Max Boot and ‘Democracy’

 

What is this “democracy” that Max Boot seeks to protect? It seems undeniable that his understanding of “moderation” includes the elimination of “content” (even if completely accurate) that puts left of center political interests and candidates in a bad light. The thin pretense that Boot is deeply committed to the truth is part of the same vision animating Nancy Pelosi’s claim that legislation intended to make election cheating vastly easier is needed to “save” democracy.

The weird use of “democracy” here is more than a cynical attempt to gain an electoral edge for one side. There appears to be a coherent tacit redefinition of “democracy” at work:

Voting is meant to be an opportunity for the people to affirm the order established by the right sorts. If the people are disappointed in the regime, they can vote for and even occasionally elect an acceptable “protest” candidate like Romney or McCain. If the people or their elected representatives fail to implement some measure necessary to sustain “progress” then the federal courts must discover some previously unknown provision in the Constitution to mandate its implementation. Bureaucratic inertia grinds on in service to the preferred order.  “Democracy” is the entire system devoted to the imposition of a social, political, and economic order consonant with the sensibilities of a self-identified ruling class. Anything that disrupts that is “undemocratic” even if it a large majority supports the disruptive position.

The suppressed Hunter Biden laptop story was not just a threat to a preferred election outcome but personified corruption and privilege providing enormous wealth despite a complete absence of both competence and personal honor. Hunter Biden is Boot’s “democracy” and was entitled to elite protection out of necessity. Anne Applebaum declared that her disinterest in the story was sufficient grounds for its suppression. Take a moment and reflect on the level of self-regard required to generate and then express that thought without embarrassment. “Democracy” is the property of such people.

Bogus ballot harvests and Soviet-style content manipulation in service to spectacular incompetence, gross self-dealing, judicial imperialism, and intellectual bankruptcy is not a sustainable system, especially if democracy manages to intervene.

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  1. cdor Member
    cdor
    @cdor

    They are damnable liars…all of them.

    • #1
  2. Stina Inactive
    Stina
    @CM

    cdor (View Comment):

    They are damnable liars…all of them.

    And the longer they maintain their institutional positions of influence, the less regard I have for this institutions and their influence.

    • #2
  3. Henry Racette Member
    Henry Racette
    @HenryRacette

    I don’t know what Max Boot actually believes, versus what his current political passions compel him to say. But I’m going to pretend for a moment that the people who say things like he’s saying are sincere in their belief.

    In that case, I don’t understand how otherwise intelligent people of any kind of conservative inclination would fail to understand that what they’re calling for is central planning — the same kind of central planning that we all know doesn’t work in economic contexts.

    Ideas rise and fall in a market, just like products and services. Erstwhile conservatives who appreciate the value of a free market in goods and services are foolish if they don’t recognize the value of a free market in ideas.

    Or perhaps by the time these people have embraced censorship and speech control they’ve also quietly abandoned any affinity they ever felt for other kinds of freedom. Certainly that seems to be the case with the Bulwark crowd and their ilk. Maybe embracing authoritarianism is an all-or-nothing epiphany for these folks.

    • #3
  4. Ekosj Member
    Ekosj
    @Ekosj

    Nothing says ‘vibrant democracy’ like increased censorship.

    Reminds me of a T-shirt I’d seen…

    The floggings will continue until morale improves

    • #4
  5. DrewInWisconsin, Oik! Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Oik!
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Silencing the vox populi to preserve “Democracy.”

    Yeah, that makes no sense at all.

    Like so many fake conservative pundits, Max Boot is financed entirely by the left and happily regurgitates their views for cash. Which is to say, like so many fake conservative pundits, he’s just a whore.

    • #5
  6. Vance Richards Inactive
    Vance Richards
    @VanceRichards

    Boot might says, “we need more content moderation,” but I bet that belief is dependent on who is doing the moderation.

    • #6
  7. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    It seems like it’s getting harder and harder to read these folks. Every day I see their protestations and their demands, and I keep wondering what they are thinking. It’s clear (as you say OB) that they’ve made up their own definition of democracy, expanding it to fit their agendas. It’s so disheartening.

    • #7
  8. DonG (CAGW is a Hoax) Coolidge
    DonG (CAGW is a Hoax)
    @DonG

    Similar to this thread:  https://ricochet.com/1218376/why-have-a-democracy/

    I’ll repeat my comment here.  When Democrats say “democracy”, they mean a national autocracy “elected” by the people.  That is anti-American as America is supposed to have a weak national government made of up Representatives selected by the people and by the states. 

