair”, unlike “democracy” is a term that we could legitimately debate forever. for my purposes and my definitions fair means that the laws and rules are applied equally and justly to all.

see, it’s the “them” I take issue with here.

the train of engagement and idea selling runs both ways. so if you’re talking about some nebulous “them” and not a collective or royal we you’ve lost me.

His assertion has never been that “we” aren’t, and I don’t know who “us” is?

The assertion I’m agreeing with is, regardless of whatever else “we” are doing, the easiest and most effective way of taking control of OUR government is still winning elections because that system still works.

generally, a system of government where every Citizen has the ability to participate in binding free and fair elections.

I think your definition is actually called direct democracy and I don’t think it’s possible because the government is not every adult.

There’s definitely some of that. it’s not a majority, or even a huge minority of places. that’s where the complexity comes

I’m both of the states i’ve lived in I got a ballot mailed to me every election, could easily attend local government meetings, and had relatively low bars to run for office

each one of those things represented the majority moral opinion of the time.

Until it didn’t. Or still does.

That’s actually proof our democracy worked in the past, and can work for the future.

I’d argue one of the core lessons learned in the 21st century this far is, if you want an enduring political movement, you need both. So maybe we can do both?

In America Is argue it is actually both complicated to execute and easy for the individual. The only limit to my participation is my willingness to participate.

The NY Times pitchbot isn’t even parody. It’s just AI descriptions of the actual NY Times.

Guess there’s worse ways to battle insomnia

I think there’s an entitlement that comes with believing you’ve earned what you have by doing things “the right way” that makes people think people who try to get what they have “the wrong way” should be punished.

And there’s nothing demagogues are better at exploiting than entitlement.