Comments on: McCain and Soros http://www.gavinsblog.com/2006/06/14/mccain-and-soros/ Estd. in Ireland, July 2002 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:13:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: copernicus http://www.gavinsblog.com/2006/06/14/mccain-and-soros/#comment-98499 copernicus Wed, 14 Jun 2006 11:21:53 +0000 http://www.gavinsblog.com/2006/06/14/mccain-and-soros/#comment-98499 The key to Popper's Open Society is the immutability of institutions - societal infrastructure capable of surviving poor democratic choices by the masses. So, yeah, he's still relevant because the Open Society is about more than simply undermining tyranny, it's about putting in place those legal and political institutions that prevent those in power from undermining the democratic character of the state. Sadly, Ireland, which is not a tyranny, doesn't have solid enough institutions to act as a counterbalance and prevent populism and Tent at the Galway Races style lobbying from underminning the socio-economic viability of the country. Even the USA has stronger institutions and a more coherent separation of powers. The key to Popper’s Open Society is the immutability of institutions - societal infrastructure capable of surviving poor democratic choices by the masses. So, yeah, he’s still relevant because the Open Society is about more than simply undermining tyranny, it’s about putting in place those legal and political institutions that prevent those in power from undermining the democratic character of the state.

Sadly, Ireland, which is not a tyranny, doesn’t have solid enough institutions to act as a counterbalance and prevent populism and Tent at the Galway Races style lobbying from underminning the socio-economic viability of the country.

Even the USA has stronger institutions and a more coherent separation of powers.

]]>