Democracy in strength based world

[Tempokai]

Let's say you have a magic based around renaissance world, where the individuals can have a almost godlike powers. Because of that, every structure is either a monarchy or a theocracy.

The standard, plutocracy wouldn't work, because if any member of it becomes stronger than the rest, the "democracy" will crumble.

How can the democracy become feasible in such strength based world?

 

[Paul_Tromba]

Most countries would probably be military states like Sparta and Rome if they had strength based systems. Democracy could work in various forms but if the world is strength based them a lot of weaker people may group together in secret to overthrow the government or would escape to different unpopulated lands where they could plant a democracy run society. This would most likely produce an industrial revolution out of necessity in order to protect themselves and compete with the military states, monarchies, Dictatorships, and theocracy's. If they were an exiled community that is left untouched then there's the chance that a thriving society could come from it. However, if any of the other political powers of the world, or hell, even just some random OP stranger decided to wreck them before they had the chance to create an equalizer then they're fucked. If anything like that happened in the past then many world leaders may ban the creation of ownership of certain weapons for the weaker citizens to prevent revolts from the lower classes that could be perceived as a threat if they had such weapons. Similar to countless attempted bans of crossbows during medieval periods because they were too easy for common people to utilize as an effective weapon against properly trained soldiers.

 

[Chaos_Sinner777]

Isekaied person is the strongest and insists on democracy because that's what he's used to. Or, thinks he is at least, but let's not get into that. It may or may not continue after he dies due to people trying to carry on tradition.

 

[Premier]

A particular bad Tyrant comes to power and while they are undeniably on top, their actions cause something to happen that'll forever change the whole political calculus.

People stop going it alone and form bonds.

Sure one guy can get godlike power. Can he beat ten guys with almost godlike power? Or a hundred with half their power? What about a thousand fairly powerful people?

If the people band together, they can wield enough power to kill a god and they're tired of being ruled by gods.

Democracy reigns because the nation learns what to do with tyrants. Better to allow a Democracy than a guaranteed death at the hands of the many. If you truly wish to rule alone then you best be a benevolent god, because one fuck up and you'll be torn down like so many before you.

 

[gogo7966]

i've wrestled with this thought a lot and i have yet to come up with an answer

 

[TotallyHuman]

Let's say you have a magic based around renaissance world, where the individuals can have a almost godlike powers. Because of that, every structure is either a monarchy or a theocracy.

The standard, plutocracy wouldn't work, because if any member of it becomes stronger than the rest, the "democracy" will crumble.

How can the democracy become feasible in such strength based world?

Just like in ours. Make "democratic" countries, only instead of billionaire tech oligarchs and corrupt polititians whoring their people and the less militarily and economically developed countries for cheap profit, with the poor (most) people not having actual power and being abused and fed cheap propaganda, make it superhuman billionaire magic oligarchs and superhuman corrupt politians whoring their own people and less magically and economically developed countries, with the weak (most) people not having actual power and being abused and fed cheap propoganda.
Rather, I wonder why you'd think that'd be any different. It's not like a royal dynasty could stay the strongest forever. It's like imagining the Sun never setting. A "democracy" is much better for controlling the filthy commoners because there isn't a clear target to hate, because the system is so complicated and repairable, so they hate each other and a supernatural powerhouse would be a supernatural powerhouse all the same, monarchy or not. And the people, ideally, think they are in charge, so they would not want to change the system even if they are fed up with it. That's why it's called "police state", not "corporation state".

 

[SailusGebel]

Democracy can become feasible with the invention of Humanism. The invention of boom sticks that can help the lowliest peasant kill a highly trained warrior can also help.

 

[LilRora]

Assuming that you want to justify democracy or find reasons for it to exist (not start a debate if it's logical) probably the two most feasible ideas would be:
1. Technology, so powerful weapons usable even by weak people. I don't think I need to explain that one.
2. Wide power structure (if you made a pyramid of people at various levels of strength, it would be wide, like a parabola or part of a circle, not a mountain peak). It would make it much harder for a single powerful person to rule if they could be overpowered by masses.

One more thing that would probably work are conditional powers, like vampires, werewolves, or whatever else have that would make it impossible for them to rule with an iron fist without getting killed when they're weakened.

Alternatively, you can make a puppet democaratic country where democracy is only a facade, but I don't think you're looking for that.

 

[Lloyd]

We already live in a strength based democracy. Democracy is a scam. Always has been.

 

[Hisaxia]

Series of strength-based contests where voters vote on who they believe would be best/strongest leader?

 

[Southdog]

Let's say you have a magic based around renaissance world, where the individuals can have a almost godlike powers. Because of that, every structure is either a monarchy or a theocracy.

The standard, plutocracy wouldn't work, because if any member of it becomes stronger than the rest, the "democracy" will crumble.

How can the democracy become feasible in such strength based world?

It likely won't. Democracy is founded on the premise that all participants in a society have equal individual agency in the decision making process. I.e, everyone eligible should get one vote and every eligible vote should count as well as any other vote. When you're in a society where some people have markedly more individual agency, because they're magical or deific beings, then participating in a democratic system is disadvantageous to those beings. The premise of a democratic system cannot exist in that world. The very nature of the social fabric in such a setting is that individuals ARE NOT equal, and that's antithetical to democratic ideals.

