The iron law of oligarchy is a political theory, first developed by the German sociologist Robert Michels in his 1911 book, Political Parties. It claims that rule by an elite, or oligarchy, is inevitable as an “iron law” within any democratic organization as part of the “tactical and technical necessities” of organization. Michels stated that the official goal of representative democracy of eliminating elite rule was impossible, that representative democracy is a façade legitimizing the rule of a particular elite, and that elite rule, which he refers to as oligarchy, is inevitable. Michels’ theory states that all complex organizations, regardless of how democratic they are when started, eventually develop into oligarchies. Michels observed that since no sufficiently large and complex organization can function purely as a direct democracy, power within an organization will always get delegated to individuals within that group, elected or otherwise. Michels addressed the application of this law to representative democracy, and stated: “Who says organization, says oligarchy.” He went on to state that “Historical evolution mocks all the prophylactic measures that have been adopted for the prevention of oligarchy.” According to Michels all organizations eventually come to be run by a “leadership class”, who often function as paid administrators, executives, spokespersons or political strategists for the organization. Far from being “servants of the masses”, Michels argues this “leadership class,” rather than the organization’s membership, will inevitably grow to dominate the organization’s power structures. By controlling who has access to information, those in power can centralize their power successfully, often with little accountability, due to the apathy, indifference and non-participation most rank-and-file members have in relation to their organization’s decision-making processes. Michels argues that democratic attempts to hold leadership positions accountable are prone to fail, since with power comes the ability to reward loyalty, the ability to control information about the organization, and the ability to control what procedures the organization follows when making decisions. All of these mechanisms can be used to strongly influence the outcome of any decisions made ‘democratically’ by members.
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The Iron Law of Oligarchy (rule)
The iron law of oligarchy is a political theory, first developed by the German sociologist Robert Michels in his 1911 book, Political Parties. It claims that rule by an elite, or oligarchy, is inevitable as an “iron law” within any democratic organization as part of the “tactical and technical necessities” of organization. Michels stated that the official goal of representative democracy of eliminating elite rule was impossible, that representative democracy is a façade legitimizing the rule of a particular elite, and that elite rule, which he refers to as oligarchy, is inevitable. Michels’ theory states that all complex organizations, regardless of how democratic they are when started, eventually develop into oligarchies. Michels observed that since no sufficiently large and complex organization can function purely as a direct democracy, power within an organization will always get delegated to individuals within that group, elected or otherwise. Michels addressed the application of this law to representative democracy, and stated: “Who says organization, says oligarchy.” He went on to state that “Historical evolution mocks all the prophylactic measures that have been adopted for the prevention of oligarchy.” According to Michels all organizations eventually come to be run by a “leadership class”, who often function as paid administrators, executives, spokespersons or political strategists for the organization. Far from being “servants of the masses”, Michels argues this “leadership class,” rather than the organization’s membership, will inevitably grow to dominate the organization’s power structures. By controlling who has access to information, those in power can centralize their power successfully, often with little accountability, due to the apathy, indifference and non-participation most rank-and-file members have in relation to their organization’s decision-making processes. Michels argues that democratic attempts to hold leadership positions accountable are prone to fail, since with power comes the ability to reward loyalty, the ability to control information about the organization, and the ability to control what procedures the organization follows when making decisions. All of these mechanisms can be used to strongly influence the outcome of any decisions made ‘democratically’ by members.