     

    • #8
  9. Jim McConnell Member
    Jim McConnell
    @JimMcConnell

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    It seems like it’s getting harder and harder to read these folks. Every day I see their their protestations and their demands, and I keep wondering what they are thinking. It’s clear (as you say OB) that they’ve made up their own definition of democracy, expanding it to fit their agendas. It’s so disheartening.

    Yes. I’ve long been a fan of Anne Applebaum’s writing… until I saw her say, with regard to the suppression of Hunter Biden’s laptop content, that she “just didn’t find it interesting” enough to investigate. Such arrogance and self-satisfaction.

    • #9
  10. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    I’m going to channel Chancellor Gowron:  If Max Boot is frightened, perhaps he should retire to his bed.

    • #10
  11. DrewInWisconsin, Oik! Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Oik!
    @DrewInWisconsin

    • #11
  12. EDISONPARKS Member
    EDISONPARKS
    @user_54742

    Anyone with some common sense and a working moral compass could determine Twitter is badly broken and a threat to an orderly functioning democracy, and former conservative and current numbskull Max Boot determines it’s Elon Musk who is the threat to democracy.

    While most already knew it, it is nice to be reminded by the Ned Ryerson look alike himself, that Max Boot is a freaking idiot.

    Celebrate Groundhog Day with these 7 moments from the classic Bill Murray  movie

    • #12
  13. Roberto Inactive
    Roberto
    @Roberto

    Henry Racette (View Comment):
    Ideas rise and fall in a market, just like products and services. Erstwhile conservatives who appreciate the value of a free market in goods and services are foolish if they don’t recognize the value of a free market in ideas.

     

     

    • #13
  14. Fake John/Jane Galt Coolidge
    Fake John/Jane Galt
    @FakeJohnJaneGalt

    The problem is that anybody with two brain cells can see that

    Democracy is a lousy political system.

    Capitalism is a lousy economic system.

    Free speech is a lousy method of communication.

    Any simpleton can see that these ideologies are inefficient, problematic. unfair, hurtful, and not polite.  I can easily understand why many do not like these systems.  The real issue is that it takes a bit of observation and thought to look at these systems / ideologies, compare them with all the other options and understand that even with all their deficiencies these systems are the best available because the alternatives are much worse.  Sadly our population is not educated enough to observe this or studied enough to see past cases and failures.

    The biggest issue is that our education centers have stopped educating people and have become centers of political propaganda and activism.

    • #14
  15. Dr. Bastiat Member
    Dr. Bastiat
    @drbastiat

    For Democracy to survive, we need more content moderation, not less.”
    -Max Boot

    Wow.  That’s the most terrifying thing I’ve read in a long time.

    How does someone type that without getting cold chills?  Has he never heard of communism?  Fascism?  WWII?  Nazis?

    Absolutely astonishing.

    • #15
  16. DrewInWisconsin, Oik! Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Oik!
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Dr. Bastiat (View Comment):

    “For Democracy to survive, we need more content moderation, not less.”
    -Max Boot

    Wow. That’s the most terrifying thing I’ve read in a long time.

    How does someone type that without getting cold chills? Has he never heard of communism? Fascism? WWII? Nazis?

    Absolutely astonishing.

    Oh, he’s very aware of what he’s saying. See the problem wasn’t the fascism. It was that it was German fascism, not the American type that Max likes.

    • #16
  17. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    DrewInWisconsin, Oik! (View Comment):

    Dr. Bastiat (View Comment):

    “For Democracy to survive, we need more content moderation, not less.”
    -Max Boot

    Wow. That’s the most terrifying thing I’ve read in a long time.

    How does someone type that without getting cold chills? Has he never heard of communism? Fascism? WWII? Nazis?

    Absolutely astonishing.

    Oh, he’s very aware of what he’s saying. See the problem wasn’t the fascism. It was that it was German fascism, not the American type that Max likes.

    Trump – and the Trump voters – REALLY broke SOME people.

    • #17
  18. Hammer, The (Ryan M) Inactive
    Hammer, The (Ryan M)
    @RyanM

    Well… Boot is an idiot. Conservative like Jen Ruben. 

    but yeah, for liberals, up is down and down is up. “Democracy” means “me getting my way”and “freedom of speech” means “shutting down speech I don’t like.”  So… the opposite in both cases.

    • #18
  19. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Hammer, The (Ryan M) (View Comment):

    Well… Boot is an idiot. Conservative like Jen Ruben.

    but yeah, for liberals, up is down and down is up. “Democracy” means “me getting my way”and “freedom of speech” means “shutting down speech I don’t like.” So… the opposite in both cases.

    I heard some time ago, the modern definition, a conservative is someone who argues for gun rights, and a liberal is someone who argues AGAINST free speech.

