[r00fus]

The problem with democracy and regulations both come down to essentially sovereign financial powers (wealthy/corporate) that have interests that don't align with the people or the state that is supposed to represent the people.

These corporations control us if we don't control them.

[scoofy]

The problem with democracy is the dunning-kruger effect more than the principle-agent problem. People think highly-complex problems are obvious and easy. They care more about big sweeping theory than they do about local technocracy.

The idea that anti-intellectualism even exists is testament to this.

[r00fus]

Gonna say something that would likely be downvoted but a functioning society does not need democracy. A governing body needs legitimacy because it's power springs from the people, but democracy and voting are not necessarily requisite.

e.g. China/CCP (which isn't really communism, but definitely not democratic).

[mellavora]

The advantage of a democracy is that it gives society a way to say "we made a bad choice". Individuals almost never can do this.

But you are right, a benevolent, enlightened dictatorship is probably the best form of government. Only two problems:

- finding a benevolent enlightened dictator

- keeping them benevolent and enlightened