You're right. De facto, it's not a democracy. But it still is an *ostensible* democracy, which is where the battle must be joined. I and so many others are having epic philosophical 'wars' among friends and in our own families.
Even highly intelligent people are now bamboozled to rationalize the normalization of lying, and believe that nothing can really be done about the consequences of this development. But lying (common as it is and always will be), and the consequent treating people primarily as objects to be manipulated instead of (moral) equals to communicate with, is at the very center of social breakdowns of all kinds.
You're right. De facto, it's not a democracy. But it still is an *ostensible* democracy, which is where the battle must be joined. I and so many others are having epic philosophical 'wars' among friends and in our own families.
Even highly intelligent people are now bamboozled to rationalize the normalization of lying, and believe that nothing can really be done about the consequences of this development. But lying (common as it is and always will be), and the consequent treating people primarily as objects to be manipulated instead of (moral) equals to communicate with, is at the very center of social breakdowns of all kinds.