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Natural Law for Christians
NATURAL LAW FOR CHRISTIANS (repost from 09 Monday Oct 2017) Natural Law: I have no idea what these men think natural law refers to, but in CAN only refer to Reciprocity. Every other reference is just an excuse for parasitism or predation by moral pretense. Revelation: The knowledge gained through the sciences (physical, physiological, natural-meaning cooperative, and testimonial(meaning knowable)) as a means of achieving agency in the universe. God: God is a unit of measure. God is a fictional (mythical) character (archetype) within a group’s mythology, that in turn expresses the group’s evolutionary strategy (geographic, demographic, economic, political norm, tradition, and religion), that when used through imaginary role play, functions as a an instrument of measurement (decidability), for those (many) circumstances, and for those (many uneducated) people, who must decide in the face of complexity, undecidability, or uncertainty, when the consequences of our actions (externalities, particularly intertemporal and long term externalities) are beyond our ability to judge. Sympathy with an authority figure is the simplest form of measurement available to man other than his own physical abilities to act. Sympathy, particularly with a paternal or maternal figure, is the first cooperative form of measurement man evolved, and the one that requires no specific education other than ordinary social participation, in order to function. THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF NATURAL LAW THOUGHT 1. Natural law is an eternal moral law revealed to all people through human nature. Correction: The Natural Law of reciprocity is necessary for the preservation of cooperation, for any cooperative species – particularly a sentient one. Without the natural law of reciprocity, and the moral intuitions that accompany it, including altruistic punishment, then cooperation would not survive, and the population would not survive. Conversely, the more cooperation, the more contract, the more truth, the more trust, the lower the cost and the greater velocity of that cooperation. And as such, the greater prosperity. 2. Natural law influences (but cannot save) even fallen and sinful humanity. Correction: Man evolved as a rational actor, and must have evolved as a rational actor, in order to survive. Man acts rationally at all times given his incentives. He developed defense of his investments (possessions, and opportunities) before he developed cooperation. He developed moral instinct in parallel with his ability to cooperate, and language to improve his ability to cooperate. But while predation, parasitism, theft, fraud, and free riding and conspiracy are all natural to man – and universally demonstrated, it is simply almost always more advantageous to cooperate than not, or to engage in parasitism, or predation. And even so, we have developed systems of providing incentives against man’s rational choice of non-cooperation, parasitism, and predation, both informal (manners, ethics, morals, traditions) and formal (laws, enforcers, and governments). Man is not fallen angel but risen beast. That is simply the fact of it. He is rational – not good or bad, that is simply the fact of it. We all simply work to keep one another ethical, moral, and powerless so that it is always more rational to cooperate. 3. Natural law is the proper basis of political authority. Correction: The Natural Law of Reciprocity provides perfect decidability in matters of conflict. Reciprocity provides perfect decidability in matters of cooperation and exchange. Reciprocity provides perfect decidability in matters of the production of commons. Reciprocity provides perfect decidability in international agreement and conflict. Ergo, the Natural Law of Reciprocity provides the ONLY perfectly decidable means of dispute resolution, cooperation and exchange, production of commons, and international agreement and conflict. 4. Natural law authorizes society to establish a government. Correction: Natural Law of Reciprocity informs us that we require a judiciary to adjudicate differences, and markets to cooperate. Forming a political order (government) to do so on behalf of the population is a choice. But since all governments have been corrupt (especially the church), the price of government (management team for the commons), must be weighed against the benefit of one. 5. Governments are themselves subject to the natural law. Correction: Governments do not exist any more than god exists. Only people exist. A government consists only of people. And all people either observe the Natural Law of Reciprocity, and are held accountable by the rest of the population, for adhering to the Natural Law of Reciprocity, or they don’t. If they don’t, then they should expect retaliation for their crimes against the natural law of reciprocity, and therefore the polity. 6. Each society’s laws should apply the natural law to that society’s particular circumstances. Correction: Each society may create contracts under natural law that both preserve aggregate reciprocity but create combinations of rights and duties. But no, the natural law of reciprocity is no more violable than is the balance scale. Either the two weights balance, and reciprocity is preserved, or it does not balance and reciprocity is not preserved. Period. -
