Ah I see what you mean. Again, it's late so I may not make much
sense.
Because I don't want my answer to be taken out of context I have to
go through a lengthy explanation. You may skip it all and go to the
last line if you wish.
The old democracies that were successful (eg greece) had slave
labor. The American style of democracy is the first of it's kind
without slave labor.
How is this relevant?
The development of the higher cognitive abilities require time and
some form of detachment from the material concerns. A slave
workforce provides an abundance such that the master can become
free from the material concerns. They then become the philosophers,
poets, dreamers etc. A kind of master race.
If the society prospers, there comes a time when the master race
will for various reasons desire to create beings in his own image.
He then mentors some slaves. These slaves are given the same
opportunities as the masters and in time they also develop higher
cognitive functions. At this time they either join their masters
who welcome them or replace their masters who have rejected
them.
This pattern or some variation thereof you see repeated over and
over again in history in the successful civilizations. Can a
different model succeed? I don't know.
The American model is unique in that it tries to achieve a society
without masters but even then you'll still find it sliding back to
the historical norm for various reasons.
As with most master races you'll have some that are benign and some
that are malicious.
A society with benign masters will result in result in stability
and prosperity, provided there are no other societies with masters
warring with them.
As a slave you have no freedom or rights.
However just being able to ask that question implies you are in a
unique position. We are the slaves that ascended without master
mentors.
Our education and access to information and having time to think
has allowed us to ascend cross the divide between master and slave.
It has opened our eyes up sufficiently to recognize the divide and
see our brethren behind us and the masters before us. We are filled
with pity and with ambition that translates to contempt and
jealousy.
A race of masters who truely wish to keep you enslaved will not
permit education, they will not permit free time, they will not
permit questions and prefer you fill you minds with mysticism and
material concerns.
That has not been the case in Singapore. We pride ourselves on
education, we push our citizens to learn more. We may argue that
our information is censored but it is still there. We have annual
leave, one day or two days off a week. No one forces you to work if
you can afford not to. There is no state religion that forces you
to accept mysticism. You will notice that while opposition is
discouraged, there are strong indications you will be welcomed into
the ruling party with better salaries which translates to being
able to take extended leave without pay. (edited: I think my view
on this is probably skewed because I forgot to mention we are a
shopper's paradise.)
I take all this as signs that we either have benign masters or
masters who followed the American model without realizing the
consequences.
My current condition dictates I accept servitude. Preference has
little to do with it.
