(2003-03-30) Norman Mailer Democracy

Norman Mailer on the War On Iraq and our endangered Open Society. Because Democracy is noble, it is always endangered. Nobility, indeed, is always in danger. Democracy is perishable. I think the natural government for most people, given the uglier depths of human nature, is Fascism. Fascism is more of a natural state than democracy. To assume blithely that we can export democracy into any country we choose can serve paradoxically to encourage more fascism at home and abroad. Democracy is a state of grace that is attained only by those countries who have a host of individuals not only ready to enjoy freedom but to undergo the heavy labor of maintaining it... The need for powerful theory can fall into many an abyss of error. (That last bit captures the uncertainty-appreciation behind the Open Society concept.)