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TimS comments on Any existential risk angles to the US presidential election? - Less Wrong
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Have you ever read any of the Vorkosigan saga by Lois Bujold?
Just curious whether you think that the government of Barrayar is an improvement current Western governments.
This is an ambiguous question. At the time the novels are set, Barrayar has a popular, clever, benevolent, and capable emperor. A longer historical view would include a number of tyrants and devastating civil wars.
So a great case study for the theory and practice of monarchy?
I think fictional evidence isn't terribly convincing. Note also that monarchy in the current era is constantly at risk of turning into either democracy or tyranny. "Ancient blood" hasn't been a reliable source of legitimacy since 1789. As a result, monarchs need either elections or raw force to keep their grip. And tyranny is unstable and tends to result in great wasted effort in preventing coups and insurrections.
Indeed. Try Hans-Herman Hoppe's Democracy: The God that Failed or Graham's The Case Against Democracy. Neither is all that convincing that monarchy is much better than democracy, but they make a decent case that it is at least marginally better. Note that Hoppe's book obviously started as a collection of articles, it is seriously repetitive. Both books are short and fairly easy reads.
No I haven't, is it a good read?
They're widely considered outstanding science fiction. Four of the Vorkosigan novels have won Hugo awards.
Cool, I will add it to my fiction reading list.