Americans, Robert Talisse included, seem to take it for granted that their country, the land of the free, and the home of the brave, is an unlimited democracy, and everyone believes it, me thinks not. It is at best a confined democracy, where those that engage in the noble democratic pursuit, provided they operate within the well defined boundaries, are free to do as they wish.

A hypothetical; through some strange chain of events and radical thinking both major US political parties adopted the policy of total disarmament, they are going to disband the armed forces, cut off all military spending etc etc. This is all going to be achieved through the democratic process, which is so sacrosanct it can not be overridden. I say this course of action would be so beyond the allowable bounds that the generals would step in and democracy would go out the window.

Steel,
when a minority or a majority impose their views on others by law it is not democracy! When others are not free to express a differing opinion to a law, is a Totalitarian State. World Governments are moving toward total mind control of the population, one cannot have differing views.
People are being fined, or imprisoned or killed for holding a different view or social practise to a law imposed by a minorities practise.

Examples of mass thinking dividing society; 1. Climate change connected to CO2 created by humans. 2. Donald Trump. 3. Brexit 4. Abortion.
When large businesses become involved in enforcing one side of an opinion that does not relate to their core business then it is destroying true democracy, and the right of personal freedoms.

Hi Josephus,

"When large businesses become involved in enforcing one side of an opinion that does not relate to their core business then it is destroying true democracy, and the right of personal freedoms."

Exactly what happened with slavery in the United States, it was the Northern banks, insurance and shipping companies that through their business actions perpetuated slavery in the Southern states. Although their Northern investors were outwardly opposed to slavery.

It is donations to political parties from large corporations today that enforces their political will on society in general.

Paul,

Straw-man argument about the US disarming.

Here's another one: imagine if scientists could convert all coal into cheese - what might happen to the dairy industry ?

Hmmm ...... that's a tough one.

Joe

The comments so far show that nobody has started reading the book. Just the first couple of chapters make clear that the author is suggesting that people should be able to intermingle without politics, and enjoy some of the things made possible by democracy in which politics is irrelevant.

The most evidence for bringing politics into everything is seen in the fact that "The past thirty years have seen the gradual decline of traditional sites of activity in which people cooperate together without regard for political affiliation" …. "workplaces, neighbourhoods, places of worship, households, and shared public spaces have become more politically homogeneous and more politically intoned".

Read the book.