[johnea]

> All democracies run on the honor system

That's total bullshit.

Democracy runs on the equal application of the rule of law.

Of course, no democracy is perfect. The degree of imperfection can be measured in how much they run on the honor system...

[kennywinker]

> Democracy runs on the equal application of the rule of law.

And how exactly do we maintain equal application of the rule of law? We put honorable people in the position of applying the law. The honor system.

[johnea]

> And how exactly do we maintain equal application of the rule of law?

Transparency and constant monitoring.

To understand how to run an organization without trust, think like a capitalist.

Does a bank function because of honesty?

No, everyone is watching everyone else, all the time.

[kennywinker]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wells_Fargo_cross-selling_scan...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subprime_mortgage_crisis

Turns out banks run on trust and honor too. I personally know people who got loans because of knowing the right person not their credit score.

But even if banks did run on transparency and accountability, which they don’t, governments aren’t banks. You can’t double-entry your way to equal application of the law. Transparency and accountability are good things, but they are bolsters for the honor system.