Natural Law for Christians
NATURAL LAW FOR CHRISTIANS (repost from 09 Monday Oct 2017) Natural Law: I have no idea what these men think natural law refers to, but in CAN only refer to Reciprocity. Every other reference is just an excuse for parasitism or predation by moral pretense. Revelation: The knowledge gained through the sciences (physical, physiological, natural-meaning cooperative, and testimonial(meaning knowable)) as a means of achieving agency in the universe. God: God is a unit of measure. God is a fictional (mythical) character (archetype) within a group’s mythology, that in turn expresses the group’s evolutionary strategy (geographic, demographic, economic, political norm, tradition, and religion), that when used through imaginary role play, functions as a an instrument of measurement (decidability), for those (many) circumstances, and for those (many uneducated) people, who must decide in the face of complexity, undecidability, or uncertainty, when the consequences of our actions (externalities, particularly intertemporal and long term externalities) are beyond our ability to judge. Sympathy with an authority figure is the simplest form of measurement available to man other than his own physical abilities to act. Sympathy, particularly with a paternal or maternal figure, is the first cooperative form of measurement man evolved, and the one that requires no specific education other than ordinary social participation, in order to function. THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF NATURAL LAW THOUGHT 1. Natural law is an eternal moral law revealed to all people through human nature. Correction: The Natural Law of reciprocity is necessary for the preservation of cooperation, for any cooperative species – particularly a sentient one. Without the natural law of reciprocity, and the moral intuitions that accompany it, including altruistic punishment, then cooperation would not survive, and the population would not survive. Conversely, the more cooperation, the more contract, the more truth, the more trust, the lower the cost and the greater velocity of that cooperation. And as such, the greater prosperity. 2. Natural law influences (but cannot save) even fallen and sinful humanity. Correction: Man evolved as a rational actor, and must have evolved as a rational actor, in order to survive. Man acts rationally at all times given his incentives. He developed defense of his investments (possessions, and opportunities) before he developed cooperation. He developed moral instinct in parallel with his ability to cooperate, and language to improve his ability to cooperate. But while predation, parasitism, theft, fraud, and free riding and conspiracy are all natural to man – and universally demonstrated, it is simply almost always more advantageous to cooperate than not, or to engage in parasitism, or predation. And even so, we have developed systems of providing incentives against man’s rational choice of non-cooperation, parasitism, and predation, both informal (manners, ethics, morals, traditions) and formal (laws, enforcers, and governments). Man is not fallen angel but risen beast. That is simply the fact of it. He is rational – not good or bad, that is simply the fact of it. We all simply work to keep one another ethical, moral, and powerless so that it is always more rational to cooperate. 3. Natural law is the proper basis of political authority. Correction: The Natural Law of Reciprocity provides perfect decidability in matters of conflict. Reciprocity provides perfect decidability in matters of cooperation and exchange. Reciprocity provides perfect decidability in matters of the production of commons. Reciprocity provides perfect decidability in international agreement and conflict. Ergo, the Natural Law of Reciprocity provides the ONLY perfectly decidable means of dispute resolution, cooperation and exchange, production of commons, and international agreement and conflict. 4. Natural law authorizes society to establish a government. Correction: Natural Law of Reciprocity informs us that we require a judiciary to adjudicate differences, and markets to cooperate. Forming a political order (government) to do so on behalf of the population is a choice. But since all governments have been corrupt (especially the church), the price of government (management team for the commons), must be weighed against the benefit of one. 5. Governments are themselves subject to the natural law. Correction: Governments do not exist any more than god exists. Only people exist. A government consists only of people. And all people either observe the Natural Law of Reciprocity, and are held accountable by the rest of the population, for adhering to the Natural Law of Reciprocity, or they don’t. If they don’t, then they should expect retaliation for their crimes against the natural law of reciprocity, and therefore the polity. 6. Each society’s laws should apply the natural law to that society’s particular circumstances. Correction: Each society may create contracts under natural law that both preserve aggregate reciprocity but create combinations of rights and duties. But no, the natural law of reciprocity is no more violable than is the balance scale. Either the two weights balance, and reciprocity is preserved, or it does not balance and reciprocity is not preserved. Period. -
What Is Natural Law? What Is Reciprocity?
