When Does Democracy Turn Into Despotism?

By on March 15, 2013 in News 12

Created by Encyclopaedia Britannica Films in 1946, the still-thought-provoking short PSA Despotism & Democracy doesn’t exactly paint our current prospects in a positive light:

Measures how a society ranks on a spectrum stretching from democracy to despotism. Where does your community, state and nation stand on these scales?

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  • salviad

    Looks like Sony has blocked the viewing of the youtube video in Canada because of copyright issues, so here is a dailymotion link to the same video (i believe):

    http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2n6d4_despotism-democracy_shortfilms#.UUNZkzemjw4

    • Monkey See Monkey Do

      Thanks, Its understandable that a large corporation wouldn’t want to share this information around too much.

    • Jonas Planck

      That’s a direct falsehood on the part of whoever is making the copyright claim. This is from the Prelinger Archives, and it’s public domain. Somebody is censoring it by abusing the DCMA.

  • Charlie Primero

    Interesting thanks.

    Some grammar on Britannica Films: http://www.kaye.com/miscellany/EBFhx.htm

    “Government Funding from the National Defense Education Act”

    • echar

      What are you attempting to say?

    • echar

      What are you attempting to say?

  • BuzzCoastin

    When Does Democracy Turn Into Despotism?

    The day after the revolutionaries become the government.

  • BuzzCoastin

    When Does Democracy Turn Into Despotism?

    The day after the revolutionaries become the government.

  • Anarchy Pony

    You can all breath easier now, comrades, as science has “proven” that democracy “doesn’t” work. http://www.desdemonadespair.net/2013/03/people-arent-smart-enough-for-democracy.html

    Never mind asking the question why people “aren’t smart enough”, let’s just say that people are too dumb so that autocrats and authoritarians can justify increasing centralization of power.

  • Anarchy Pony

    You can all breath easier now, comrades, as science has “proven” that democracy “doesn’t” work. http://www.desdemonadespair.net/2013/03/people-arent-smart-enough-for-democracy.html

    Never mind asking the question why people “aren’t smart enough”, let’s just say that people are too dumb so that autocrats and authoritarians can justify increasing centralization of power.

  • http://www.ContraControl.com/ Zenc

    Anyone else notice the use of the original version of the “Pledge of Allegiance”?

  • http://www.ContraControl.com/ Zenc

    Anyone else notice the use of the original version of the “Pledge of Allegiance”?