The New York Times: Elections Are Bad for Democracy
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And I don't think they do. You brought slaves into this discussion, whereas I don't give them the excuse to blame other people for their decisions.
Being led astray isn't the same as being forcefully directed. As long as they can chose to not commit the actions in question, then they aren't slaves. They are useful idiots. I do not give them the easy out of claiming to be "slaves" when they are completely free to not be one.
You know I had typed this exact point out and then erased it for not fitting, but glad to see we agree on that point.
And I'd never say otherwise. Multiple people can be guilty for the same crime in different ways.
To use an example I enjoy a lot for upsetting women. A serial killer is guilty of his crimes and deserving of punishment, but in the vast majority of cases his mother is also completely on the hook for what he ended up being and doing. All of them chose to kill and give in to evil, but in many cases their mother's committed such evil against them that they are absolutely responsible for the carnage caused. Women of course love serial killers but hate responsibility so that will fry their little brains.
In all these discussions I've never discounted the elites culpability for what they direct people towards, I simply reject the notion that their peasant workforce is any less to blame for their choices because an elite pointed them that way.
Then I think we are arguing over an analogy and need to get back on topic.
I do do that sometimes.