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The Forum > Article Comments > Soviet Union proved there are worse choices than democracy > Comments

Soviet Union proved there are worse choices than democracy : Comments

By Gary Johns, published 13/1/2017

Nevertheless, there were at least four occasions when the ­soviet leaders, with or without bourgeois groups, might have taken power.

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As always, a sane and fully informed post by Gary Johns. What a thoughtful contrast to Stuart Rees's communist pap.

Parliamentary democracy has many flaws, but it's a long way ahead of whatever is running second.

Democracy triumphed with Brexit, Trump and - hopefully - the coming rout of Merkel and the other fools who have probably already damaged Europe beyond repair. And don't forget Australia's own small part in this scheme: keeping Shorten's Labor in opposition while destroying any shred of credibility which mighty have remained for Turnbull. An ideal result.
Posted by calwest, Friday, 13 January 2017 11:39:39 AM
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I believe it was the redoubtable Winston Churchill, who said, Democracy is the very worst form of government, but better than all the rest? We in the west are sacrificing egalitarian democracy, little by little year by year, to allegedly defeat terrorism? Not that we here in Oz had much to begin with, with preferential voting allowing the entrenched to manipulate the alleged or allegorical outcome? That being so, we are slightly more free than our former Soviet counterparts, who along with us, remain without a bill of irrevocable rights?

The Soviet Union proved there are worse choices than democracy? Ditto China, which used free market capitalism coupled to despotic tyrannical rule, to quite massively transform a basket case economy into the global powerhouse that has replaced it, that we are so dependent on today!

If we have any REAL issues with totalitarian rule? Then don't take their dollar!

But instead, create a economy welded to a positively pragmatic production paradigm that effective allows us to more than compete with the emerging economies and take market share!

Enough of the endless forelock tugging and useless tut tutting already!

If you can't cut the mustard? Get out of the way and give the other bloke a go! We'd hardly be worse off!
Alan B.
Posted by Alan B., Friday, 13 January 2017 12:54:44 PM
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Were the 46% of this age group off their faces? Or, were they unaware of the options, or unadvised of them? Or, have we, preceeding generations, made such a mess of democracy that we have put almost half of this age group against a way of life that we have always cherished?
Posted by ttbn, Friday, 13 January 2017 5:40:26 PM
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So what!
Or of what relevance has what happened in 1915 to what is happening or could happen in 2015!
We now live in a totally different post-truth quantum world of super-technology in which everyone and everything is now instantaneously inter-connected.
A world in which humankind is now in a state of very dangerous collective psychosis.
A world saturated with weapons of mass destruction, including of course nuclear weapons. And it is not just powerful nation states which have access to these super weapons and quite readily use them - there are numerous terrorist groups full of murderously "reasonable" intentions who couldn't give a fig about the "collateral damage" that they cause.
A world in which full scale global warfare could start and escalate in a matter of hours.
Even the fact that in 1915 there was less than 2 billion human beings on the planet - there are now over 7 billion.

Furthermore, civilization (limited though it was) as it existed in 1915 was effectively destroyed by the two world wars - the second world war finished off the destructive process which began with the first.
Posted by Daffy Duck, Friday, 13 January 2017 5:42:58 PM
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80 years. Or thereabouts. Roughly a lifetime. Time enough for mostly all those who were old enough to be aware of what was going on around them during the last great upheaval to be gone.
Gone and gone along with them their wisdom and their experience backed knowlege of what blew everything up last time.
The young just don't know any different. How could they?
Today our laws no longer protect our property rights and liberty. The law now firmly subjects those two foundations to state control. And the young have no idea how bad that is. To them it's normal.
Not much of a thought is it that all the old lessons are going to have to be learnt again the hard way.
Posted by jamo, Friday, 13 January 2017 10:38:24 PM
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Yes *Jamo* sadly I share something of your view.

But what do you expect if the majority of ugly Australians vote for people who not so long ago were stealing babies and to this day practice State sponsored child abuse.

.. so let them all go and hop about in their frenetic stupor and celebrate the invasion day of the filthy trash genocidal, child abusing, crown.

And oh dear, the delusions of benevolence ..

Re Communism, I wonder exactly how much each person would be paid each year if the "turkey" was carved "equally."

I remember talking to my Russian HomeStay Granny not long after they upgraded their economic system. She was sincerely shocked to see the fools of the world jumping up and down as if they had won some kind of victory. Clueless ..

But I like Russia. I like the Russians very much and wish to return again one day. Suffice to say that I am bitterly opposed to any measures which in any way inhibit the Russian people being part of the "Global Family."

Squabbles amongst the leaders are not new phenomena but holding entire countries to account for the alleged actions of a few is, and is reprehensible, to say the least.

It's like all the hoo har in the US at the moment re their elections and alleged hacking (to reveal a shameless liar in the form of H.Clinton).

Point one is that the US President affects the lives of far more people than just US citizens so their elections are fair game for that reason if for no other.

Point two is that their electoral system is a shameful joke whichever way you look at it.

Point three is that it is not the role of the government departments to attempt to unduly influence and push the President elect into a position which they themselves wish to take.

The position the Pres takes is a matter for him, and not some little pervs who spend their time spying excessively on their own citizens.

Great work Julian Assange.
Posted by DreamOn, Saturday, 14 January 2017 11:20:09 PM
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