The Case for Abolishing Elections They may seem the cornerstone of democracy, but in reality they do little to promote it.

Way worse than 10%:

www.bostonreview.net/articles/the...

The Case for Abolishing Elections They may seem the cornerstone of democracy, but in reality they do little to promote it.

Real democracy: www.bostonreview.net/articles/the...

The most rank and offensive form of idolatry. But then again so is the painting in the Capitol rotunda of Washington's apotheosis. I guess what makes Trump's worse is that it's self-idolatry and comes on the heels of his demented attacks on the Pope.

"If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide." Abraham Lincoln, 1838

Will never forget reading The Drowned and the Saved and Survival in Auschwitz in undergrad. Searing, haunting, plumb the most profound depths.

American Taliban

Opinion | No Shy Person Left Behind

Outraged that elected politicians aren't stopping our Mad King from committing genocide? Consider another way of doing politics--without politicians. We must adopt democracy by lottery, and let the shy people free us of these megalomaniacs. #democracy

www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/o...

A “democracy based on meritocracy” is a contradiction in terms. A real democratic system is one in which everyday people from all walks of life are picked by lottery to serve in government, like we already do with juries. That would break the power of dynastic gerontocrats like Clyburn instantly.

He also named "MacBeth" as his favorite of Shakespeare's tragedies. Like Claudius, MacBeth commits regicide to obtain ultimate power, then is wracked by guilt. Maybe Lincoln had a conscience and was sensitive to the temptations of power--unlike many politicians today.

Grievance Style, Love Fest Reviews of Les Doléances and Politics Without Politicians

@lioneltrolling.bsky.social Wondering about your thoughts on the adoption of citizens’ assemblies in recent French politics.

open.substack.com/pub/nickcocc...

Grievance Style, Love Fest Reviews of Les Doléances and Politics Without Politicians

My review of a new film and book on #democracy.

open.substack.com/pub/nickcocc...

The Case for Abolishing Elections They may seem the cornerstone of democracy, but in reality they do little to promote it.

The answer is Democracy by Lottery:

www.bostonreview.net/articles/the...

The Case for Abolishing Elections They may seem the cornerstone of democracy, but in reality they do little to promote it.

www.bostonreview.net/articles/the...

Just turned them on and ran it--came out at 32.4.

Models were off.

Huh. When I ran it last night, came out at 44% and I freaked.

Depraved.

Damnit, John, just as I was resolved to high tail it for Canada, this thing is saying don’t freak out. But does it factor in a mad king who could escalate to a catastrophe every other week and now has his own SA?

So the lower the number, the better (for democracy)? Sorry, I stupid.

The F-Word On Fascism

Pointed to Paxton's hypothesis myself 3 years ago: open.substack.com/pub/nickcocc...

ICE Kills Another American YouTube video by Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie

youtu.be/H_71MhRqpVM

To Establish Democracy By Terry Bouricius

open.substack.com/pub/expandde...

Sortition Can Help Cure What Ails Our Democracy Americans are frustrated with our increasingly oligarchic political system. Selecting an assortment of lawmaking deliberative bodies through random lotteries could help fix it, by empowering ordinary ...

Great to see our friend Terry Bouricius make the case for sortition in Jacobin.

#sortition #democracy

jacobin.com/2025/12/sort...

ProtonMail?

What a grotesque insult to the Union dead who lie in a cemetery right on the battlefield. So much for not dying in vain.

If you ever wondered what you would do in 1930s Germany, you have your answer. This is a spiritual emergency and we have to summon all our courage. We know what happens inside #Broadview is torture. For me it’s simple - I wouldn’t stay silent if they locked Jesus up there, and I won’t be silent now

All About Pete Only accept politicians who have proved they actually care about people other than themselves…

Best profile of Buttigieg and the danger he represents is @nathanjrobinson.bsky.social’s piece from 2019:

www.currentaffairs.org/news/2019/03...

Buttigieg will do the same if he’s the nominee in ‘28, and, like Harris, he will lose. Or at best barely win and be another Biden (who considered Buttigieg his surrogate son.)

Key to this is making it sound like the Dems ran on identity politics in 2024 and that’s what caused their loss. When it fact Harris lost because she ran precisely as another neoliberal in the Clinton mild. She couldn’t speak to the material conditions off voters in the most basic sense.

You have to understand, Buttigieg is a creature of neoliberalism, a Manchurian candidate for capital. He worked for McKinsey for God’s sake. His job is to seduce liberals away from the Sanders wing with his smooth talk and “intelligence.”