Open Thread, March 1-15, 2012

OpenThreadGuy

If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post (even in Discussion), then it goes here.

Good point about the Weimar Republic as an example of failure mode of democracy. I'm not sure whether it's germaine that part of the failure was it ceasing to be a democracy. Any other examples?

What is a failure mode? Are you seeking examples of bad outcomes and bad behavior in democracies, or something more specific?

A sidetrack: Are there any sound generalizations about differences between communist countries which had genocide, and those which didn't?

What are some examples of communist countries that have not engaged in mass murder? In Cuba and Nepal the death tolls haven't been so dramatic by Cambodian standards. Are there other tame examples?

Most of Eastern Europe, I think.

4TimS14y

Is the Cultural Revolution in China an example of mass murder? I learned that there was lots of oppression, suffering, and starvation. But deaths were not an intended result, only a byproduct that the ruling elite didn't care to prevent. By contrast, Stalin's starving of the Kulaks was intended to cause death. Regardless, the Cultural Revolution doesn't reflect well on communism.

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Open Thread, March 1-15, 2012

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Open Thread, March 1-15, 2012

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