WHAT IS NATURAL LAW? >A fully decidable (universal) Law of Ethics. What do you mean by ethics? >The law of cooperation and conflict resolution. What is this law of cooperation and conflict resolution? >Reciprocity. WHAT IS RECIPROCITY? In the Negative (Silver Rule, or via-negativa): The requirement to avoid the imposition of costs on that which others have born costs to obtain an interest in, without imposing costs upon that which others have likewise born costs to obtain an interest in. In the Positive(Golden Rule, or via-positiva): the requirement that we limit our actions to productive, fully informed, warrantied, voluntary transfers, free of the imposition of costs by externality, upon that which others have obtained by the same means. As determined by the either any change, or the total change in the inventory that all parties both internal and external to the action have born costs to obtain an interest without imposition of costs upon others directly or indirectly by externality. —“All of ethics can be reduced to [is a subset/special application of] the degree of reciprocity & the accounting thereof.— James Augustus WHY DOES RECIPROCITY SERVE AS NATURAL LAW? Because it is apparently impossible to contradict reciprocity in cooperation (ethics), and as such it provides perfect decidability in all contexts of cooperation at all scales in all times, and under all conditions.
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What Is Natural Law? What Is Reciprocity?
WHAT IS NATURAL LAW? >A fully decidable (universal) Law of Ethics. What do you mean by ethics? >The law of cooperation and conflict resolution. What is this law of cooperation and conflict resolution? >Reciprocity. WHAT IS RECIPROCITY? In the Negative (Silver Rule, or via-negativa): The requirement to avoid the imposition of costs on that which others have born costs to obtain an interest in, without imposing costs upon that which others have likewise born costs to obtain an interest in. In the Positive(Golden Rule, or via-positiva): the requirement that we limit our actions to productive, fully informed, warrantied, voluntary transfers, free of the imposition of costs by externality, upon that which others have obtained by the same means. As determined by the either any change, or the total change in the inventory that all parties both internal and external to the action have born costs to obtain an interest without imposition of costs upon others directly or indirectly by externality. —“All of ethics can be reduced to [is a subset/special application of] the degree of reciprocity & the accounting thereof.— James Augustus WHY DOES RECIPROCITY SERVE AS NATURAL LAW? Because it is apparently impossible to contradict reciprocity in cooperation (ethics), and as such it provides perfect decidability in all contexts of cooperation at all scales in all times, and under all conditions.
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Separation Is Enough of A Solution
—“Overt action is not always needful for the drastic removal of lower organisms. Very often, if left alone, degenerates cremate themselves. If given control of governmental mechanisms, they immediately commence to grind one another into mincemeat (that is to say, into dividends)” — Redbeard (via Brandon Hayes)
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Separation Is Enough of A Solution
—“Overt action is not always needful for the drastic removal of lower organisms. Very often, if left alone, degenerates cremate themselves. If given control of governmental mechanisms, they immediately commence to grind one another into mincemeat (that is to say, into dividends)” — Redbeard (via Brandon Hayes)
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“The irony is that it is only through a profound amount of liberalism coupled wi
—“The irony is that it is only through a profound amount of liberalism coupled with ideological courage that Curt Doolittle is able to diagnose a variety of issues with great accuracy. But [your prescription] sounds more like radical leftism repackaged. And though there might be some deterministic accuracy to the rise of radicalism in both forms (ends of the political spectrum), I personally would only die for one cause – individual liberty. And history shows that this ideology (liberty) is closer to the broader human spirit than accidental ethnic relationships devoid of spirit and culture (real culture). Your worldview is self defeating in that your own ideas could have never come to fruition with the your vision of the future. (I do recognize that referring to yourself in such a way disarms the oppositions narrative) but at what cost?”—Rob Ellerman
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“The irony is that it is only through a profound amount of liberalism coupled wi
—“The irony is that it is only through a profound amount of liberalism coupled with ideological courage that Curt Doolittle is able to diagnose a variety of issues with great accuracy. But [your prescription] sounds more like radical leftism repackaged. And though there might be some deterministic accuracy to the rise of radicalism in both forms (ends of the political spectrum), I personally would only die for one cause – individual liberty. And history shows that this ideology (liberty) is closer to the broader human spirit than accidental ethnic relationships devoid of spirit and culture (real culture). Your worldview is self defeating in that your own ideas could have never come to fruition with the your vision of the future. (I do recognize that referring to yourself in such a way disarms the oppositions narrative) but at what cost?”—Rob Ellerman