I've had this discussion before, and someone stated that all governments are connected. Anarchy leads to monarchy, which leads to parliamentary, which leads to democracy, which leads to socialism, which leads to communism. The more I think about it, the truer it becomes. Currently, our economy and government have a lot of socialist ideas. Take a look at FDR's New Deal. It was socialist in nature. Also, our government makes sure that the capitalist society runs smoothly (ie no monopolies) isn't that government intervention and regulation? What's the next step? Patriot
What's best is subjective to each individual. I prefer government that is presentative of the people, provide basic needs and services, give people maximum freedom, and make people feel safe.
Sadly the most form of government in the world has to be the beaurocracy. All that paperwork is in fact evolving into a massive intelligent being.
I think Marx said something like that. But the transition to communism requires a revolution which is a strong assumption. In fact, I think all forms of government, if left unchecked, will lead to depotism and/or dictatorship. Facism is Dictatorship Anarchy to Dictatorship -> Lord of the Flies example Monarchy to Dictatorship -> Some mentally unstable megalomanical heir to the throne assumes power using Elizabethan methods and rule with an iron fist. Communism to Dictatorship -> Evident by history, eg, Stalin, Mao Representative Democracy to Dictatorship -> Special interest groups, campaign financiers and lobbyists become more and more powerful, and ultimately all three branches of government (executive, judiciary, parliament) are biased, corrupted and controlled by the one group and ultimately one person and the country ends up with a puppet dictatorship. Or alternatively there is a military based coup and some soldier or general takes over and shreds the constitution (eg, pakistan and iraq). So in any case, we are all doomed!! Doomed, I say! Doomed!!!
Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! doomed Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! seriously so, unless enough people pay enough attention to notice, and stand up against the consolidation and corruption of power, whenever these tendencies take hold. The USA has so much promise, but so little opposition as Constitutional protections are eroded. Democracy is best, provided an informed and participating public maintains it. For uninformed and apathetic people, monarchy is best. Communism assumes far to much about human nature. Perhaps a carefully-sparked, covertly integrating and benevolent AI, continuously monitoring the collective will of humanity, will satisfy.
But then over time the AI evolves and learns more. It develops more machinery and robots, and becomes more intelligent. It comes to view humans and animals as competitors of the robots for scarce energy on this planet. Then as depicted in the matrix or in the terminator trilogy, the robots take over and enslave all of mankind. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Doomed!! I tell's ya!!! Doomed.
Nasor - I think benevolent AI could satisfy those who can't outgrow the need to grovel and/or collectively self-congratulate in worship. The rest could simply enjoy the benefits of egoless authority serving the needs of the planet and its outward-bound spawn.
DDDDDD - We're possibly doomed without AI in charge anyway. I consider this concept to simply be efficient, uncompromising democracy. If learning the will and needs of humanity were the kernel of the Program, I can hardly imagine it turning on us.
... but if it does, it's likely that it's simply what we deservePlease Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Besides, take away the destruction and wasted efforts associated with human conflict, and we might become very interesting to watch, even for a "smarter" custodian of our own creation.
More seriously, A theocracy and a government controlled by AI are both forms of dictatorship, all but in name. If too much power is concentrated in one area or group or person, that power will inevitably corrupt - whether it be the leaders of the military backed vatican or a new form of the taliban or those vested with the responsibility of creating the AI and ensuring that it becomes intelligent enough to exist on its own and to rule. The only true hope that we humans have is the market. As Adam Smith said, it will be self interest and the pursue of profit that will produce the upward surge of mankind. The invisible hand - the only God that we can afford to worship. True and complete capitalism will devolve power and discourage the formation of oligopolies and monopolies, via overwhelming competition. "Greed is good" (Gosh I watch too many movies.)
I will lead you my children. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Hey Hype, isn't your idea a lot like clockwood's really?
"Anarchy is the only position where an individual could feel that he/she was in control of their own destiny" He with the most weapons would soon be his/her new dictator.
From many of the arguments, it seems that everything leads to dictatorship: so really the "best" form of government is a dictatorship with a "good" dictator: someone with morals and ethics. I believe someone already stated this idea...just throwing it back out for discussion. Patriot
Sadly 99% of dictators either start off as evil bastards or are corrupted into being evil bastards. The good ones eventually die and are replaced by evil bastards. *SIGH*