 

[Ilikewaterkusa]

Let's say you have a magic based around renaissance world, where the individuals can have a almost godlike powers. Because of that, every structure is either a monarchy or a theocracy.

The standard, plutocracy wouldn't work, because if any member of it becomes stronger than the rest, the "democracy" will crumble.

How can the democracy become feasible in such strength based world?

Democracy was never feasible to begin with and shouldn’t be chased after. The dream of a democratic government is the populist delusion.

 

[Poleg]

Let's say you have a magic based around renaissance world, where the individuals can have a almost godlike powers. Because of that, every structure is either a monarchy or a theocracy.

The standard, plutocracy wouldn't work, because if any member of it becomes stronger than the rest, the "democracy" will crumble.

How can the democracy become feasible in such strength based world?

Democracies would probably only happen in small communities like villages.

 

[K5Rakitan]

How can the democracy become feasible in such strength based world?

The most powerful person falls in love with a mere mortal with strong ideals, and they work together to make it happen.

 

[TroubleFait]

I hear many of you dunking on democracy, but you should take a step back and wonder. Usually I guess you have to bear with the propaganda that democracy is here and it's perfect etc. So you have to take a hard stance against it I guess to compensate. But here you're in an echo chamber of people agreeing with you so it becomes just people dunking on democracy as if it was 100% useless/nefarious.

I agree with you points but don't you think there's at least some positives to it? Look into your countries' history, are there not at least some times when democracy had a greatly positive impact on the world?

Similar to countless attempted bans of crossbows during medieval periods because they were too easy for common people to utilize as an effective weapon against properly trained soldiers.

And just as the crossbow bans didnt stick, the ban on those weapons wouldn't stick because overall it would be too tempting to have the peons use them for the ruling elites? Maybe, I dunno.

 

[TheEldritchGod]

An armed society is a polite socity. It isn't a matter of how powerful the guns, but how many people have them.

Magick systems are inherently flawed when comparing to the real world because it usually assumes defenses and easy healing.

The real world situation would be rocket tag. Imagine playing tag with rocket launchers. He who goes first, wins.

What usually happens is, people who can "respawn" or heal easily, they start shooting at any opportunity.

But when you set up a scenario where it is, you die your out, and there is a profit for staying alive, people start working together. Fear of dying is powerful and creates cohesion, in most psychological experiment's.

So a world where everyone is a walking nuke, but survival is unlikely would result in democracy.

 

[Cipiteca396]

Speaking of Sparta... That's it actually. As one of the foundational laws of a strength-based magical democracy, everyone would be required to train their magical/physical/spiritual might. Fifteen years of Academy and Temple, five years of military service, then you can do whatever you want for a few years before becoming eligible for Senate/Jury/Instructor roles.

You could also have it so there's no alternative. If other races or even outright monsters are prowling around, humans would have to band together to survive against greater threats. As good an Aesop as it makes, acting like you're the best thing ever when a random orc could squish you into jelly at a moment's notice isn't practical. The stronger everyone is, the more likely everyone is to survive.

 

[Ai-chan]

Let's say you have a magic based around renaissance world, where the individuals can have a almost godlike powers. Because of that, every structure is either a monarchy or a theocracy.

The standard, plutocracy wouldn't work, because if any member of it becomes stronger than the rest, the "democracy" will crumble.

How can the democracy become feasible in such strength based world?

Democracy is the same with every form of governance in the world. It is an illusion backed by power. The only difference democracy has with other government type such as Autocracy for example, is that it lets those without power have a say. Even so, those in power determines who have the rights to democracy.

For example, in ancient Athens, only Athenians have the right to vote and not all Athenians may vote. In Rome, only a senator may vote, but the common people may not, at least in the later republican era. This does not come naturally. Democracy doesn't just appear out of thin air and suddenly a bunch of people can have their voice heard. It must be in a climate stable enough that the power that be can afford to exercise the ability to listen to the voice of other people.

So for democracy to be feasible, there must be a sponsor for that ideology. A sponsor could be any number of people, from all walks of life, that subscribes to the idea and pledges to protect the idea. An easy example would a council of sort where a bunch of strong people guarantee a minimum amount of living standards for those below them. Another example is a single person, more powerful than most who pledges to protect his people and let them govern themselves.

You can read the manhua (well, this was before the term manhua existed) called Sea Tiger. It's a story of a bunch of people so powerful they could punch the moon with the power of a thousand nuclear bombs. These powerful people chose to protect or rule over a bunch of powerless people, whether it be due to compassion, arrogance, sense of achievement or just plain on a whim. Democracy doesn't have to be a republic like America. Democracy can just be a bunch of people with equal say who rule themselves under an overlord.

 

[lambenttyto]

How can the democracy become feasible in such strength based world?

We live in a strength based world right now. Of course, if you ask some, they would tell you democracy is just a sham, a veneer to keep the peasants believing they're in charge. (Wink! Wink!)

 

[BearlyAlive]

Just copy current first world ruling society. Democracy is nothing but an oligarchy donning the mantle of a meritocracy pretending to be a democracy.

The world is ruled by politicians like they're a frigging cult. You work your way up to becoming a politician and suddenly you do everything the Politicult wants you.


... damn, we're all ruled by cultists. Cults that sacrifice promises and reforms in order to say in power.