[Phil153]

Why people do not believe in democracy

Self-righteousness.

The beauty of classical democracy is its simplicity. Belief in it does not require creative and self glorifying solution.

People who believe in government will point to lack of understanding as the reason a few oppose it. I agree, but I think it's more that people *don't want to* believe it even if they're capable of it. For self-righteous reasons. They want to be the guy with the solution. People want to feel like their ideas matter. And when you hold the "position" that democracy actually does a decent job at promoting economic and social health, you effectively eliminate your opportunity to be the hero who figured everything out.

People care about politics. People talk about politics. Joe Shmoe wants to feel like his ideas about something as important as politics are superior and cutting edge. He sees the "truth" that everyone else doesn't. He graduated with a fancy political science degree, HE HAS SOLUTIONS. HE'S AN IMPORTANT INDIVIDUAL WITH IMPORTANT IDEAS. He didn't pay $130K to come to realize that he should accept the fact that society has already solved most of the pressing social problems by implementing democracy. So he'll never accept it until it's smacking him in the face.

If there's any way to believe it isn't true, he will find ways to believe it isn't true.

SEE THE PROBLEM, GENIUS?