“Arguments for slavery weren't pragmatic or ethical discussions about the realities of slavery; they were assertions about abstract identities (The Slave, The Slave Owner, The Abolitionist) and performances of loyalty to the South. They were demagoguery.” PoliticsArgumentSlaveryRhetoricAuthoritarianismDemagogueryIdentity Politics Book:Demagoguery and Democracy Source: Demagoguery and Democracy
“Structurally, democracies succeed when there is a strong middle class, the police and the military are separate and under civilian control, due process is perceived as a 'fairness' test that applies across groups, government has to respect some kind of 'private' space into which it will not intrude UNLESS the public good is at stake, and people get mad if political figures - whether their own chosen representatives or THOSE people's representatives - appear to be untruthful or unfair. If people decide to see things as a zero-sum game - the more THEY succeed, the more WE lose, and we should rage about any call made against US, and cheer any call made against THEM - then democracy loses.” PoliticsDemocracyDebateAuthoritarianismDemagogueryIdentity PoliticsZero Sum Game Book:Demagoguery and Democracy Source: Demagoguery and Democracy