    • #19
  20. Hoyacon Member
    Hoyacon
    @Hoyacon

    Dr. Bastiat (View Comment):

    For Democracy to survive, we need more content moderation, not less.”
    -Max Boot

    Wow. That’s the most terrifying thing I’ve read in a long time.

    How does someone type that without getting cold chills? Has he never heard of communism? Fascism? WWII? Nazis?

    Absolutely astonishing.

    Agreed.  Stunning too.

    Six years of Latin, and pretty much all that I remember is Quis custodiet ipsos custodes.

    • #20
  21. Headedwest Coolidge
    Headedwest
    @Headedwest

    Dr. Bastiat (View Comment):

    For Democracy to survive, we need more content moderation, not less.”
    -Max Boot

    Wow. That’s the most terrifying thing I’ve read in a long time.

    How does someone type that without getting cold chills? Has he never heard of communism? Fascism? WWII? Nazis?

    Absolutely astonishing.

    He is reverting to being a communist.

    • #21
  22. Hoyacon Member
    Hoyacon
    @Hoyacon

    Dr. Bastiat (View Comment):

    How does someone type that without getting cold chills? Has he never heard of communism? Fascism? WWII? Nazis?

    Certainly he’s seen Das Boot?

    • #22
  23. Ray Gunner Coolidge
    Ray Gunner
    @RayGunner

    Since when is “immoderate content” threatening to democracy?  I think it is very good for democracy because it is revealing.  How I cherish those moments when American leftists speak out without moderation because those are the moments when they reveal who they really are, and what they really think of the rest of us.  “Basket of deplorables,” “punchable face,” “Black Face of White Supremacy,” and all the rest of it.  Immoderate content is a great way to figure out who the awful people are, so then you can vote them out.  (Bye, Hillary!)  Seems pretty democratic to me. 

    • #23
  24. Ray Gunner Coolidge
    Ray Gunner
    @RayGunner

    Vance Richards (View Comment):

    Boot might says, “we need more content moderation,” but I bet that belief is dependent on who is doing the moderation.

    Maybe Boot fears returning to those dark days of 2015, when Twitter had no moderators, and America was struggling to become a democracy. 

    • #24
  25. Cow Girl Thatcher
    Cow Girl
    @CowGirl

    America is a republic…not a democracy, right? Sigh. They keep saying “democracy” because then they can make the other people shut up, right?

    • #25
  26. Chuck Coolidge
    Chuck
    @Chuckles

    Fake John/Jane Galt (View Comment):

    The problem is that anybody with two brain cells can see that

    Democracy is a lousy political system.

    Capitalism is a lousy economic system.

    Free speech is a lousy method of communication.

    Any simpleton can see that these ideologies are inefficient, problematic. unfair, hurtful, and not polite. I can easily understand why many do not like these systems. The real issue is that it takes a bit of observation and thought to look at these systems / ideologies, compare them with all the other options and understand that even with all their deficiencies these systems are the best available because the alternatives are much worse. Sadly our population is not educated enough to observe this or studied enough to see past cases and failures.

    The biggest issue is that our education centers have stopped educating people and have become centers of political propaganda and activism.

    every time i see something like this im reminded of the franklin quote that we are a republic

    • #26
  27. MarciN Member
    MarciN
    @MarciN
    • #27
  28. Full Size Tabby Member
    Full Size Tabby
    @FullSizeTabby

    I like to believe Mr. Boot has some logic behind his statement that “for democracy to survive we need more content moderation, not less.” 

    Has Mr. Boot expanded on this statement somewhere that we can read how he gets to that conclusion?

    • #28
  29. Jim McConnell Member
    Jim McConnell
    @JimMcConnell

    Dr. Bastiat (View Comment):

    For Democracy to survive, we need more content moderation, not less.”
    -Max Boot

    Wow. That’s the most terrifying thing I’ve read in a long time.

    How does someone type that without getting cold chills? Has he never heard of communism? Fascism? WWII? Nazis?

    Absolutely astonishing.

    It’s not surprising that Max would say that; he’s certain that he will be one of the “moderators.”

    • #29
  30. Roberto Inactive
    Roberto
    @Roberto

    Hammer, The (Ryan M) (View Comment):

    Well… Boot is an idiot. Conservative like Jen Ruben.

    but yeah, for liberals, up is down and down is up. “Democracy” means “me getting my way”and “freedom of speech” means “shutting down speech I don’t like.” So… the opposite in both cases.

    For him and others, it almost seems more like a messiah complex than pure stupidity.

    “If only you will let me lead you to the promised land, I am the one you have been waiting for.”

    • #30
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